hi im gonna be changing my coolant soon and as i have no handbook for my95 wrx i wanted to know how much coolant i would need to use compared to water, i know its 7.2 litres overall to fill . also what antifreeze is the best to use in a scooby i was looking the other day and i found some green coolant, red coolant(mobil) and the ordinary stuff?

 

I try to put in as much antifreeze as I can, My theory is that antifreeze doesn't rust anything, and obviously in freezing temps won't freeze, and in hot temps won't boil compared to water, I don't think there is any problems with this,
Apart from the fact antifreeze/coolant is more expensive than water
I use green stuff as far as I can remember, my mixture at the minute is about 80% coolant 20%water.
Maybe someone else will disagree but I have had no problems for the last five years.
Cheers Kev

 

thanks kev thts a big help , ive been talking to someone and they told me that the red antifreeze is used in aluminium engines? maybe somebody else can give their view

 

colour no issue, just check the label that they are ok for ally engines (they nearly all are). mix it to the instructions but normally anywhere between 25% and 50% depending on protection required. i use silkolene pro-cool but any 'named' manufacturer should be ok.

fill it up through the header tank VERY SLOWLY, give all your pipes (particularly the lower rad one) a squeeze now and again and you should not get any air locks.

 

think i may try the mobil advanced antifreeze says its for aluminuim engines especially highly loaded ones. was £16.99 for 5 litres only £1 more expensive than the halfords advanced in the same size!
any tips for refilling?
thanks for all the help guys

 

Yep i use neet anti-freeze in mine as well,makes it run 3 or 4 degrees cooler and has a higher boiling point than water.

 

The only red antifreeze I have seen is "4life" as used by Toyota AFAIK and is simply neat antifreeze..

My local dealers have a huge vat of green stuff that I used to "borrow from" on occasions.......

Midlife.....

 

I'd be concerned about using neat antifreeze. The heat transfer/capacity and viscosity properties of water are more favourable than glycol. Actually water is pretty good stuff for transferring heat but unfortunately freezes and corrodes things. Pure glycol may circulate poorly and not transfer heat away from where it is supposed to. 50% mix is the normal recommended, the inhibitors are designed to work in a water mix and won't be any better for being used neat.

Cheers, Diccy.

 

hmm seems like everyone has there own preferences as in what % antifreeze to water mixture! can anyone tells me what it recomends in the subaru hanbook regarding coolant??

if i mix at 50% then i cant really go wrong with it

 

ignore the handbook. just look at the bottle of whatever you buy. it will give you percentages for different levels of temp protection. i.e 25% = -5 deg.

 

just looking at the other posts. if you get a antifreeze which should be diluted dont use it neat. there are high performance neat antifreezes you can buy (i know putoline do one) but its expensive and not required really. we hardly live in finland!

 

I've always gone 50/50 - apparently his gives the best compromise between keeping temps down/preventing rust/expense.

My best advice is to change every year, i tend to do this after changing the brake fluid.

 

The optimal mixture is 50/50, any higher concentration actually increases freezing temperature and reduces the boiling point. Never mix with tapwater, use destilled water.

 

neat antifreeze freezes........ thats pointless! 50/50 is the best way i would say!!!

 

a would think neat mixtures would be a waste of time in england not as if it gonna hit -70 (un less u lads are secret weather men and u know there is gonna be a change in weather like in day after tomorrow lol) plus its gonna be xtra expense for a return ur not going to notice . a would say 50/50 is the best bet mate .