MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGF Technical - What colour your coolant?

Can anyone suggest an explanation for the following observation? I have recently had the coolant changed for the later OAT type. This is an orange/pink colour according to the workshop manual (original, earlier coolant being green or blue depending on VIN of car).

When I shine a torch into the expansion tank, the liquid reflects as green. This caused me a lot of confusion this weekend, until I decided to dip a piece of white cotton fabric into the coolant - it came up with an orange/pink colour where wet.

The torch I am using has a slight blue tint to the LED, but that doesn't explain it. Any ideas? I am not wearing tinted specs, honest!.

Cheers

Chaz
C Golvala

Mine's like that too - but droplets on the pressure cap are pink. Just a quirk!

Cheers,
Tim
Tim Jenner

Sorry to bring this to the top of the threads, but I'm struggling to find anyone selling Unipart OAT coolant. Neither of the two local motor shops nor Halfords stock this. My nearest MGR dealer has moved and is now an inconvenient distance away from home.

The manual is adamant that only coolant containing OAT additives should be used and none of the other makes I can find state that on the bottle (Comma, Halfords' own etc). What do you folks do? Anyone know the Unipart website (obvious attempts don't get parts only garage services)?

Thanks

C Golvala

In case anyone needs this info. Unipart's main URL doesn't have the link, but www.partcogroup.co.uk gets you to the Unipart parts website. That has a list of suppliers in your area. Only trouble is that the two suppliers in my area (a) didn't know what OAT coolant was; (b) found it in the catalogue, under a different manufacturing name (part of the same group, though); and (c) could only supply it in 5 litre or 1 gallon quantities (lot of topping up required!).

The not so local MG Rover dealer it is then, although parts tell me that their 1 litre bottles are now labelled MGR!! They can also supply the warning label that tells you not to mix OAT-type with ordinary type coolants (though the part number in the WM has changed to PAK 100380A).

What a song and dance!

Chaz
C Golvala

Hi Chaz,
The colour of the latest MGR coolant is a pinky colour and if you take a container to Brown & Gammons at Baldock they will sell you the proper stuff.
Robert
R J Hemphill

On the subject of coolants....

What sort of coolant should I be putting in my '97 VVC? Its about on the line anyway but I want to buy some to have to hand.

When I last looked it was a green colour. If I put the blue stuff in would that be a problem?

Any help gratefully received,
thanks
Fiona 8-)
Fiona

The story continues...but first a reply to Fiona. The workshop manual (which I don't have to hand but have read several times recently) lists three types of coolant for three ages of car, by VIN number. There are warnings in bold against mixing the types of coolant and information on what substitutes are acceptable. You should check with whoever did the last coolant change to make sure you use the same type (not least as they may have upgraded the coolant). However, sticking with the same colour coolant is a good starting point, so I would not put in the blue stuff (note check your actual coolant colour however, since I can't tell reliably by looking - see original post).

One thing that makes life harder is that although I suspect all manufacturers are meant to stick to the same colour scheme, it is not that easy to tell. For example, Comma have a "Red" coolant which is longer-lasting than their "Green" one, but may not be the same as the OAT-based orange/pink one specified for later models. There are dire warnings about mixing OAT-type with anything else.

OK, so back to the story, in case anyone is following or for the benefit of anyone searching for this info in the future. I went to MGR to buy the OAT coolant on Saturday and found that it wasn't labelled MGR but Havoline XLC (for Extended Life Coolant). It was coloured orange/pink but no where on the bottle did it say that the corrosion inhibitors were the Organic Acid Technology type. I asked the question and, after a lot of dithering, was assured that this was an OAT type and could mix with the Unipart version (no longer supplied by Rover). I was shown a sheet of information that said it was suitable for mixed-metal engines and used "aliphatic acid technology".

On the basis that two confirmations are better than one slightly uncertain one, I looked up Texaco's website this morning and found that the coolant is not listed for sale in the UK! However, the description of the US Havoline Extended Life Coolant seemed hopeful saying it used "organic acid corrosion inhibitors". Finally, I rang Texaco and was put through to a very helpful woman on their technical desk. She confirmed that the XLC coolant was an OAT-type and that it would mix with the Unipart version. She also explained enough of the why that I feel really confident about her advice. [My dictionary tells me that "aliphatic" means organic compounds where the carbon atoms form open chains rather than circles.]

So, finally, I have an answer and a local-ish source of coolant. To answer Robert, I drove the 180 miles round-trip to B&G a few weekends ago where they changed the radiator and pipes and upgraded the coolant - guess what I forgot to buy when I collected the car?

Cheers all

Chaz
C Golvala

Just to add somewhat to the confusion, my local MGR dealer use a blue coloured coolant, which they also say is OAT. However, I couldn't tell you who makes it, as they didn't retail small quantities (5 litres). However, as a favour, they sold me the 5 litres in my own supplied containers!
Dave Livingstone

??! Well, I'd be really doubting the dealership's colour vision or their ability to read the workshop manual, if I were you. Of course, my view depends on the assumption that all OAT-type coolants are the same colour, but that is supported by the fact that the Unipart and Texaco/Havoline versions are the orangey-pink specified in the manual. Also, I've noticed that all the after-market brands' basic (old) coolants are blue and their longer-lasting modern versions with sillicate-based corosion inhibitors are green; both of which also tie-in with the workshop manual.
C Golvala

This thread was discussed between 26/01/2004 and 03/02/2004

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGF Technical BBS now