Coolant Anti-Freeze Question

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UGAgirl97

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Hello everyone...it's been a while since I visited the forum, but I have a question and knew I could get an answer from my fellow LR experts. So, here is my question.

This morning, when I started my 2011 LR4, the "Add Coolant" message appeared. But once I drove out of the garage, it went away and has yet to return. Well, I checked and my coolant is rather low, so I might as well add some. So I went to the autoparts store and he looked up my car on the computer and said I could add Prestone 50/50 Prediluted Engine Coolant/AntiFreeze Extended Life. It says its for all MAKES and MODELS and ANY COLOR anti-freeze. So, I started to add it and then I noticed that little sticker right next to the opening where I was pouring it in that shows you should not use green, only orange, anti-freeze. The Prestone is green.... Is it ok to continue adding this anti-freeze or should I buy some orange? Does anyone know? I texted a pic to my LR Sales Rep, b/c Service was closed, and he said it was fine b/c it was Extended Life...but I just want to be sure so I don't ruin my 60K vehicle....


Thanks for you help!
 

Quijote

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Always use OEM antifreeze. I would not let Prestone touch my LR4. I even bought OEM antifreeze for my 150k-mile 2002 Jeep GC that was worth under $5k. It's not worth the savings.
 

umbertob

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If it says "GM Dex-Cool" and/or OAT (Organic Acid Technology) somewhere on the bottle, that Prestone is probably OK. If it is not a Dex-Cool or OAT formulation, it's best not to use it in our engines and mix it with the orange stuff. As far as I know, Dex-Cool formulations are colored orange (and sometimes red or pink), but never green. So, I think you are adding the wrong type of coolant to your LR4, but read the label carefully for the above denominations.

I don't buy the claim of these new "universal" coolants being OK for any make and model, with an extended life to boot, which may be the category your green Prestone fluid falls into. They are out there though, so whether you want to use them or not it's up to you... But I am pretty sure your LR tech would not approve. And if something goes wrong with your cooling system, good luck getting Prestone to pick up the tab if you are denied a warranty claim because of it.

Also, it's not a good idea to mix OAT coolant with traditional inhibitors that contain silicate. At the very least, the service life of the coolant will be cut from the stated 5 years / 150K miles down to 2 years / 30K miles (which may create warranty headaches down the road should something go wrong with your cooling system.) There are also claims that mixing the two will promote the formation of gel-like substances inside the cooling system, which may impair the cooling efficiency in the long run and cause corrosion and damaged cooling pumps... But those may be old wives' tales. Here is an article that explains the differences among coolants in layman terms:

http://www.underhoodservice.com/Article/39651/correcting_coolant_confusion.aspx
 
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UGAgirl97

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Always use OEM antifreeze. I would not let Prestone touch my LR4. I even bought OEM antifreeze for my 150k-mile 2002 Jeep GC that was worth under $5k. It's not worth the savings.

Do you know where I can get OEM Antifreeze? If I knew where, I'd definitely order some. Thanks!
 

Quijote

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Do you know where I can get OEM Antifreeze? If I knew where, I'd definitely order some. Thanks!

OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer. aka = the stuff that comes from the factory. Just buy it from any LR dealer.
 

UGAgirl97

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OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer. aka = the stuff that comes from the factory. Just buy it from any LR dealer.

That's my problem...our dealer is about an hour and a half away...was hoping for a place online that I could buy it to ship...I guess I can call the dealer and see if they will ship me some.
 

Quijote

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That's my problem...our dealer is about an hour and a half away...was hoping for a place online that I could buy it to ship...I guess I can call the dealer and see if they will ship me some.

Sorry, I didn't know. They should be able to ship it. They do not ship hazardous materials by air, but ground should work.
 

umbertob

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FYI, to my knowledge even US dealerships end up using GM's Dex-Cool, as Castrol SF is pretty much impossible to source on this side of the pond. Ask them, before overpaying for the same stuff you can find at the local Chevy dealer down the street at 1/2 the price.
 
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UGAgirl97

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FYI, to my knowledge even US dealerships end up using GM's Dex-Cool, as Castrol SF is pretty much impossible to source on this side of the pond. Ask them, before overpaying for the same stuff you can find at the local Chevy dealer down the street.

I think you're right...I ended up calling my dealer service and read him the bottle and he said it was fine b/c it isn't the true green coolant...(it was more yellowish I guess) and he said they actually use a very similar product that works with any color anti-freeze.... When I first said it was greenish, and before I read him the bottle, he was very concerned at how much I had already put in, but he said what I had was good...I don't know really what other options I have but to use this.
 

Finlayforprez

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I think you're right...I ended up calling my dealer service and read him the bottle and he said it was fine b/c it isn't the true green coolant...(it was more yellowish I guess) and he said they actually use a very similar product that works with any color anti-freeze.... When I first said it was greenish, and before I read him the bottle, he was very concerned at how much I had already put in, but he said what I had was good...I don't know really what other options I have but to use this.
Thanks for this information!

How are you doing? It's been a while since we've seen you. Did you know I traded in my 2011 for a 2013 - white like you have! :)

Nice to see you again.

-David
 

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