996 coolant ? Does it have to be genuine Porsche ?

[britdave]

The reservoir in my 2002 Carrera 996 is "just " slightly under the minimum mark. There appears to be no leaks,and nothing present in the oil, that I can see, so after 8 years,and 22,500 miles I reckon it just dissipated somehow ,as it is not that much ? I want to top it up,and thought you could only use "genuine" OEM Porsche coolant to do a top up, as well as if I decide to do a complete coolant change. The local Porsche mechanic here in Daytona Beach "Kennedy Porsche" ( private garage,and NOT a dealer) tells me he uses coolant from the parts company/store Advance auto parts ,and their brand which is "Advance coolant" with the "Orange cap" ? He claims he uses it ALL the time for top up's and complete coolant changes,and it's exactly the same as the genuine Porsche coolant ? I don't want to do anything wrong,and this guy has been in business for years here in Daytona,and claims it is fine to use ? Also the coolant that came in my 2002 / 996 is colored/ coloured yellow ?

And I understand it is ok to mix it. So is it ok to use this Advance auto parts coolant,and does the color make any difference ? Any advice on this would be appreciated,as I'm somewhat confused ? Also do I do a 50/50 mix with distilled water and coolant ? Thanks for ANY advice, Cheers Dave

Edited January 3, 2011 by britdave

[swynn97]

You shouldn't mix coolant as you can get a reaction between different types (turns to a gell...). That said, if you are only slightly under the min mark just fill with distilled water since it won't make any significant difference to the mix ratio in the car.

Yes, generally you use a 50/50 mix of water to coolant.

Simon

[britdave]

You shouldn't mix coolant as you can get a reaction between different types (turns to a gell...). That said, if you are only slightly under the min mark just fill with distilled water since it won't make any significant difference to the mix ratio in the car.

Yes, generally you use a 50/50 mix of water to coolant.

Simon

Thanks Simon, but what is all this about the yellow coloured/colored coolant ,and the pink colored coolant that Porsche itself manufactures ? I called Orlando Porsche, and was going to trek all the way out there (140 miles round trip from here in Daytona beach) to buy a gallon of genuine Porsche stuff, for my 2002 911/996 ,and told the parts guy mine was yellow (original factory fill from 2002) he tells me it's now "pink" and it wont be a problem to mix it, what happened to the yellow stuff, and is he correct ? This is getting really confusing pink , or yellow and what's the difference, anyone know, and how about this stuff Advance auto parts sell, that the Porsche mechanic (NOT a dealer,a private Porsche business) here in Daytona told me about , the stuff with the "orange cap" can anyone else expound on this coolant dilemma

[amcleod1]

I went through this coolant question about 10 months ago. See the following links Porsche Coolant - ELF and OEM Porsche Coolant in the 996 forum. Hope this helps save you some headaches.

[RFM]

Original Porsche coolant can be mixed, green (older) and pink newer). A mixture of several different brands and types may be problematic and not worth the risk.

[xel996]

I use MOTUL inugel all the way in the hot Phillipine climate with no issues.

[RFM]

The problem is that only months after, the damage become apparent like cylinder heats, water pump, etc. eaten away by chemical influences. Costs can be expensive in most cases.

[Orient Express]

The key term that needs to be satisfied with using any coolant in your Porsche (or audi or VW) is that is the coolant G12 type coolant. If it is, then mixing it is just fine.

I use G12 coolant that I buy at the VW parts department, and it works just fine. What is G12 coolant? It is essentially Phosphate-free coolant.

[JFP in PA]

The major issue with mixing coolants is the gelation issue. The OEM coolant is very good stuff, consistently demonstrates a very long life with excellent performance. Unfortunately, it does not always get along well with other coolants, leading to gelation. When that happens, it is a major league mess to clean the entire system out if no damage has occurred; but often the gel plugs some of the smaller passages in the heads, leading to cracking, or worse.

In reality, if the car is totally drained and flushed before refilling, just about any suitable coolant will do a decent job. The only problem is the next time the car is in the shop; if the coolant level is low, the tech will reach for the OEM coolant jug on the shelf to top it up because he knows coolant mixing is an issue; but what he is doing is potentially a problem, only he does not know that………….

[Orient Express]

The major issue with mixing coolants is the gelation issue.

This is only an issue with mixing different formulations of coolant, i.e. mixing G12 with non-G12 coolant. Mixing different brands of non-phosphate G12 coolant is not an issue.

[JFP in PA]

The major issue with mixing coolants is the gelation issue.

This is only an issue with mixing different formulations of coolant, i.e. mixing G12 with non-G12 coolant. Mixing different brands of non-phosphate G12 coolant is not an issue.

Correct, but as I said, most decent Porsche techs are aware that there have been problems, so they will only use the OEM product, assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that is what is already in the car. Problem is that if you've already filled the system with something that isn't compatible, a simple top up leads to an instant headache. In my shop, unless we know the history of the car, we only add distilled water, never coolant mix.

[venturawildes]

I have worked on lots of cars through the years and here is what I have experience with my 996. It's a little different, everything has to be put back exactly as it came off and always use Porsche OEM parts when it matters. The Porsche coolant isn't that much if you order it from Sunset Porsche and always use distilled water.

[Orient Express]

In my shop, unless we know the history of the car, we only add distilled water, never coolant mix.

Yep, when in doubt, just use distilled or de-ionized water to top off the expansion tank.

[Red Aero]

I use MOTUL inugel all the way in the hot Phillipine climate with no issues.

I 2nd that!

Motul Inugel straight-up for me too!

Don't forget to turn On your Heater System to circulate the fresh coolant you put in :jump:

[yawlcat]

http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site_5/Coolant_Antifreeze.html

 

Here is a great article about different coolants and compatibilities.

[mharrison]

Porsche brand coolant is just Pentosin G12 (same as the VW labelled stuff). You can buy the Pentosin PentoFrost SF at OReilly Auto Parts. This is pink and is the same as what comes in the Porsche jug.

[JFP in PA]

Porsche brand coolant is just Pentosin G12 (same as the VW labelled stuff). You can buy the Pentosin PentoFrost SF at OReilly Auto Parts. This is pink and is the same as what comes in the Porsche jug.

 

If it actually is the same, and I do not know that as a fact, it is also around $13 per 1.5L container, so it also costs more (at retail) than Porsche coolant.

[Ahsai]

It has a reference to a Porsche coolant p/n (now superseded by another p/n)

http://bd8ba3c866c8cbc330ab-7b26c6f3e01bf511d4da3315c66902d6.r6.cf1.rackcdn.com/Pentosin_Antifreeze_Pentofrost%20SF_Oct12.pdf

 

It seems to be legit but I agree it's either more expensive or not much cheaper than the genuine coolant where you can get from porschepartshub.com at a very reasonable price. I'll stay with the genuine fluid just to be safe.

Edited April 30, 2015 by Ahsai

[mharrison]

Not cheaper at my Porsche dealer. EVERYTHING is above MSRP there.

[Ahsai]

That's why I love porschepartshub.com (Sunset Porsche) :)

[JFP in PA]

Not cheaper at my Porsche dealer. EVERYTHING is above MSRP there.

 

+1 on Ahsai's comment.  There are also other online retailers (non dealers) selling it for around $35 a gallon as well.

[NikitaUCLA]

I have no idea what type of coolant is in my car whether it's Porsche or not. It looks orange. What should I assume? Should I do a complete flush? What is the skills needed to do a complete system flush? 

[JFP in PA]

Porsche's later coolant is pink/orange in color.  If you cannot confirm what is in the car, a full drain followed by a couple of clear water flushes are in order.  Draining the cooling system is not difficult, but refilling it without getting air pockets (which are very bad) can be more problematic.  Do a search for the various DIY methods owners have developed to recharge these systems, shops typically use a vacuum refilling system with completely eliminates any chance of air entrapment.

[NikitaUCLA]

This already sounds like a messy job for someone like myself with no experience flushing coolant. Can I assume that a competent shop can do a complete flush with the right equipment? Or should I go to a Porsche "specialist"? :)

How many gallons do I need for a complete system flush? (2002 911 Carerra Tiptronic)   

I will be replacing the water pump soon. I assume this is the best time to do a complete flush?

 

Thanks, JFP. 

[JFP in PA]

Your coolant capacity is 22.5 liters, or about 5.95 US gallons of a 50/50 coolant/distilled water mix.  Any shop you select should have (and use) a vacuum filling system such as the Uview Airlift system.  Replacing the water pump is the perfect time to flush.