Oil & Fuel Max26XL Antifreeze/Coolant

[Fosters69]

Hey all,
I just noticed that my antifreeze reservoir is way below the LOW level and I need to add some. It being Sunday the dealer is closed and I will need the tractor tomorrow morning because of the snow storm. The coolant in it is green. Owners manual just says ETHYLENE GLYCOL 50/50. I do not want to add the wrong stuff, any help would be super appreciated.

Dan

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Hey all,
I just noticed that my antifreeze reservoir is way below the LOW level and I need to add some. It being Sunday the dealer is closed and I will need the tractor tomorrow morning because of the snow storm. The coolant in it is green. Owners manual just says ETHYLENE GLYCOL 50/50. I do not want to add the wrong stuff, any help would be super appreciated.

Dan

Hello Dan

Get some extended life antifreeze. You can purchase extended life antifreeze pre-mixed 50/50 or purchase it unmixed. Mix the unmixed anti-freeze at 50/50 with water. If you really want to do it right, use distilled water.

Up here in the northern Minnesota, we mix our anti-freeze at 60% anti-freeze and 40% water for the best freeze protection, but you don't need that rich of a mixture for your area.

 

[Fosters69]

Thanks Eric for the quick reply. I bought a 50/50 pre-mix. It is green, but more chartreuse not the dark green that was already in the tractor. I hope mixing the two doesn't hurt anything.

On a separate, but sort of related note the block heater I had installed worked awesome. It was 17 degrees this morning. Plugged the tractor in for a couple hours and it didn't even cough. Purred like a kitten. The dealer sort of tried to talk me out of it, but l had one on my truck when I lived in northern Maine and it worked great too. Thursday night it is supposed to be down to 7 degrees.

Thanks again for the help and the quick response!

Dan

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Thanks Eric for the quick reply. I bought a 50/50 pre-mix. It is green, but more chartreuse not the dark green that was already in the tractor. I hope mixing the two doesn't hurt anything.

On a separate, but sort of related note the block heater I had installed worked awesome. It was 17 degrees this morning. Plugged the tractor in for a couple hours and it didn't even cough. Purred like a kitten. The dealer sort of tried to talk me out of it, but l had one on my truck when I lived in northern Maine and it worked great too. Thursday night it is supposed to be down to 7 degrees.

Thanks again for the help and the quick response!

Dan

Dan,

You can mix the different colors of anti-freeze.

Diesel-wise you should be aware that if it gets cold enough, you can have diesel fuel problems. Do yourself a favor and save and read this PDF file:

http://www.todaystrucking.com/images/SolvingWinterDieselProblems91-1R2.pdf

 

[Fosters69]

Thanks again Eric, I will give it a read through. I do use a diesel fuel additive. I do need to learn how to empty any water in the fuel filter. I haven't noticed any yet and I do try and keep the tank full. I'm totally new to anything diesel and hydrolic. Lots to learn to protect a huge investment for me. Love my tractor though.

I still don't understand the possibility of algae growth in the fuel tank/system.

All the best,
Dan

 

[dickfoster]

Dan,

You can mix the different colors of anti-freeze.

Diesel-wise you should be aware that if it gets cold enough, you can have diesel fuel problems. Do yourself a favor and save and read this PDF file:

http://www.todaystrucking.com/images/SolvingWinterDieselProblems91-1R2.pdf

That is not what I've heard. Mixing antifreeze colors is mixing types and is a no no. If it's pink keep it pink and if green keep it all green.

 

[DavesTractor]

That is not what I've heard. Mixing antifreeze colors is mixing types and is a no no. If it's pink keep it pink and if green keep it all green.

Many are compatible, but I agree there are at least some anti-freeze mixtures that are not compatible.

In really cold country mixing it rich is necessary for the anti-freeze properties, but in hot country we find that a leaner mix cools better and still provides a high boiling point...we are looking more at the coolant side of the equation, not the anti-freeze side.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

That is not what I've heard. Mixing antifreeze colors is mixing types and is a no no. If it's pink keep it pink and if green keep it all green.

You got me. While you can mix different colors of the same kind of coolant, you will have reduced rust prevention if orange and green antifreeze is mixed over 15% and over time that mixed antifreeze can create sludge. The mix will look a little cloudy and generally a tech inspects the color of the antifreeze to learn if the rust inhibitors are breaking down as the less translucent the antifreeze is, the more the rust inhibitors are breaking down. Fosters69 has green ethylene glycol antifreeze in his tractor.

What are the Different Types of Antifreeze and Can I Mix Them?

Blog Post | Can I mix antifreeze colors? | Car Talk

 

[Fosters69]

Hi all,
I called my dealer this morning and told him I had to add some antifreeze. He said just as long as it was green, even though it was a noticeably different shades, I was fine. The jug also says it can be added to any color.

I have the service technicians showing up for a bad headlights so I will ask him while he is here for future reference.

Thanks again all for taking the time to respond,
Dan

 

[Looking4new]

There is a 'new' anti-freeze out. It is still Ethylene-glycol, but it is purple and bitter as he!!. It is compatible with the green stuff, the only reason it is bitter is because the green stuff was so sweet that animals were ingesting the stuff and we all know what that does to them.