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Frequently Asked Questions

You have questions. OEM Has the answers

OEM understands there’s a lot to know about maintaining your vehicle’s cooling system. Choosing the right antifreeze/coolant for your particular vehicle is a great start. Here are a few commonly asked questions to help guide you through the correct use of OEM antifreeze/coolant.

A: Antifreeze/Coolant is an additive used in vehicles to help regulate an engine’s temperature.

A: Antifreeze/Coolant comes in various colors to facilitate differentiating them. Our selection is color-coded to help you find the right additive for your vehicle’s make and model.

A: You can easily check the level of antifreeze/coolant present in your reservoir by checking the min-max marks. You should always make sure the fluid level is always over the minimum mark and to never add fluid over the maximum line.

A: OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer. Traditionally, it is a company whose products are used as components in the products of another company.
A: Use the EasyMatch tool to find the transmission fluid that’s compatible with your car. We also always recommend that you consult your owners manual to ensure you are using the correct fluid. If you have further questions, please contact us.
A: No. OEM Antifreeze/Coolant should be used only for its intended application.
A: Yes. OEM Antifreeze/Coolant is fully compatible with other similarly formulated HOAT/OAT coolants. For best results, do not mix with conventional high pH, borate or silicate based coolants.

A: Concentrate is straight coolant that must be diluted prior to use. Ready-to-use is pre-mixed 50% coolant to 50% water that can be used directly from the bottle.

A: For extreme temperatures, mixing a concentrate coolant with deionized water is the better option because maximum freeze protection of -64°C/-83°F can be achieved with a 70/30 mix (coolant to water). It is also best used when completing a system flush. Since residual water always remains in the system even after a flush, the ready-to-use premixed coolant is great for top-ups. Because you don’t have to mix it with water and can use it straight from the bottle, ready-to-use is also convenient.

A: Some coolants are sensitive to hard water, which can cause some corrosion inhibitors to form insoluble salts in the water. The result is premature coolant failure. Hard water salts will deposit on hot areas within the coolant system creating insulating films, which contribute to overheating problems in the coolant system.

Deionized water is highly recommended for flushing your cooling system and diluting engine antifreeze/coolant because it is purified water; it doesn’t contain any mineral ions such as sodium, iron, copper and chloride that can cause corrosion. Deionized water reduces corrosion in the cooling system and helps to decrease maintenance requirements of engine radiators. Using this purified water in the vehicle’s system provides protection against the damaging effects of scale build-up and corrosion caused by the use of regular tap water.
A: Straight coolant concentrate will freeze. The freeze point of undiluted coolant will only be 8.6 °F (-13 ºC), causing you to have potential freeze point problems in the wintertime. Also, too much corrosion inhibitor could lead to inhibitor fallout, especially in those cases where SCAs (supplemental coolant additives) are added. Always dilute coolant concentrate with deionized water prior to use. If you would like to use coolant straight from the bottle without having to dilute, choose our 50/50 pre-diluted formulation.
A: Each product label has the following information for dilution ratio and protection level :
    • 50% antifreeze (50% water)
      • Protection against freezing -37 ºC / -34 ºF
      • Protection against boil-over** 129 ºC / 264 ºF
    • 60% antifreeze (40% water)
      • Protection against freezing -52 ºC / -61 ºF
      • Protection against boil-over**  132 ºC / 269 ºF
    •  70% antifreeze (30% water)
      • Protection against freezing -64 ºC / -83 ºF
      • Protection against boil-over**  136 ºC / 276 ºF
** with a 100 kilopascal (15 psi) radiator cap in good condition
A: Our OEM Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant is an Organic Acid Technology (OAT) engine coolant. It is an engine coolant that is based on fully neutralized organic acid corrosion inhibitors. These corrosion inhibitors last longer than traditional corrosion inhibitors, and this is why OAT coolants are typically long life products. These coolants do not contain phosphates, borates, silicates, etc.

A: In general, follow your OEM’s (Original Equipment Manufacturer) guidelines. If you do not have a guide and are using traditional coolant, then change every two years. Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant should be changed every 5 years or 150,000 miles.

It is important to note that you should check your coolant system at least twice a year. If the coolant is dirty, cloudy, or full of particulate, then the coolant system should be drained, flushed, cleaned, and refilled with a prediluted good quality coolant and the reason for the poor condition of the coolant should be determined.

A: If the product is still in the original sealed container or has not been diluted with water then it has a shelf life of many years.
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