Red Coolant Only at Mercedes

[Pawel66]

For what it is worth: I have learned this morning, at the parts counter at the Mercedes dealer, that the blue coolant is now discontinued at Mercedes. They had blue and red line, they now have only the red line.

No topping up, blue needs to be replaced with red.

I am enclosing picture with labels with norm PN, etc.

[WRe]

https://operatingfluids.mercedes-benz.com/sheet/310.1

[zoegrlh]

So when our Pagodas were built, no such thing as blue and red. I think you can still get blue in the states at auto stores, under European blue blend.

[John Betsch - "SADIE"]

A local Foreign Car Repair shop uses the attached pictured BMW antifreeze in all his repaired cars.  He considers this to be the best.  Has anyone tried or used this in their cars?
JB

[Pawel66]

https://operatingfluids.mercedes-benz.com/sheet/310.1

Do you see anything there that would suggest we should not use the red (or pink) coolant in our cars?

[Jonny B]

The blue coolant is available in California auto stores, and has European blend indicated.

[WRe]

Hi
on the Internet you can find the following about the colors of radiator antifreeze:

"Radiator antifreeze is available in red, blue, green, yellow-orange and other colors. These colors are an indication of the ingredients, of the type of antifreeze. However, there are no binding rules as to how radiator antifreeze must be colored by the manufacturer. For example, there is also white radiator antifreeze.

Three different technologies are currently used for antifreeze. Radiator antifreeze is divided into OAT, Si-OAT and hybrid radiator antifreeze.

OAT radiator antifreeze is silicate-free and usually reddish in color. These antifreezes are for vehicles with an aluminum engine or radiator.

Si-OAT radiator antifreeze contains silicates and is blue or bluish-violet in color like Mannol antifreeze AG11. The antifreezes combine the advantages of silicate-containing and silicate-free radiator antifreeze. Volkswagen Group vehicle brands are filled with this type of radiator antifreeze.

Hybrid radiator antifreeze is usually offered in a yellow or orange color. Hybrid radiator antifreeze contains silicate. Mercedes and BMW use this type of radiator antifreeze for the initial filling."

I currently use Ravenol Alu-KühlerFrostschutz G11 and it is yellow, slightly greenish.
...WRe

[TJMart]

I just ordered antifreeze from the Classic Center thinking I would receive the blue Mercedes one and received
Zerex G48.

[John Betsch - "SADIE"]

HAVE WE ANY CHEMICAL ENGINEERS AMONG US?

JB

[Pawel66]

Hi
on the Internet you can find the following about the colors of radiator antifreeze:

"Radiator antifreeze is available in red, blue, green, yellow-orange and other colors. These colors are an indication of the ingredients, of the type of antifreeze. However, there are no binding rules as to how radiator antifreeze must be colored by the manufacturer. For example, there is also white radiator antifreeze.

Three different technologies are currently used for antifreeze. Radiator antifreeze is divided into OAT, Si-OAT and hybrid radiator antifreeze.

OAT radiator antifreeze is silicate-free and usually reddish in color. These antifreezes are for vehicles with an aluminum engine or radiator.

Si-OAT radiator antifreeze contains silicates and is blue or bluish-violet in color like Mannol antifreeze AG11. The antifreezes combine the advantages of silicate-containing and silicate-free radiator antifreeze. Volkswagen Group vehicle brands are filled with this type of radiator antifreeze.

Hybrid radiator antifreeze is usually offered in a yellow or orange color. Hybrid radiator antifreeze contains silicate. Mercedes and BMW use this type of radiator antifreeze for the initial filling."

I currently use Ravenol Alu-KühlerFrostschutz G11 and it is yellow, slightly greenish.
...WRe

Ok, our engines are cast iron, aren't they? If so, the red coolant being for aluminum engines might not be the right choice. Blue feels better based on this description...

[ja17]

I went to the local MB Dealership the other day to get some pagoda coolant with the MB star on it. To my disappointment, they handed me some Zerex at the inflated MB coolant price! I declined and went down to the local NAPA store and picked up the same thing for much less. Since then I have bought some of the older formulations on Amazon. The price was good and the shipping was free with Amazon Prime.

[Pawel66]

I did some additional reading and, even though most of what was written was a true science-fiction to me, I concluded that the red coolants are more aimed for aluminum engines while the blue ones are recommended for cast iron block and aluminum head engines.

I will return the red coolant, I ordered blue Febi. The Valvoline brand mentioned above is not available here.

Apparently this is cost optimization on Mercedes part, they might have concluded that most of the engines they are servicing are aluminum engines.

[zoegrlh]

Yes I think that is true that most of the engines the MB is servicing are aluminum. I know for a fact that our MB dealers here in Virginia will not service our Pagodas. They have no techs that can do it , they are all young and only know how to service new cars via computers.  So yes “blue” is the way to go. 

[guyke]

G48/G11
Both are the best Coolants for pagodas