Did you know that antifreeze from some brands of car radiator heaters contains a neurotoxin that can cause death or retardation in children and pets?
The good news is that there are many other types of automotive antifreeze, so it’s not as hard as you might think to ensure your family’s safety. To make your search easier, we’ve created an easy-to-follow guide to the best choices for each car type.
Pure Automotive Antifreeze: The Most Common Choice
With names like Prestone, Zerex and Evergreen, these brands are packaged in small, cheap plastic jugs and can be found at nearly any auto supply store. They have one large drawback: the pure antifreeze you get in the jug is not enough to protect your radiator.
You must also buy a separate bottle of coolant concentrate that has special chemicals added to prevent rust and corrosion.
High-Performance Automotive Antifreeze: A Good Choice for More Cars
These brands include Cool Blue and Royal Purple. You can find them in big industrial bottles at most auto parts stores. These brands are concentrated, so you’ll only need a tiny amount to protect your radiator.
For example, you’ll need just a tablespoon or two of the concentrate to top off the coolant in an ’87 Lincoln Continental. These brands are also the best choice if your car needs to cool faster.
Additive-Free Automotive Antifreeze: A Safe Choice for Cars with Less Power
These brands include Zerex, Evergreen and Pure 1. You can find these at nearly any auto parts store. These brands concentrate the antifreeze with additives that resist rust and corrosion, as well as a special enzyme that makes the coolant dissolve more easily in the water.
This makes them the simplest choice for cars that need to cool slowly, because you don’t have to worry about mixing concentrate with pure antifreeze.
Green Automotive Antifreeze: A Good Choice for Environmentally Conscious Drivers
These brands include Prestone and Zerex. The bottles are available at any auto parts store, but you may have to search online or order these brands online if you want them delivered.
These brands of coolant use recycled products to make their coolant, which means less waste is generated. They still keep your car from rusting, yet are more environmentally friendly.
Antifreeze additives can save you money, but they are not always necessary. Pure antifreeze is often enough to prevent the problems that additive coolants try to fix. If you want to use an additive-free brand of car antifreeze, concentrate on making sure that it’s a high-quality concentration. Never mix one brand of antifreeze with another.
Then, check your owner’s manual to see whether your car needs a coolant mixture or just a bottle of pure coolant to protect the radiator. If you need to order extra concentrate, be sure that it comes with a gauge for measuring the correct level in your system.
Finally, look for an easy-to-read label that lets you know where what you’re buying is made.
Always look for automotive antifreeze that’s designed specifically for your car type.
For example, if you have an older Toyota Echo, a car made in the mid-1990s, you’ll definitely want to use Toyota coolant.
On the other hand, if you have a newer Honda Civic, you should use Prestone or another industry-standard antifreeze like Zerex.
You need to be vigilant about the brands of antifreeze you choose, and it’s important to read the info not only on the bottle, but on the auto parts store’s shelf. Look for Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) that list all of the chemicals in your coolant and what they mean for your car.
You can also try calling an auto parts supplier; many dealerships have brand-specific prices listed and many will allow you to call them directly with questions about coolant for your specific car.