Is coolant mixed with something ? (please help)

[WilliamsF1]

Argh... It has been nothing but trouble for me :)

FYI: I am a super-newbie when it comes to cars. I have just had so many problems with my Boxster within a short period of time I am beginning to expect

the worst everytime I notice a new thing.

Today I checked my coolant - the levels were fine but I was a bit scared because the coolant looked like it had a darkgreenlayer on top of the coolant :o

- Well I checked again, maybe not exactly on top of the coolant but more like the pink coolant had a deep-greenish color in the depth of the tank. near the edges

of the tank the color appeared more pink.

Is this the normal color of pink coolant when you look from the top of the container to the bottom or have my coolant mixed with something ??

I carefully with a 100% clean white polish cloth dipped just the tip of it 1-2 cm of the cloth and the color was 1000% pink, no brow/greenish colors at all.

I tried to stir it carefully with a clean plastic 'stick' to see if it was oil and water if they would somehow mix or make a oily pattern on top of the water. that did not happen there was no gunk or oil stains or anything.

BTW the car was not 1000% cold when I checked this, it was perhaps 40-50 celcious at least the coolant felt a bit hot.

Am I overreacting or have I got the dreaded intermix ?

Please help :)

Edited August 12, 2007 by WilliamsF1

[Rodger]

If you had oil in the tank, it would be floating on top in small circular globs. It should be obvious.

I wouldn't worry.

[WilliamsF1]

If you had oil in the tank, it would be floating on top in small circular globs. It should be obvious.

I wouldn't worry.

Thank you for your response - I know I might be overreacting but for a short while I was sure my boxster was dead.

Do you know if pink coolant has a greenish color when you look down the tank ?

I must say my theory is the same as yours and even when I stirred the coolant I could not get these circular globs, but then again I know nothing about coolant and oil so maybe there was too much oil.

I would really appreciate if anyone know more about this :)

[fasterjames]

Two scenarios. 1st, somebody unknowingly could have topped off your coolant tank with regular anti-freeze. This is why I don't ever take any of my cars to a quick lube kind of place, usually do everything myself or have experienced Porsche technicians work on my car. If this is the case you should flush and refill it.

2nd, I think this is likely your scenario. The coolant tank gets more yellowish as it ages. Yellow is also one of the 3 primary colors so is stronger than pink. Therefore when you shine light on/in a darkened yellow piece of plastic you will see more of the plastic that the actual liquid or object inside of it. (Think of a brake light and bulb). If looking in you should see pink towards the top but the shadows and bottom of the tank will make it look darker the deeper you go.

If I look at the side indicator of my original 02 tank, it looks like what is inside is dark green. When I open my cap, it is totally pink.

You are probably fine. Good luck with your car.

[WilliamsF1]

Two scenarios. 1st, somebody unknowingly could have topped off your coolant tank with regular anti-freeze. This is why I don't ever take any of my cars to a quick lube kind of place, usually do everything myself or have experienced Porsche technicians work on my car. If this is the case you should flush and refill it.

2nd, I think this is likely your scenario. The coolant tank gets more yellowish as it ages. Yellow is also one of the 3 primary colors so is stronger than pink. Therefore when you shine light on/in a darkened yellow piece of plastic you will see more of the plastic that the actual liquid or object inside of it. (Think of a brake light and bulb). If looking in you should see pink towards the top but the shadows and bottom of the tank will make it look darker the deeper you go.

If I look at the side indicator of my original 02 tank, it looks like what is inside is dark green. When I open my cap, it is totally pink.

You are probably fine. Good luck with your car.

Thank you for the thorough answer !!

I recently Exchanged both water pump and coolant reservoir so it is almost new and looks like clear plastic to me ! If I put the flashlight on top of the tank it looks like it is CLEAR pink color from the measure bar. but if I look from the top the place where the coolant is 'deepest' it looks Green. and this is what confused me a lot and got me fearing that it had mixed with oil or another dirty substance somehow. However when I try to sample the coolant all I get is the pink color and I dont have any oily mixture in the water.

So my theory is that pink coolant has a dark green shade in the tank - could someone please check theirs, I only have one car :)

Secondly maybe its the dark light in the parking garage and the fact that I used a flash light.

Really I am just a amateur but the color just looked wrong from what I was expecting from a completely pink substance.

[WilliamsF1]

Hi,

A little update for anybody interrested.

I took out a little coolant in a very scientific solution including a straw, a glas and me tasting a bit of Coolant.

Here is how it looks in the glas:

And here is how it looks when I add the flashlight to the top of the glas:

So I guess the conclusion is that PINK coolant is actually green when you put light to it.

The green color in my coolant tank is however much darker and that is what got me worried in the first place.

Thank you for your help and suggestions !

Edited August 13, 2007 by WilliamsF1

[RFM]

Hi

The coolant color changes from green to pink red in 2006, probably a mix or a residue from the older green coolant with the newer pink. Nothing to worry about.

[986Jim]

You can mix red (pink) and green coolant it's not a problem. Green Coolant only lasts 50,000 miles or whatever its rated so if you waste money on pink and add it to a green coolant car you still have to switch it out in the same length of time either way. Otherwise there is no problem with the two coolants being mixed. One is long life the other is not, so you just made long life not long life by mixing it.

Basically what I am saying is if it is mixed it's not the end of the world.

[Glyn]

I think you are super nervous and will worry about everything, therefore dont lift the bonnet or any oily areas, just turn the key and drive and every year take it in for a service - the car will be fine, The Boxster is pretty bullet proof, If a warning light comes on - just take it in a little earlier - or go take up an evening course in motor vehicle maintenance, cheap as chips and youll find it very rewarding.

seriously you do seem to worry a lot about your car - its made it this far and still on the road and it will still be on the road in years to come - unless you crash it

[WilliamsF1]

I think you are super nervous and will worry about everything, therefore dont lift the bonnet or any oily areas, just turn the key and drive and every year take it in for a service - the car will be fine, The Boxster is pretty bullet proof, If a warning light comes on - just take it in a little earlier - or go take up an evening course in motor vehicle maintenance, cheap as chips and youll find it very rewarding.

seriously you do seem to worry a lot about your car - its made it this far and still on the road and it will still be on the road in years to come - unless you crash it

You are very right but... but within 2 months I have however had a cracked compression container, broken water pump, oil problem and right now I have a servo-motor that is somehow causing problems if I drive the car for more than a few hours - the steering begins to feel like there is sand in the steering wheel! Most of these problems would have been pretty big if I had not noticed them and had them solved.

This has made me expect the next problem to be around the next corner. This is of course stupid because it makes me enjoy the car a lot less. It is my first car and therefore also my first Porsche. Maybe I should have owned some oooold cars first.

But I will take your advice, thanks Glyn!

[Glyn]

I think you are super nervous and will worry about everything, therefore dont lift the bonnet or any oily areas, just turn the key and drive and every year take it in for a service - the car will be fine, The Boxster is pretty bullet proof, If a warning light comes on - just take it in a little earlier - or go take up an evening course in motor vehicle maintenance, cheap as chips and youll find it very rewarding.

seriously you do seem to worry a lot about your car - its made it this far and still on the road and it will still be on the road in years to come - unless you crash it

You are very right but... but within 2 months I have however had a cracked compression container, broken water pump, oil problem and right now I have a servo-motor that is somehow causing problems if I drive the car for more than a few hours - the steering begins to feel like there is sand in the steering wheel! Most of these problems would have been pretty big if I had not noticed them and had them solved.

This has made me expect the next problem to be around the next corner. This is of course stupid because it makes me enjoy the car a lot less. It is my first car and therefore also my first Porsche. Maybe I should have owned some oooold cars first.

But I will take your advice, thanks Glyn!

Your welcome, and if the worst happens that is what these forums are for.

I agree the constant worry will spoil your enjoyment of the car, i think you have been a little unlucky and i guess you wonder how big the next bill will be, in reality you will have this spate of problems because the previous owner didnt worry, they enjoyed the car but allowed minor maintenance to slip- this results in you putting those thing right.

You will reach the stage where you trust the car, become at ease and have years of trouble free motoring,

My previous Boxster - a 97 2.5 had very little go wrong despite all the panic over 2.5 engines, mine had a thrashing regularly but apart from 2 MAFs, 2 radiators, aa air con condensor and a throttle position sensor nothing else had to be done in nearly 5 years.

I did spend a lot more because i was always chasing upgrades- but thats my hobby.

I now have an S, even let the warranty run out- i am so confident about the Boxster.