Can You Mix Pink And Red Antifreeze? (Explained!)

It is essential to know the suitable and recommended antifreeze you should use in your vehicle. It is also essential to know whether mixing a pink antifreeze with a red antifreeze is safe. Want to know more? Stay and keep reading.

So can you mix pink and red antifreeze? Yes, you can mix the pink antifreeze with a red antifreeze, but it cannot guarantee that it will have no harmful effects.

If you top up your coolant, you must know that you should use the same color inside your vehicle. But you must also know that there are different coolant colors and different types of coolant. 

If these are all confusing for you, this article is definitely for you. We will be talking about mixing red antifreeze with pink antifreeze. Let us get started.

Can You Mix Pink And Red Antifreeze

Can You Mix Pink And Red Coolant?

Speaking, if you will refill or put on a coolant, you should know that type of color inside your vehicle and refill it with that color. However, this is where some people are clueless about. There are different colors of antifreeze, and there are also different types of antifreeze. 

This means that a coolant with the same color does not automatically mean that they are in the same type. Just because the coolant has the same color does not necessarily mean that they have the same type. Therefore, if you mix a red coolant with a pink coolant, nothing terrible will happen if they are of the same type. 

But if the pink antifreeze is different from the red coolant in terms of its type, there can be some harmful effects. If you’re still unsure what to do and what to put inside your vehicle, you should check your owner’s manual. You can check there what is the exact type of coolant that you should add to your vehicle. 

If you want a physical place, you can go to your manufacturer’s department and consult there. However, you must also be aware that plenty of companies and manufacturers are producing coolant. With that, each of these companies is using different color signatures. 

The different companies use different colors. In the case of Toyota, they are using a red color and a green color for their coolant. It might not be very clear, but you must use the appropriate coolant for your vehicle. 

Antifreeze is also called a coolant, and it will stop the water from freezing when the weather is freezing. On the other hand, if the temperature is scorching, the coolant will also do the job of preventing your engine from overheating. The coolant will also keep your cooling system away from any rusting.

Unfortunately, there can also be some dirt in there, and it can clog your cooling system and cause you problems. So if you are not sure whether the pink antifreeze and the red antifreeze are of the same type, it is best not to get both of them mixed. If you have done this, you might have to drain and flush the entire system using water. 

So if you’re not an expert in the whole chemical composition and the reactions of the different types of coolant, stay on the safe side and do not mix different coolants. Just follow what your manufacturer has told you and what you have read in your owner’s manual.

Is There A Difference Between Pink And Red Antifreeze?

The pink coolant is an OAT which means it is an organic acid technology. This OAT or organic acid technology can last for a long time. On the other hand, the red coolant is an IAT, which is an inorganic acid technology. 

This type of coolant is considered more conventional, but it can also last longer than most of the coolants that you can find in the market. The coolant or the antifreeze can come in pink, blue, green, yellow, and pink. This can be unclear to some drivers, but you should know the type of coolant that color has.

What Will Happen If You Mix Pink And Red Antifreeze?

If you mix different coolants, it can cause damages and impairments to your vehicle’s performance. For example, if you mix two different types of coolant, it can lead to corrosion because the corrosion inhibitors in your coolant might not work anymore. 

After all, you have mixed two different types of coolant. So you have to follow what is recommended in your vehicle’s owner manual.

Summary

In summary, mixing two different types of antifreeze might be okay if both of them are on the same type. Therefore, you should know the types of coolants that you are mixing. 

If you are mixing the same type, then you and your vehicle should be okay. But if you are mixing different types, you must drain the entire system out.

Related:

Resources

Image credits – Canva

Share on:

My name is Hank, and I've been in the automotive industry for 27 years. I've been working in my own auto repair shop for the last 13 years, and now I want to help you here, on my blog. Let me know if you have any questions. Read more