Just traded my old dak for a 96 ram and when I was checking fluids when i got it home there isn't anything in the reserve and the radiator was so low that I couldn't tell what coolant was in it. the 96 should use standard green coolant right? chry/dodge didn't switch over to the orange stuff till what 2001 right?

 

Yep, use the green stuff.

 

whilst we're on this subject.....

I know not to mix the two, but- will it harm an engine to use green when OE was orange or the other way around so long as you flush it well?

I had a quick-lube joint mix the two once.. made a dang mess.. then about a month later, whilst I was about to hit the road I had a quick lube joint decide my overflow was responsible for washing the windshield too- and put alcohol based window cleaner in it.. even messier than the orange/green mix.. my poor cooling system went through hell before I got it all taken care of.. (which I did myself.. go figure)

 

^^ No. The system has to be thoroughly flushed with clean water in order to switch from one color to the other.

 

Oh, thoroughly flushed it was... I know not to mix the two, I was wondering if there is a problem using either 100% of one, or 100% of the other.. (in 50/50 mixes of h20/coolant of course)


when those two meet, a coagulated mess ensues.. = really bad, really nasty, and several hours of work to get it all out using pressurized flush machines..

 

Huh? I'm not following. Just mix it 50/50 and you're good.

Worse than that. I've heard it literally turns to mud and can also cause a di-electric reaction that can unleash serious damage on the internals.

 

I had orange coolant in the system, in a 50/50 mix..

a garage decided to top off my system with green coolant..

it was a floggin' coagulated mess.. I'm glad I caught it.. I had to flush the system with h20 for over an hour to get it all out..

then about a month later, I went to a quick-lube place (which I will never do again) and the kid put windshield washing fluid in my overflow instead of the windshield washing bottle.. THAT was even more of a mess.. I flushed at home using a water hose for over about two hours straight.. doing it one way, then reversing it the other.. then I left teh water in it and drove about 3 minutes to a garage that I trust, and used their flushing machine, putting 50/50 coolant/water back in the system..

moral of the story: If you don't know the mechanic, stand there and watch the work being done.. otherwise, your asking for trouble..

I went from orange coolant to green coolant over the course of all of this.. and drove the truck for likely 20k miles with green coolant in it..

When I flushed while doing the intake manifold, I looked closely at what came out, and it looked fresh still- so I'm thinking I did okay avoiding an issue.. but it's always sat a little worrisome to me that I'm now running green as opposed to running orange, which is what came in the truck originally..

 

 

i know my 2001 uses green coolant for as long as i had it

 

Open the radiator cap and look at the color. When cold of course.