I am passing on information gained from another individual. The green color is normally coolant for an automobile engine (gas engine) and it is not formulated for diesel engines. For diesel engines you have two types of coolants --- one with SCAs (Supplemental Coolant Additives) and one with OATs (Organic Acid Technology).
Diesel engines have cylinder liners and a condition known as cavitation occurs within the each cylinder while they are running. Without getting into a lot of detail, if the liners are not protected from cavitation (by using the right coolant), over time, holes will develop in the liners and then one is looking at rebuilding an engine. This situation is not present in a gas engine as the cooling system is designed differently as is the blocks of the engines and the way they are cooled.
Fleet Charge (made by Old World Industries) is a purplish/pink color and is a SCA coolant. The inital charge with this coolant contains the proper amount of SCAs already in the containers you purchase. You dilute it 50/50 with distilled water and charge your system with it. With use, the SCAs will "wear out" so, every six months or so with increased usage (mileage) you need to check the SCA level with test strips. If the SCAs are low, then you can add SCA additives to your coolant system to bring them back up to the proper levels. On my Cummins 8.3 the water filter that I have in place comes with SCA additives in it to help supplement the coolant as I drive. You can purchase water filters with different levels of "pre-charged" SCAs depending upon the size of your coolant system. If you change to an OAT system (described below), you can buy filters without any SCA "pre-charge."
Fleetguard has come out with another SCA coolant, ES Compleat EG. This coolant is blue and it uses a different chemical to safeguard the liners from cavitation. The chemical is different than the one in the purplish/pink described above and would not be compatable with each other (different chemicals). This coolant's SCAs will last longer but, they still need to be checked and when depleted, appropriate SCA additives need to be added. Again, this will not be the same SCA additives as used above.
There is another coolant that has recently been released. It is named Final Charge and it is a reddish color. This coolant is not SCA based -- it is OAT formulated. There are no chemical ingredients in it that would affect liner pitting. This coolant is said to be good for 600,000 miles or 6 years. It does require an extender to be added at 300,000 or three years. Mixing this coolant with any of the SCA coolants can be detrimental to the OAT coolant formula and visa versa. I have heard that the OAT can accept up to a 25% contamination but I would not want to risk that. If it is above that, then the system needs to be drained, flushed, and properly refilled. The only other coolant that I am aware of that is compatable with the Final Charge is Fleetguard ES Optimax which is also reddish in color.
I am sure that others may have a better explanation on coolants but, I would not mix any colors as each of the colors tend to indicate the quality/type of coolant and each will not be compatable with another color. I definantely would not use a green colored coolant in a diesel engine as that is the common color for coolant for gasoline engines --- not diesel engines and will not protect at all against cavitation which will destroy a diesel engine.
Dave Knight
dknig288@comcast.net
Hook'em Horns 1969
2002 Ultimate Advantage - 36C, 350 HP Cummins 8.3, Allison transmission
-------------- Original message --------------
From: "Russ Waterhouse" <mredsel890@earthlink.net>
> OK, My curiosity is up, What do the colors mean and why not mix them? Does the
> radiator
> prefer yellow over Red?
> Russ
> ----- Original Message -----
> From:
> To:
> Sent: Friday, February 08, 2008 7:59 PM
> Subject: Re: [Diesel-RVs] Coolant Information
>
>
> : You do not want to mix the colors.
> :
> : --
> : Dave Knight
> : dknig288@comcast.net
> : Hook'em Horns 1969
> :
> : -------------- Original message --------------
> : From: "SF"
> :
> : > I hope I read further and folks tell you not to mix the colors.
> : > SF
> : >
> : >
> : > ----- Original Message -----
> : > From: Joe
> : > To: Diesel-RVs@yahoogroups.com
> : > Sent: Friday, February 08, 2008 8:22 AM
> : > Subject: [Diesel-RVs] Coolant Information
> : >
> : >
> : > My Country Coach Intrigue came with coolant that was green. I
> : > repleaced a radiator in a friends MH and bought some coolant from
> : > Cummins 50/50 mix and it was blue. Had some left over and used it in
> : > my MH. That's gone and I bought some heavy duty coolant for trucks
> : > 50/50 and it's orange. Looked at the specs and all said they could be
> : > used with any other coolant. What's the difference.
> : >
> : > Joe
> : > 98 Country Coach Intrigue
> : >
> : >
> : >
> : >
> : >
> : > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> : >
> : >
> : >
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> : >
> :
> : [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> :
> :
> :
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