1997 850 what kind of coolant used? Do I have coolant light?

christhegamer · Post by **christhegamer** » 29 Feb 2016, 15:31

Hi guys, I was wondering if my vehicle 1997 850 volvo uses the oreily brand coolant, the green coolant.. I been using it for 3 months but some other places i searched online says it uses a blue or orange coolant. Will green work just fine or is it bad for my car? Also does my vehicle have a COOLANT LIGHT? For when my coolant is low does a light come on, on my dashboard? Thanks so much for any helpful information.

christhegamer · Post by **christhegamer** » 29 Feb 2016, 15:32

By the way my car is a 1997 volvo 850, 2.4L Non turbo.. Thanks

Post by **erikv11** » 29 Feb 2016, 15:40

Yes, there is a light that will come on when the coolant is low. As long as the light is working; do all of the lights on the dash illuminate when you first turn the key to position 2? Snap a photo we can tell you if the coolant light is on. Or search you can find a pic ...

Green coolant will work just fine. I don't think green is the best choice, and I don't use it I use Zerex G-05, but if you've been running green then it is probably just fine to stick with it in your 2.4 NA. Be sure to get the proper dilution, 1:1 or straight up if you buy the pre-diluted stuff.

christhegamer · Post by **christhegamer** » 29 Feb 2016, 16:01

Hi! Yes when I turn the key all the lights turn on, one of them looks like a radiator with a fan on it im assuming that is probally the radiator light. The coolant I bought is oreily auto part brand and it is 50/50.. so thats fine to use for my volvo?

dorvin · Post by **dorvin** » 29 Feb 2016, 16:02

That should be just fine.

Post by **xHeart** » 29 Feb 2016, 16:23

Any off-the-shelf coolant with 50/50 mix would work fine. However, mixing coolant of different make is not recommended.

Cooling is mother of all systems in your car. Use Volvo if you can. Add distilled water to make a 50/50 mixture.
If you are a DIYer, then, for best result, drain all that is in the systems and refill with fresh. A good housekeeping is to drain and fill with fresh every 2-3 years.

Zerex G-05 is another preferred choice of MVS Mavericks.

christhegamer · Post by **christhegamer** » 29 Feb 2016, 16:36

I been using green coolant for past 2-3 years do you think it will be fine if i continue using it? Or do you think it can ruin my car? This is the one im currently using here is the link...

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detai ... &ppt=C0059

960orbust · Post by **960orbust** » 29 Feb 2016, 17:34

The issue is that many but not all green coolants have phosphates nin them and these phosphates can OVER TIME create issues for the mix of aluminum and cast iron parts.

Example: a 1983 Mercedes diesel car using green phosphate- laden coolant started to show weakness in the thermostat housing due to dissolution of the aluminum after 29 byears. Other people have shown results like that in less time. Depends how good the aluminum castings are and how often they have been changed to reduce acid content of solution.

This is why MB uses phosphate-free red coolant in all cars after 1967. There is a further prescription for MB coolant after 2000, where a different formulation is used, following carefully prescribed flush.

I have put the phosphate-free red coolant in all my MBs since they range from 1950-1990. I am about to flush the Voilvo 960 I own and put in either Zerex G-05 or some Volvo antifreeze if I can find it for less than 60.00/ gallon from the dealer. It might even be worth it to buy it out of state on a trip when I leave the area.

christhegamer · Post by **christhegamer** » 29 Feb 2016, 17:57

So using this coolant http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detai ... &ppt=C0059

is bad for my 1997 volvo 850? and can cause damage to its radiator? =(

charleskennedy23 · Post by **charleskennedy23** » 29 Feb 2016, 18:07

I use Volvo coolant and I mix it 50-50 with distilled water. A gallon is $23.50 on fcpeuro.com. My plan is to change coolant every two years. With the distilled water that's less than $15 a year on coolant. For me that's a good deal considering how critical good coolant is to making sure your engine doesn't freeze/overheat.

As far as a direct answer to your question all I can say is I don't know about green oreillys coolant. I do know that the price difference between getting it absolutely right (using Volvo coolant) vs being unsure isn't that great... Maybe an extra $5 per year to use the Volvo coolant... Not worth the savings to me.