Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: amazonian on 10 April 2017, 15:34:42

Title: red coolant ?
Post by: amazonian on 10 April 2017, 15:34:42
I need to get some red coolant, Am I right in thinking that for a 2003 2.2 petrol omega I need the non OAT variety and is it alright to buy it from Halfords, or do I HAVE to go to Vauxhall for it ?

thanks

 :)
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 10 April 2017, 15:47:07
Here do...

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/antifreeze/halfords-oat-antifreeze-concentrate-5-litres

Don't forget the 5 litres of distilled water to go with :y
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: amazonian on 10 April 2017, 15:56:16
Cheers Doc,  so OAT is ok then ?

I have the water.

 :)
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 10 April 2017, 16:31:35
Helfrods website suggested four choices for the desmond... 2 or 5 litres, ready mixed or concentrate...

Could give Frosts in Shoreham a shout, assuming they still have a parts counter ::), for comparison purposes and buy that which takes your fancy ;)
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: TheBoy on 10 April 2017, 17:28:58
As long as Silicate free, believe OK.  Approx £14+VAT from dealer, if you have TC
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: neil74 on 10 April 2017, 18:11:37
The Halfords stuff is what I put into my car when I changed the water pump recently and it hasn't leaked all over the floor yet either.
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: amazonian on 10 April 2017, 18:58:25
Halfords is much nearer so that's where I shall go then.

Thanks for your help chaps.

                                                       :)   :)
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 10 April 2017, 19:06:42
I remember thinking the Hellfrauds stuff was a bit steep at £20 for 5 litres. Then I noticed it was "ready to use" (= only 2.5 litres of actual coolant). >:(

A few K miles of rubber duly deposited and I went to my local factors instead.
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: BazaJT on 10 April 2017, 19:21:12
A quick question on this.Does it really matter what colour the coolant is?
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 10 April 2017, 19:29:32
Technically no, but different colours tend to have different ingredients which matters to your engine if it is made from aluminium or cast iron...

The colour system makes it easy to identify at a glance.
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: frostbite on 10 April 2017, 19:53:32
As long as Silicate free, believe OK.  Approx £14+VAT from dealer, if you have TC

My volvo has all alloy modular lump and requires silicate, is it because the vaux has cast block nad alloy head that oat is needed?
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: Stige on 10 April 2017, 20:01:28
Here do...

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/antifreeze/halfords-oat-antifreeze-concentrate-5-litres

Don't forget the 5 litres of distilled water to go with :y

Why distilled water? Never heard of that before when it comes to car coolants so wondering.
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: frostbite on 10 April 2017, 20:09:47
distilled water has no minerals to clog the system and change the propeties, no good putting high chalk or iron content into the cooling system
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 10 April 2017, 22:08:33
distilled water has no minerals to clog the system and change the propeties, no good putting high chalk or iron content into the cooling system
Exactly.
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: Nick W on 10 April 2017, 22:42:18
distilled water has no minerals to clog the system and change the propeties, no good putting high chalk or iron content into the cooling system


I used to use distilled water when Dad could bring home gallons of it from work. Since he retired, I just use tap water. And I live on the North Downs, so the water is hard as nails and full of all sorts of deposits. This has no discernible affect on any of the cooling systems I've poured it into, so I see no need to worry about it.
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: Stige on 11 April 2017, 06:01:22
distilled water has no minerals to clog the system and change the propeties, no good putting high chalk or iron content into the cooling system


I used to use distilled water when Dad could bring home gallons of it from work. Since he retired, I just use tap water. And I live on the North Downs, so the water is hard as nails and full of all sorts of deposits. This has no discernible affect on any of the cooling systems I've poured it into, so I see no need to worry about it.

This.

Also if you can drink it, I dont see any possible harm in using it with the coolant. Tap water in Finlanid is fine atleast, even use it in my computer.
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: ajsphead on 11 April 2017, 07:20:09
Read somewhere that you can melt the ice out of the freezer and it's as good as distilled water. Don't know if that's true or not.
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: frostbite on 11 April 2017, 07:34:54
Just another note, de ionized water is non conductive so there is no chance of electrolysis plating the ally head
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: Bigron on 11 April 2017, 09:57:23
Fridge melidioter is not CHEMICALLY clean, ajsphead, because your fridge and its surroundings are not sterile, but it's as near to sistilled as doesn't matter - and it's free!  :)

Ron.
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: aaronjb on 11 April 2017, 11:30:46
Fridge melidioter is not CHEMICALLY clean, ajsphead, because your fridge and its surroundings are not sterile, but it's as near to sistilled as doesn't matter - and it's free!  :)

 ;D ;D the swear filter strikes again!
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: Bigron on 11 April 2017, 11:34:40
What is swearing about "melidioter"? melt water/  m-e-l-t   w-a-t-e-r?  :P

Ron.
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: Bigron on 11 April 2017, 11:36:48
It did it AGAIN! What's the rude word that I don't know about?

Ron.
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: aaronjb on 11 April 2017, 11:40:46
Take the 't' of melt and the 'wat' of water and put them together and what have you got? Something to annoy the swear filter with.. ;D ;D
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: terry paget on 11 April 2017, 11:42:22
I used Halfords red stuff after changing the head gasket on daughter in law's Rover Streetwise. I came to the conclusion later that Gm Dex Cool is OAT (organic acid) too, and that I buy in 20 litre bottles trade club, making it much cheaper. The colour is added dye.

Melted fridge ice cubes contain the same impurities as the water they are made from. The ice on the interior of our deep freeze is frozen air moisture and is as pure as distilled water.

Mains tap water is excellent stuff in Somerset, comes from reservoirs filled by rain water. contains traces of calcium from the local limestone rocks. Only reason tap water tastes a bit odd is when it has been through 7 people before it arrives, like London Thames water. Chlorination kills the bugs and makes it safe to drink, but cannot remove everything.

 A survey years ago comparing bottled spring water with mains water found that mains water was nearly always the purer and safer.

I have always used mains water (plus antifreeze) as coolant.
Title: Re: red coolant ?
Post by: TheBoy on 11 April 2017, 19:16:08
Freezing tap water does nothing to its make-up once defrosted again.  You need heat to distill it to get it near pure.

That said, tap water normally suffices, though when I was in Aylesbury, I used the deionised stuff if bikes/batteries etc.  Given its low cost, if I needed to top up a battery, I'd still use de-ionised....