It used to be that you would have to put coolant in the engine during the summer and antifreeze in the engine during the winter. Now, automotive technology has created a fluid that acts as both an antifreeze and coolant. This fluid comes in many different colors, so to determine the color of your antifreeze/coolant, look at the fluid in the clear radiator overflow reservoir.
Blue
You may see a fluid in the reservoir that is blue. This is just one color in which antifreeze/coolant comes. This color is rare, however. You more than likely have a different color in the cooling system. This being said, it’s a good idea to know the color of your antifreeze/coolant in order to determine if it is leaking out of the cooling system. You will see spots of the coolant’s color on the garage floor.
Green
A popular color in which antifreeze/coolant comes is green. Usually, this is an extremely bright green. In fact, many people describe it as neon green. In addition to neon green, you may also have antifreeze/coolant in the color of green-yellow. We recommend that if you see spots of this color on your garage floor that you have your vehicle towed to our shop.
Orange
The same is true if your antifreeze/coolant is orange. It may be this color originally depending on the brand that is in your cooling system. It may also turn an orangish color if the radiator is rusted on the inside. This is common in older automobiles with their original cooling systems. If your vehicle is leaking coolant, it will likely overheat the engine if you drive the automobile.
Red
As you can see, antifreeze/coolant comes in many different colors. Another color is red. Again, the color depends on the brand that your vehicle uses. To ensure that you always have plenty of coolant in the engine, have the cooling system serviced every 30,000 miles. This allows us to change the antifreeze/coolant and check the system for leaks or clogs.
Yellow
Finally, you may pop the hood and see yellow antifreeze/coolant in your vehicle’s cooling system. This will be neon yellow or yellow-green. As we have discussed, you need plenty of antifreeze/coolant to prevent your engine from freezing in the winter and overheating in the summer.
Bring your vehicle to our shop if it has been over 30,000 miles since your last cooling system service, or if your cooling system is leaking the antifreeze/coolant.