Mazda F22 or ?? for top off?

[Elkins45]

My 2016 Mazda6 is a touch low on coolant. It’s coming up on the 10 year recommended replacement in a couple of years but is well below the 120k mileage recommendation. Should I drive to the Mazda dealer to pick up a gallon of F22 or is one of the products available at Advance or Auto Zone good enough for a top off?

 

[atikovi]

Just use distilled water if it's only a touch low. -35°F to -30°F won't make any difference.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Zerex Asian Green, Pentofrost A2, or Peak OET green

 

[Rand]

my 2 cents: Change it out now 8 years is long enough?
How low is low.. we are in summer.. add in 8oz of distilled or RO water?

 

[Elkins45]

my 2 cents: Change it out now 8 years is long enough?
How low is low.. we are in summer.. add in 8oz of distilled or RO water?

I guess it wouldn’t hurt. Hopefully it’s easy to access the drain on this one. I sliced my wrist to shreds turning the petcock on my other car.

 

[Elkins45]

Easiest one I’ve ever done. There’s a little hatch with access to the radiator drain.

 

[Ken2]

Mazda has found that their coolant is not adequate for 10 year drain intervals, and they're getting some heater core clogging after the additives get depleted before 10 years. The new pre-diluted coolant, still called F22 but a new label on the jug, is now 55% antifreeze & 45% water, and there may be other changes to the formulation. The Asian Green coolant sold under several brands is the correct chemistry but perhaps not adequate for this very long life between drains.
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2017/MC-10120384-9999.pdf

 

[pbm]

OEM brand (not Mazda OEM) and Pentofrost A2 are both PHOAT concentrates that would work well in a Mazda and keep the color like the original. You could also do a full flush and use PEAK 10X concentarte which would change the color but keep a non 2EHA coolant in the system.

 

[KrisZ]

A 2016 model is due for a coolant change IMO. Radiator drains are super easy on these.

 

[Dave Hess]

6 years max is the most I will go on any brand coolant.

 

[Elkins45]

I used Zerex Asian green because Auto Zone had the concentrate in stock. I don’t like buying premix, it’s like buying liquid detergent or drywall mud in buckets. You’re paying a lot for someone to add water for you.

 

[Elkins45]

6 years max is the most I will go on any brand coolant.

My dad’s last Chevy truck went 25 years on the factory Dexcool. I think the rust will kill it first. As far as I know the engine oil was the only fluid he ever changed on anything.

 

[KrisZ]

My dad’s last Chevy truck went 25 years on the factory Dexcool. I think the rust will kill it first. As far as I know the engine oil was the only fluid he ever changed on anything.

Highly doubtful that a vehicle would go 25 years without needing a thermostat or a water pump, or having some sort of coolant leak, or any other type of work where at least some of the coolant would need to be drained and topped off with new coolant.

And even if none of that happened and the factory coolant was truly there for 25 years, that’s just incredibly lucky and an exception. Making choices based on exceptions is not prudent.

 

[Elkins45]

Highly doubtful that a vehicle would go 25 years without needing a thermostat or a water pump, or having some sort of coolant leak, or any other type of work where at least some of the coolant would need to be drained and topped off with new coolant.

And even if none of that happened and the factory coolant was truly there for 25 years, that’s just incredibly lucky and an exception. Making choices based on exceptions is not prudent.

It happened just like I said. 98 Chevy, first coolant change in December of 2023, and that’s only because I did it.

He never changed the coolant on anything. His old Farmall tractor had the same coolant for at least 40 years.

 

[E150GT]

I always keep a jug of FL22 in the garage. I have owned 3 Mazdas since 2009 and I find they do need periodic topping up. My last Mazda purchase is a 2016 6 bought at the end of 2015 and I just hit 120k. I will be changing the coolant very soon with FL22. A simple drain and fill.
I got to do a few things actually. Coolant and change the trans fluid and brake fluid and bleed the clutch. Should be fun

 

[MRC01]

FWIW, my Mazda3 is coming up on 10 years since new and I'm changing the coolant for the first time. It only has 55k miles since my office is only 5 miles from my home. The OEM coolant is still at the same level as it was when new - I've never had to top it off.