Coloring clear(ish) coolant

[The_Eric]

Is there any reason you shouldn't use a dye or even food coloring to alter the color of really light colored coolants, like Zerex's GO5?

The reason I ask is for checking (against a similarly colored reservoir) and leak detection purposes.

 

[onion]

I wouldn't worry about it. GO5 tends to dry into big crusty boogers when there's a leak. Makes them easy to spot.

But no, I don't see any reason why it would hurt anything. Actually it's kindof a fun idea.

 

[JHZR2]

Just use a flashlight if cloudy translucent plastic is an issue.

 

[rslifkin]

The reservoir level can be tough to tell. I usually rock the Jeep side to side gently, as then I can see the sloshing liquid. For leaks, it leaves definite residue (white in small quantities) when it dries. It can leave nasty yellow junk if enough of it dries in one place.

 

[The_Eric]

Originally Posted By: onion
I wouldn't worry about it. GO5 tends to dry into big crusty boogers when there's a leak. Makes them easy to spot.

But no, I don't see any reason why it would hurt anything. Actually it's kindof a fun idea.


Yeah it is. It would be for my boss's 98 4x4 Chevy. He bought as a work truck for the shop and is going through every inch of it.

I asked him what coolant he was going to use- to which he responded "Whatever it calls for". Knowing that it would be Dex Cool, I advised him to use something else. But before you brand me as a Dex hater (I'm not), realize the reservoir is a non pressurized type and that Dex doesn't like exposure to air. He wanted to know what I'd recommend and I said GO5. He replied that kind of liked the pink/orange color of Dex. That got me thinking... Maybe he could dye it. It would make it easier to see and detect and he could stare in awe at it's coolness.

 

[onion]

Mopar coolant is GO5... and it's dyed red.

But I can't imagine why food coloring would hurt anything.

 

[Ross]

I use zerex z-05 on 3 of my cars. I just mix in a little mopar stuff and it turns the final mix a nice pink.

 

[The_Eric]

Ah yes, I forgot about the Mopar GO5. Good idea! I'm glad someone is thinking around here (evidently not me).

 

[rslifkin]

I think John Deere G-05 (Coolgard, not Coolgard II) is dyed green, as another colored G-05. I agree that the light yellow is tough to see.

 

[lipadj46]

They sell coolant dye at napa for like $2 a bottle. It will turn your coolant fluorescent green.

 

[The_Eric]

Well, he ended up deciding on regular green. I asked why and he said because that's what's in it. I reminded him about the spec and dex, to which he said "Well I didn't know that it had green in it already". So I simply reminded him to make sure to service it every couple of years.

He'll put some Pen Ray Cool Tec II 2 and claim it's good to go... I don't really know about that.

Can anyone comment on Cool Tec 2?