Mixed coolants

[68driver]

I installed a new aluminum radiator last year and filled the system with a 50/50 mixture of "G-04" coolant and water. The heater hose failed yesterday and we had to top off the system with regular "green" antifreeze to get it back to the shop. Any probelm mixing these different types of coolant?

[Tom Welch]

Read the G-04 bottle to determine compatability issues. Dexcool has caused alot of controversy similar to this. Advance auto parts sells a coolant, part number af1100, that is a universally compatible anti-freeze. We use a ton of the stuff so I am going to plug it here. 3 years and no issues.

[blown69nova]

I sat in on a small class concerning coolant, and basically they said anytime you mix "green" coolant with orange, yellow, purple etc., consider your system to have only the characteristics of the "green" stuff now. It is compatible, and won't hurt anything, but if you want to go back to a different "color", you must flush the system first.
Steve