Coolant for 2015 Ram 1500

[Fubar65]

Hey everybody,

Back in august I was in a car accident when the other party ran a stop sign and side swiped the front of my truck. Total cost of repair was over 10k. I picked up the truck on 09/20 following repairs. Anyways, the wife and I left for vacation three days ago and I will be back Sunday. I checked the fluid levels, oil was fine, however the coolant reservoir appeared to have brown sludge in it. The coolant even has a brownish green color to it, not the purple I was expecting. I drove it for 7hours on Wednesday up to Tahoe and will be driving 7 hours back home on Sunday. I am assuming the auto body shop used a generic coolant and or mixed the wrong ones. Should I take it back to the body shop, take it to ram, or flush and refill myself. Is there any harm from driving the vehicle like this for about 1k miles. This truck was my baby but the wife wants me to claim diminished value to the other parties insurance and trade the truck in. I barely have 13k miles on it as of now, any thoughts on this as well. Thank you!

 

[Broyd]

The coolant for these trucks is very specific. My nearest stealership would not sell me any antifreeze without knowing my VIN. It is definitely a mistake to use anything but the specific type for your truck. It needs to be thoroughly flushed and drained before you add the correct stuff.

 

[bassheadhemi]

Call your insurance company, lots of parts will need to be changed because of the body shop error... I don't think there will be any issue for the short period you will be driving, but I would take care of it ASAP.

 

[jasonw]

Call your insurance company, lots of parts will need to be changed because of the body shop error... I don't think there will be any issue for the short period you will be driving, but I would take care of it ASAP.

+1. This "little mixup" will cost you a lot to fix later down the road, as the different coolants will also cause that sludge inside the engine's coolant system, not just in the reservoir bottle. Document it that the body shop did it, not you (by calling your insurance and reporting it), and then get your insurance to go after the body shop to get everything fixed. Make sure and involve a dealership, so that the body shop knows all the parts it has to replace due to its error.

 

[gofishn]

then get some RMI-25 after it has been repaired.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

Wait....

The Prestone that says "For All Makes And Models" actually isn't ?

Wouldn't there be liability there as well?

 

[Bee1971]

Never heard of RMI-25 ?

Anyways Are they still running the HOAT coolant in the newer trucks 15 16 17

In my 2011 I just used or added Valvoline Zerex G-05 that you can purchase just about at any parts store

 

[savage_46]

Replace the overflow bottle & do a complete system flush w/ coolant flush cleaner stuff. Undo heater & radiator hoses, & backflush the system with garden hose/water nozzle.

Due to the chemical makeup of the purple coolant, it can gel up when mixed w/ the wrong coolant. This can lead to very costly repairs (engine, all hoses, radiator, heater core,....).

Your body shop should offer some sort of warranty with their repairs. I would deal with them first. If they don't wanna play, then you would probably have to get your insurance involved.

 

[Fubar65]

Thanks everybody taking it to the dealership tomorrow to see what they say. Then going to the body shop and notifying my insurance

 

[savage_46]

Thanks everybody taking it to the dealership tomorrow to see what they say. Then going to the body shop and notifying my insurance

Can pretty much guarantee you they're gonna say it's not their problem, to be so blunt. Mixing different types of coolant is not covered under factory warranty, unless you get a uninformed new guy to work on it. I've seen it before & have never warrantied it.

Not trying to be pessimistic, just giving my honest tech opinion & try to save you an unneeded out of pocket diag charge.

 

[Fubar65]

Yea I understand I don't want them to fix under warranty I just want them to diagnose and tell me which parts will need to be replaced so I can take that to the body shop that screwed up and also provide that information to my insurance if needed.

 

[savage_46]

Fair enough & understandable. With that said, I would get ahold of insurance first & explain what's going on. That way, your concern is on record with them & they would probably then cover the diag costs.

 

[gisboro]

Call your insurance company and let them know you are heading back to the dealership then body shop, best to get it all on record before you start moving anywhere.

 

[Fubar65]

Took to two different Ram dealerships today. First one said it was correct and then showed me a bottle of the HOAT so I took a picture of the bottle and verified it is in fact wrong. Took to the second dealership without them knowing I went to the first and their tech confirned it was the wrong color and coolant and it should be the 10/150k mile coolant. Said he'd have to flush the entire system and engine etc. Got a quote for the job and it is going to run 450 bucks. Called my insurance adjustor and he said they are going to take care of it and I have the right to get it done wherever I choose since the collision place warranties all of their work. Thanks for the help everybody.

 

[Broyd]

Antifreeze types (in case you wondered):

http://www.engine-performance-online.com/amsoil-products/amsoil-antifreeze/engine-coolant-antifreeze-types/

Did your dealer recommend replacing any parts?

 

[PNUTLT1]

2013-2017 Ram Dodge Chrysler and Jeep switched over to OAT Purple fluid good for 10 years/150k.

Don't cheap out on the wrong coolant to save $20 when it can lead to more expensive repairs later.

Here are these links,
http://www.ramforum.com/f44/oat_coolant_color_purple_orange_whats_big_deal-64785/

Chrysler switches to OAT antifreeze for longer service interval - SAE International

Chrysler purple coolant - Automotive Service Professional

 

[Fubar65]

2013-2017 Ram Dodge Chrysler and Jeep switched over to OAT Purple fluid good for 10 years/150k.

Don't cheap out on the wrong coolant to save $20 when it can lead to more expensive repairs later.

Here are these links,
http://www.ramforum.com/f44/oat_coolant_color_purple_orange_whats_big_deal-64785/

Chrysler switches to OAT antifreeze for longer service interval - SAE International

Chrysler purple coolant - Automotive Service Professional

I didn't cheap out lol I was in an accident and the collision place used the wrong coolant.

As for replacing any parts, Dodge said they wouldn't have to since it hasn't been in there very long and hasn't been driven much. They did say they'd have to empty and flush the entire system to make sure all of it is removed and when they are doing that they will make sure there's no corrosion in the lines, parts, etc.

 

[CherryRed]

Chrysler has three different coolants. What they call 3 Year, 5 Year and 10 Year. The 3 year stuff is the old green coolant that is recognizable to many people. The 5 year stuff is HOAT coolant and orange in color. The 10 year is OAT and has a purple-ish color. My understanding is never mix OAT with any other type of coolant. I have been told it will cause the coolant to gell. It is also recommended that, if you buy 100% OAT coolant, mix it with distilled water to get the 50/50 ratio. Apparently the minerals, chlorine and other chemicals found in tap water can shorten the life of OAT coolant.

 

[Fubar65]

So this is the coolant that was added to the truck. Collision place said they only topped it off didn't replace the fluid or radiator and talked to the service manage at the Ram dealership and said there was no problem with topping off with that coolant.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

And, like the Prestone, it clearly says "mixes with any color antifreeze"...

Why are they claiming to be compatible, if they're NOT ?