No matter what type of car you drive, whether it’s a BMW, Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Audi, Mini, or Volkswagen, your car circulates a solution of water and coolant to dissipate the heat generated within the engine and prevent it from completely melting down (one notable exception are older Porsche models that are air and oil cooled and did not use water or coolant, but instead circulated a large amount of oil to dissipate the heat).
A Spectrum of Colors
Which coolant type is best for your BMW, Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Audi, or Volkswagen out of the many available options? The answer is the kind that was initially installed in your car. Your coolant may be green, pink, blue, yellow, or even clear depending on the manufacturer. All coolants are naturally transparent, and dye is used to give them color. It has no impact on the coolant’s chemical properties that each producer adds their own colour blend. Because the water in Europe is substantially harder than the water in the United States, European manufacturers prefer coolant that is phosphate-free.
Inorganic Acid Technology (IAT), Organic Acid Technology (OAT), and Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT) are the three most common coolant types available today. A HOAT coolant is used by your BMW, Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Audi, or Volkswagen.
In order to protect aluminum surfaces, silicate is added to OAT coolants to create HOAT coolants. The cylinder heads and radiators, as well as other parts of your BMW, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Audi, and Volkswagen engine and cooling systems, are constructed of aluminum.
Silicate and phosphate corrosion inhibitors are not used in OAT coolants. These coolants are made to last for 150,000 miles and have a long service life (or 5 years). It should be mentioned, nevertheless, that German Auto Center and the majority of manufacturers advise cleansing or replacing the coolant every two years.
The metal (Iron) components of the engine and cooling system are protected by traditional coolants, which are IAT coolants and use silicate and phosphate corrosion inhibitors. IAT coolants shouldn’t be utilized because the majority of the iron components in your BMW, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Mini, Audi, and Volkswagen have been replaced with aluminum and other lighter composites.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that modern German performance cars, whether you drive a Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Mini BMW, Volkswagen, or Audi, will last you for many miles and years if you maintain them properly. German Auto Center in Austin is the place to go for German auto repairs. We will be pleased to help you!
In This Article...
Can non-BMW coolant be used in a BMW?
Now they can all work together. Ethylene Glycol serves as the “Active Ingredient” in “BMW” Coolant in addition to distilled water. Also concur with the distilled water
Does BMW work with Prestone coolant?
P/N: AF6100. The best formula for every BMW (r), every Mini (r), every Volvo (r), every Mercedes (r) older than 2014, every Volkswagen (r), every Audi (r), every Jaguar (r), and every Porsche (r) older than 1996. This technology controls the temperature of your engine, prevents it from freezing, and shields it from corrosion.
What does a gallon of BMW coolant cost?
Genuine BMW Coolant (Antifreeze), 1 Gallon Jug, Green, $27.99 For the best cooling system performance, use genuine BMW green HT-12 antifreeze. appropriate for all BMW models
What kind of coolant should you use in a BMW?
In addition to controlling engine temperatures, the quality of your BMW coolant is essential for lubricating the water pump, guarding against corrosion and buildup, providing anti-freeze during the winter, and, in some models, assisting in cooling for engine and gearbox oil coolers. Not just any antifreeze will do; BMWs have special coolant needs (nitrite and phosphate free) to prevent build-up and corrosion of metal components. Along with BMW coolant, we also sell coolant additives like Red Line Water Wetter, which lower combustion chamber temperatures and elevate boiling points in order to prevent detonation and banging.
BMW coolant is what color?
When I went to start my automobile this morning, I saw the notice “coolant low.”
I went to the closest gas station because I didn’t have time to travel to BMW. There was hardly any coolant inside when we opened the coolant tank. A red form of coolant was introduced by the employee who worked there. I was also informed that I could only use red or blue coolant in this automobile, not green. I want to know if it’s okay that I didn’t go to BMW and if using this kind of coolant is safe.
I would use pure water and an OAT-style coolant. By location and anticipated temps, percentage varies. Water Wetter is also a good idea.
I didn’t witness them mix the water, so is it okay that they just poured some sort of crimson coolant?
Dark blue or green is the color of the recommended BMW coolant. Recently, I filled up my expansion tank with coolant because it was running low. No, there was no light on. I did, however, want to add something. I did so with the engine cold. The fact that I had to add 1/2 liter of coolant kind of astonished me! Aside from that, the LOW COOLANT light was off.
Why is the coolant in my BMW low?
You should take your automobile to the automotive service shop as soon as possible for an inspection and maintenance if your coolant is low because it could be an indication of a larger issue. Some of the causes of a possible coolant shortage in your car include the following:
- reservoir leak or overflow tank
- a radiator leak
- radiator hose leak
- water pump leak
- cracked or compromised radiator seal
- defective head gasket
What occurs if the incorrect coolant is used in a BMW?
The performance of the car can be hampered if the wrong coolant is used or if several types are mixed together. Additionally, the radiator’s corrosion may worsen. It’s crucial to remember that color alone cannot accurately identify the type of coolant you should use. The radiator, water pump, radiator hoses, cylinder gasket, and other components can suffer corrosion and other issues as a result of using the incorrect coolant. Having a qualified auto mechanic handle your vehicle’s maintenance is the greatest method to guarantee that you obtain the right coolant.
Can I combine BMW coolant brands?
It appears that automakers are choosing antifreeze and coolant colors at random for their vehicles. In cars all across the world, coolant that is green, orange, pink, red, and blue circulates through radiator hoses.
It’s crucial to avoid mixing the incorrect coolant, or the incorrect types of coolant combinations, the next time you top off your coolant level because of all this diversity.
You might be wondering if mixing coolant brands is possible. Maybe there are times when you buy several brands of coolant but are confused if they are safe for your engine.
Do not worry. It’s common for drivers to experience that. Like you, many drivers are on the road. I’ve been in a similar situation before. I therefore made the decision to write this essay to provide some clarification.
The quick answer is yes, as long as they are the same type of coolant, you can combine various coolant brands and mixtures. Due to the fact that it is only a dye, the color is less important. Because each coolant has unique additive packages that aid in corrosion control, performance, and coolant flow, it is best to match that as well.
How much does it cost to refill the coolant in a BMW?
A BMW 328i coolant change typically costs between $276 and $315. While parts are priced at $124, labor expenses are predicted to range from $151 and $191. Taxes and levies are not included in this range, nor are your particular model year or special location taken into account.
Can I substitute water for the BMW coolant?
Your radiator system becomes more contaminated when you use water. Although using water instead of low coolant is significantly better for the engine, you should switch the water out as soon as you can for the proper coolant for your car.
Any remaining coolant in the radiator is diluted when water is added to it. Preventing corrosion, raising the boiling point of water, and reducing the freezing point of water are just a few of the crucial jobs that coolant does. While using water in place of the coolant will allow you to drive the automobile for a brief period of time, your engine won’t be adequately protected.
This means that the radiator needs to be filled with a 50/50 mixture of coolant and water as soon as the issue that led to a low coolant level is resolved.
How much time can a BMW be operated without coolant?
Most people are aware that one of the most important fluids in your car is the coolant. Sadly, coolant leaks happen frequently, and coolant itself can be rather expensive. If you drive a luxury vehicle or a brand of foreign automobile that doesn’t make use of a common coolant combination, coolant is considerably more expensive.
Because of all these issues, it can become very frequent for people to inquire as to whether it is possible or safe to operate their car with little to no coolant. How long can a car operate without coolant, then?
It somewhat depends on what you mean. If you’re asking how long a vehicle will actually run without coolant in its system, the answer is considerably different than how long you can safely operate a vehicle without coolant. We’ll stick with the first response since we’ll assume that the majority of folks don’t want to take the chance of seriously harming your engine and other internal systems.
The ideal situation is to never drive your car without coolant. Running too hot can harm several internal parts, and the engine of your car generates heat quite quickly. After all, the engine contains tiny, rapidly-occurring explosions that drive the pistons, and each one of these explosions produces heat.
The automobile can probably operate for approximately a minute without significant risk of damage if you absolutely must start it without coolant. Depending on the engine, the model of the car, and the amount of work you’re asking the engine to do, you might be able to get away with running the engine for up to 5 minutes without adding coolant.
But it’s a terrible concept. Even with those incredibly brief runtimes, your car could nevertheless sustain serious, even dangerous, internal damage.
the use of blue antifreeze by BMW?
The majority of coolant manufacturers in East Texas, where we can experience a wide variety of temperature variations throughout the year, offer an engine coolant that is a 50/50 combination.
In order to receive the greatest cooling benefits for our Texas climate, BMW “Blue Coolant” must be mixed and added to your cooling system in the right manner. This calls for a coolant flush and refill procedure that removes air and old coolant from your system to improve engine safety.
Because it is silicate and phosphate free and has a far longer lifespan inside of your car’s cooling system, we advise using BMW “Blue” coolant in your vehicle.
Come in right away to pick up a gallon of fuel, or let us repair the cooling system in your car in time for the Texas heat.
Can you combine blue and green coolant in a BMW?
It appears that they can coexist, with green being able to mix with blue-filled cars but not the other way around. from getbmwparts copied: G48 coolant (blue) should not be used in vehicles that were first filled with HT-12, although BMW HT-12 can be used in any vehicle that now uses G48.