Help Changing car fluids

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Good day My BB fam
I would like to ask for help with choosing coolant for my Honda. The manufacturer recommends Honda all season antifreeze type 2, but I've been searching for that in South Africa with no luck, what do you guys recommend? Also will I mess up my engine if I use just any other coolant made by other manufacturers?

PS: If anyone knows where I can get the Honda coolant please help, coolant in my reserve is below minimum
 
Top up? then use the Honda stuff from honda. Going with another brand... like say VW coolant, you gonna have to flush as a precaution
- I hve used VW coolant in my K24, and Honda coolant in the lexus - zero issues.
 
There are different types. Your owners manual will give guidelines. But the different types is basically colour coded.

Anti-freeze: Not mixed i.e. concentrate, need to add water to it.
Coolant: Can be used i.e. already pre-mixed.

I googled:

1673272434899.png
 
rh1 said:
There are different types. Your owners manual will give guidelines. But the different types is basically colour coded.

Anti-freeze: Not mixed i.e. concentrate, need to add water to it.
Coolant: Can be used i.e. already pre-mixed.

I googled:

View attachment 1454679
Click to expand...
Just to add:
DO NOT use tap water. Get distilled water to mix with anti-freeze.
 
rh1 said:
Thanks. Forgot about that. I normally just buy the premixed.
Click to expand...
I thought I was buying the premixed one recently only to find it was the concentrate. Had to run around the entire town looking for distilled water.
 
No need to remain.a slave to Honda's ridiculous prices, just flush it out and refill with a good quality antifreeze.

You can google the videos for flushing the system properly.
 
azbob said:
Do petrol stations use distilled water?
Click to expand...
Unfortunately not. Don’t allow them to add water from a watering can into the coolant tank. As you add more water, you will notice the colour will change from original colour to a dark brown / black liquid over time.

If you are low on coolant, better to buy premix to top up or search for distilled water.

Also, if your coolant needs frequent top ups it means there is a leak somewhere. I go years without needing a coolant top up.
 
i believe Honda recommends a 50/50 mix ,depending on country of origin, there are 3 different types .2 are wrong .
 
Yoztruly said:
Unfortunately not. Don’t allow them to add water from a watering can into the coolant tank. As you add more water, you will notice the colour will change from original colour to a dark brown / black liquid over time.

If you are low on coolant, better to buy premix to top up or search for distilled water.

Also, if your coolant needs frequent top ups it means there is a leak somewhere. I go years without needing a coolant top up.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Have managed over 250k and never used distilled water. I guess YMMV.
 
azbob said:
Thanks. Have managed over 250k and never used distilled water. I guess YMMV.
Click to expand...
i use only the 50/50 premix ,on a closed system you should never really have to top up .pre mix is nice and easy .
 
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Yoztruly said:
Just to add:
DO NOT use tap water. Get distilled water to mix with anti-freeze.
Click to expand...
never use distilled water.

During the distillation process, water is vaporized into its gaseous phase, so all its impurities are left behind. These impurities include a number of minerals, including “calcium” and “magnesium,” the two components of water “hardness.” The water is then condensed back into its liquid phase, so the resulting liquid is pure water – in fact, some of the purest water on earth. But the problem is that when water is distilled, or “stripped,” of its minerals and impurities, the resulting solution is composed of chemically imbalanced “ions.” This leaves distilled water “ionically hungry,” so it will actually strip electrons from the metals in a cooling system as it attempts to chemically re-balance itself. As it chemically removes electrons from the metals of cooling system components, distilled water eventually does extreme damage that could lead to cooling system failure.

rislone.com

Why You Should Never Use Distilled Water in Your Cooling System | Rislone

Many people have "heard" that distilled water is the best water to use in a cooling system. This is wrong! Let us tell you why.
rislone.com rislone.com
 
qscwbt said:
never use distilled water.

During the distillation process, water is vaporized into its gaseous phase, so all its impurities are left behind. These impurities include a number of minerals, including “calcium” and “magnesium,” the two components of water “hardness.” The water is then condensed back into its liquid phase, so the resulting liquid is pure water – in fact, some of the purest water on earth. But the problem is that when water is distilled, or “stripped,” of its minerals and impurities, the resulting solution is composed of chemically imbalanced “ions.” This leaves distilled water “ionically hungry,” so it will actually strip electrons from the metals in a cooling system as it attempts to chemically re-balance itself. As it chemically removes electrons from the metals of cooling system components, distilled water eventually does extreme damage that could lead to cooling system failure.

rislone.com

Why You Should Never Use Distilled Water in Your Cooling System | Rislone

Many people have "heard" that distilled water is the best water to use in a cooling system. This is wrong! Let us tell you why.
rislone.com rislone.com
Click to expand...
Interesting. Funny enough I used distilled water purely based on it having all the impurities of tap water removed. My theory is that tap water will lead to a calcium build up which will eventually clog that coolant system.

Guess premixed coolant is the best way to go.
 
qscwbt said:
never use distilled water.

During the distillation process, water is vaporized into its gaseous phase, so all its impurities are left behind. These impurities include a number of minerals, including “calcium” and “magnesium,” the two components of water “hardness.” The water is then condensed back into its liquid phase, so the resulting liquid is pure water – in fact, some of the purest water on earth. But the problem is that when water is distilled, or “stripped,” of its minerals and impurities, the resulting solution is composed of chemically imbalanced “ions.” This leaves distilled water “ionically hungry,” so it will actually strip electrons from the metals in a cooling system as it attempts to chemically re-balance itself. As it chemically removes electrons from the metals of cooling system components, distilled water eventually does extreme damage that could lead to cooling system failure.

rislone.com

Why You Should Never Use Distilled Water in Your Cooling System | Rislone

Many people have "heard" that distilled water is the best water to use in a cooling system. This is wrong! Let us tell you why.
rislone.com rislone.com
Click to expand...
makes sense .premix all the way .20% mix for hot climates and 50% for cold climates or general use
 
To OP, my wifes car radiator was replaced, prior to that we were going through coolant by the litre. No way I was going to buy Nissan named branded coolant at the mark up price, just for it to drain away. The owners manual indicated which type to buy. We bought that.

My wife always say she needs to top up coolant, I always laugh, check the level, and tell her I topped it up. There is no leaks, it is a closed system, so there is no reason to top up the coolant.
 
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