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Coolant Confusion

59K views 32 replies 14 participants last post by  Badbear0416 
#1 ·
Hey guys,

After hours and hours of research I'm just about back where I started. I noticed my coolant was low not too long ago so I went into my owners manual and found that my 2013 Ram 1500 required OAT coolant. I ordered a jug off amazon to top off my truck and realized the jug of OAT and what is in my coolant tank are two different colors. The OAT in the jug is undeniably purple and the OAT in my coolant tank is orange. I pulled some out of my truck and sat it onto a white envelope and it appeared slightly purple. I then pulled about 10mL out of truck and poured it into a clear container and it was undeniably orange with no real purple tint too it. After some research I found that in 2013 they switched coolants from HOAT to OAT so my truck, being manufactured in 7/13, should certainly have the purple OAT in it. I also found out that sometimes the factory fill OAT was orange. So now I'm back at square one trying to figure out what coolant to add. A definitive answer would be great considering I've spent hours attempting to figure this out.

Thanks guys.
 
#5 ·
Don't let the different colors confuse you

Its first dye colors were orange and red. These dye colors are still used by General Motors and Caterpillar. Green, pink and blue have been added to the list of available OAT antifreezes.
It is recommended that OAT not be mixed with any other antifreeze technology.

You need OAT Coolant, plain & simple
In 2012 Chrysler switch to OAT

Mixing OAT and HOAT is not good. it will gunk up everything
==================================================

Listen what this video says about COLORS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDyeFGMGETY
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
more about the different types of coolant from MOPAR
notice also what he says about FIAT vs. US MOPAR OAT coolants

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrN4cehxjGY
 
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#6 ·
This has been the subject of much confusion; there's a pretty long thread on it in one of the Jeep forums. You definitely don't want to mix coolant.

I think the switch to OAT was made in 2013, not 2012. I am still pretty sure we have OAT in our 2013s despite it being pink and will be changing it out with OAT this Spring when I get back from deployment-the manual says OAT. I guess I should check what color it is in the Durango since it uses OAT too
 
#7 ·
I am having the same problem you are having in regard to coolant. I have a 2013 Ram 1500 Hemi. The coolant in the reservoir is pink. I was at a Dodge dealer getting 2-re-calls taken care of. I talked with a service rep. who informed me I should have the 'purple' coolant. I purchased two gallons of the purple. Like you, I've done a lot of checking and research and I've decided to have the pink flushed-out then replace it with the purple.


Chuck
 
#8 ·
Has anyone trie scooping a little coolant from their reservoir into a cup and adding some purple to see if it reacts?
 
#10 ·
Hey guys so my truck is also a little low on coolant and I’m not sure if it has HOAT or OAT in it. It’s a 2013 1500 with a Hemi and was built on October 2012. The owners manual says it takes the 10 year OAT but the coolant in the truck right now is orange. I have jug of the Mopar 10 year OAT concentrate (part number: 68175338AB) which is clearly purple. From what I’ve read online my truck SHOULD be filled with OAT since it calls for it in the manual but being that begin that it was built in 2012 has me concerned that it may be filled with HOAT. I took about a tablespoon of coolant from the rad and a tablespoon of coolant from the jug premixed with distilled water and mixed them both together in a old water bottle, been sitting for about 3 hours now and still looks very fluid. Will let it sit for overnight and check it again in the morning
 
#11 ·
No reason for confusion on a 2013 Ram
Chrysler/Fiat Rams model years runs from July 1 to June 31 typically, some years were maybe 2 months different

So they would typically begin building 2013 Rams in July of 2012
 
#12 ·
What matters should be the model year of the vehicle, not the calendar year in which it was built, since part changes correspond with models
 
#14 ·
As long as you do a full flush with distilled water when you change it I don't think it will matter anyway
 
#15 ·
I accidentally added green to mine after changing the waterpump. I could see little balls of gell like substance. I drained, flushed several times with water, and filled with green. I've put 5,000 miles on now with zero issues. It did end up a little too diluted, (was only good to -7), so I drained again today and filled again. The inside of radiator looked brand new. Now I'm good down to -36. Reason I did this today is it's supposed to get below zero here the next few nights.
 
#16 ·
I'm honestly still not sold on the different dye theory. My late model build '13 came with the pink/orange fluid. So bought a bottle of the 5 year pink/orange from the dealer and took some fluid from the radiator. I mixed them in a tupperware and put that in my closet. That was about 5 or so months ago. It's still the same color/clarity as it was originally. Not gelling or other reacitons....Oh well... I'll just flush and fill with new pink 5 year when the weather gets nicer.
 
#17 ·
I may get some purple and suck a little out of my radiator to see if they mix to confirm this
 
#19 · (Edited)
I just went through this debacle myself. The purple Mopar OAT coolant will turn pink\orange over time cycling through the engine and cooling system. I have a thread on another forum that shows pictures of the coolant in my wifes 2017 Jeep GC that calls for OAT coolant but has turned pink/orange and looked identical to what drained out of my truck. Whatever you do, DO NOT mix OAT and HOAT coolant it will sludge up your engine and cooling system.

I also have 3 samples setup with OAT and HOAT mixed. One is the control which is new OAT and HOAT mixed with water, the next is my truck sample and OAT plus water, and the third is my truck sample plus HOAT and water. I can tell you the control and the last one have an ammonia smell which is what happens when OAT and HOAT are mixed while the middle with my truck sample and OAT smells like coolant. Not very scientific but its something that points to the 2013s got OAT coolant...
 

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#21 ·
The confusion is because the Fiat version from previous years of OAT was orange. Some Chrysler dealer's parts departments had the orange OAT as well. Chrysler did not want to confuse people knowing that their HOAT from previous years was also orange though slightly different. They changed the color to purple. Some see the purple as pink. The purple OAT is correct.
From the 2017 Mopar Chemical Catalog:
50/50 PREDILUTED ANTIFREEZE/COOLANT
Part No. 68163849AB

CONCENTRATE ANTIFREEZE/COOLANT
Part No. 68163848AB
 
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#22 ·
That makes me feel better. I found a place that takes used coolant so I'm about to order up some Mopar OAT
 
#23 ·
I seem to recall that at 5 years, you are suppose to change the fluid, no matter what the anti freeze jug instruction say

Green Conventional Anti Freeze needs to be changed every year or two

Extended life antifreeze can last up to 5 years.
A shorter period of time should be used if the vehicle is often used for Towing

The most accurate tool for measuring OAT and HOAT potency is a refractometer which is an expensive piece of equipment, so you should have the coolant checked by a service station before deciding whether to replace or refurbish it.
I believe most Firestone shops have a refractometer

OAT will work if your radiator is aluminum and you flush your entire cooling system with water and then refill with a 50/50 or 60/40 mixture of OAT, but there are some issues with the interaction between organic coolants and lead solder, so using OAT in a copper radiator is not recommended.
 
#24 ·
Chrysler Corporation LLC. has released a new engine coolant for the 2013 model year
vehicles and beyond, for all engine applications except the ones listed in the note above.
This new coolant is an Organic Additive Technology (OAT) (
Fig. 1). OAT coolants have a service interval of 10 years or 150,000 miles. For heavy duty truck and extreme duty cycle applications refer to the Service Information or Owner's Manual for proper maintenance schedules.

CAUTION: Vehicle Damage may occur if dissimilar coolants are mixed!
Coolants of different technologies are not compatible nor interchangeable (OAT, HOAT or IAT).
Mixing these coolants could result in:
• accelerated corrosion within the engine and cooling systems.
• the coolant having an ammonia smell.
• debris (particles) floating in the coolant.
Further inspection by the technician may find corrosion in the system. This could show up as aluminum pipes turning black in the coolant system, engine overheat, or leaks in the coolant system.
NOTE: If OAT (MOPAR P/N 68163848AA Purple) has been Mixed with HOAT (MOPAR
P/N 68048953AB Pink Or Factory Fill HOAT Orange (Fig. 2) or (Fig. 3)) or any
other coolants have been mixed, it will be necessary to flush the cooling system.
 
#29 ·
As a follow up to this thread, I had my coolant changed last week (just short of 5 years and 75,000 miles), and can confirm that the 68163848AB part number is the correct coolant for your 2013 or newer Mopar that requires OAT coolant. Now the long version:

My Ram is 5 years old and knocking on the door of 75,000 miles. That was the interval for the HOAT coolant, and the OAT is 10 years 150,000 miles, but I've seen the mud that comes out of some people's cooling systems and so I follow RamTech's recommendation of halving coolant change intervals-so 5 years/75,000 it is for me.

I took it to the dealer last Wednesday (May 2nd) to get the coolant changed (also brake fluid since I did the brakes on the 30th), that way if they screwed something up the dealer could replace my radiator/evap core/engine/radiator/etc... and I wouldn't be left holding the bag if I did it myself and used the wrong stuff. I go to the dealer in Wilmington which is a little over an hour away because their service department costs a little less than the one here in Jacksonville, and they do stuff the right way in my experience, whereas the dealer here tried to charge me $800+ to replace half my fuel system when all I needed was a $70 sensor, so I trust Neuwirth more than National, who also quoted me for 2 filters and ATF+4 for a transmission fluid change and tried to argue with me that that's what my truck needed because their system said so when they plugged in my VIN. I get that the 8 speed/Hemi was a late availability option for 2013 but if you can't tell the difference between an 8 and 6 speed which use entirely different filters and fluid then you ain't servicing my truck. Needless to say I changed my own transmission fluid.

Anyway, the service advisor didn't seem to really know the difference between HOAT and OAT so I checked the service request paperwork which lists the part number for the coolant once it was done before driving home. The part number was 68163848AB which comes up as OAT when I Googled it, which is the correct coolant. I am not sure what color it is and quite frankly I don't care because I have driven around 700 miles on it and it is still the right consistency and has not foamed or gelled, and my coolant temp has been staying a little lower than it was before, which is to say well within the normal range.

I know that's a long read so the TL;DR here is that you need part number 68163848AB coolant for your 2013 or newer Mopar with OAT coolant.

On the way back from the dealer I got up to 90 MPH (that's how fast everyone goes on I-40) and its been in the 90s and humid AF. That's the coolant you need
 
#30 ·
Im hoping some Chrysler/Dodge techs can help me out. After reading many forums, manufacture specs and the owner's manual. The water is still muddy. The 2013+ Ram 1500 requires an OAT Coolant (Mopar Part Number: 68163849AA). I can't get any of the Mopar OEM coolant at the moment. I have read the manufacture specs for Prestone Dex Cool and according to Prestone and their representatives, and many forums on the interweb - Dex Cool coolant meets the specs of what Chrysler calls for. Has anyone ran Dexcool before? Its typically a GM specific coolant. I have read some people get dried seals and head gaskets issues. Thoughts?
 
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