coolant color?

I decided to do a coolant flush on my bike an ran down an picked up honda coolant. I know I could have used another brand but as the bike had less than 25 miles I decided I wanted to use honda brand.

When draining the fluid it was green, An the honda fluid was blue I refilled it with. Does anyone know what color was in a stock 2012? I was thinking the dealer might have flushed this in the past.

The color doesn't mean a thing, and what they filled it with at the factor may depend on what batch of coolant happened to be in the tank when your bike rolled by it.

--Mark

jlaw1017 said:

When draining the fluid it was green, An the honda fluid was blue I refilled it with.

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The color of the anti-freeze is green, if: it's still the OEM before your first fluid change, or, you refilled it with HONDA brand anti-freeze that is marketed specifically for motorcycles. It is blue, if: you purchased HONDA brand anti-freeze at a Honda automobile parts department.

Your original, stock anti-freeze color would have been green. At least, that is my experience.

Actually the colour does mean a lot... usually red coolant indicates lower class of coolant, Green is Long Life Coolant (LLC), and blue indicates, Super Long Life Coolant (SLLC), lasts up to five years or 350,000kms... buy genuine though, a lot of these non-reputable brands are just coloured water...


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Assassin said:

Actually the colour does mean a lot... usually red coolant indicates lower class of coolant, Green is Long Life Coolant (LLC), and blue indicates, Super Long Life Coolant (SLLC), lasts up to five years or 350,000kms... buy genuine though, a lot of these non-reputable brands are just coloured water...

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Great quote, and yes color means alot. They must be compatible with aluminum and the other was if they are with a diesel or gas engine, which in the past was because there were many flavors of aluminum engines coming out.

...All of which is determined by what's on the label, not the color of the product.

Some manufacturers, like Prestone, have a set of colors they use for their products, but as far as I know, there isn't a standard established by a standards body like the SAE. I'll be happy to stand corrected if there is.

--Mark

Thanks for the input, I drained green an put in honda blue. I find it interesting they do not put their own product in at manufacturing tho. You would think if they sell you blue for replacement, They would have used blue to begin with.

It doesn't matter the color. What matters is coolant specification: non-silicate/non-borate ethylene glycol based, 50/50 diluted with deionized water

To illustrate how NOT standard and unreliable the coolant colors are, see this PDF: http://images.oreillyauto.com/uploads/pdf/ad/SD_672 AFZ Comparison Chart-1.pdf

As I recall, the manual states changing the coolant at 24kmi or 2 years, whichever occurs first.

Yep jlaw, I thought it odd too that they didn't use Honda's blue coolant at the factory on mine (2004) (they sell it, but don't use it?!). I drained green out, put Honda Type 2 (blue) in. https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?38212-ST1300-1st-Significant-Service-Coolant-Thermostat-Starter-Valve-Synch-amp-Other

cdnemsguy said:

Great quote, and yes color means alot. They must be compatible with aluminum and the other was if they are with a diesel or gas engine, which in the past was because there were many flavors of aluminum engines coming out.

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Yes, color of coolant means a lot. Generally you should NOT mix different colors/types of coolant and the differences are more pronounced than listed a couple posts above. Some (most) should never be mixed and can cause some nasty results. I would be less worried about what version is/was used rather than how well the system was flushed and not different types mixed.
Honda auto type coolant is high quality coolant but not familiar with its chemistry to know if it's compatible with OEM long life "conventional" green coolants.
Even many "universal" coolants really should not be mixed with certain coolants. Read the label(s) closely. It's just so much simpler to stay with the original type or do a good flush and start over with a known type and use only that if there is a need to add, which there shouldnt be.
Some types that don't play well together when mixed are "close" to the same color.
Quality coolant lasts a long time. Most folks are a bit too inclined to change it too often, much like oil changes.

I've owned Honda ST's since '04 and until this last change the anti-freeze was green. In March I was getting set to change the anti-feeze. Pro Honda HP Coolant Part #08C50-C321S02 purchased at the dealer is now blue.

Len

jlaw1017 said:

I find it interesting they do not put their own product in at manufacturing tho.

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AFAIK, none of the major manufacturers make their own coolant - at best, they set the specifications, and a chemical producer formulates it, packages it and labels it to suit if it goes to retail, or fills up their manufacturing plant coolant tank.

Dyes are part of the formulation, and are not always indicative of the additive package that determines what type of coolant you are actually buying/using. The additives are the key part of the formulation, and what protect your engine and radiator from corrosion by the hot EG/water mixture. Read the label, don't trust the colour.

Northernkm said:

AFAIK, none of the major manufacturers make their own coolant

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While that makes sense regarding actual manufacturing there must be more to it not to use your brand in the bike as it comes off the line since/if it's a different color.

It might indicate that the coolant hasn't been serviced though it would have to be tested to be sure. It might also indicate an up-sell opportunity.

My ST riding buddy always used Honda products because he 'felt better' doing so. That's one way to go but good and sometimes superior alternatives are almost always available for less money. Larry may have broken him of that habit.

jettawreck said:

Quality coolant lasts a long time. Most folks are a bit too inclined to change it too often, much like oil changes.

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Interesting. Coolant is due on mine. All changes done by dealer so far (green fluid) and am looking at DIY this time. But fluid looks like new and no deposit/scaling at all in the expansion tank. Not feeling highly motivated.......

BakerBoy said:

Yep jlaw, I thought it odd too that they didn't use Honda's blue coolant at the factory on mine (2004) (they sell it, but don't use it?!). I drained green out, put Honda Type 2 (blue) in. https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?38212-ST1300-1st-Significant-Service-Coolant-Thermostat-Starter-Valve-Synch-amp-Other

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Its probably too expensive...... Dealer quoted me $8/qt. Honda Car dealer sold me Honda Type 2 for 19.95/gal. Maybe the bike dealerships don't know the car dealerships exist.:bow1:

On my BMW f650 I like to use a blue or red color. The tank is too opaque to see the level using yellow or green antifreeze without removing the cap.

TMI
I don't see any ASTM/ASE std for color other than the std for what used to be called "water clear" referenced for antifreeze. Antifreeze doesn't have color it's added after the fact.
This, and others, http://www.autoserviceprofessional.com/article/92419/Coolant-and-colors-What-are-car-makers-up-to?Page=3 suggests it's arbitrary.

The honda good book specs "high quality ethylene glycol antifreeze containing corrosion protection inhibitors" 1:1 distilled water. So it makes sense honda power sports doesn't use honda automotive branded blue stuff for cost reasons.
interwebs suggest http://www.ccijp.co.jp/en/corporate_info/history/index.html makes the honda blue stuff and might make whatever goes into the oem st fill. My 2004 oem fill was green.

Valvoline/Zerex suggests their orange stuff for current asian engines. A current tech bulletin says their green stuff is fine.

.02 honda makes more aluminum engines for longer than just about anybody. I'd bet their type 2 (which just happens to be blue) has a lot of long term engineering smarts that goes into their spec'd additive package. It's probably not a good idea to push the changes since there's no way to know by color change which component has been consumed and isn't protecting it's targeted type of corrosion.

Whatever flavor/color you choose to go with, just don't mix them at random. Unless you understand the chemical makeup of the various types, don't make a cocktail and jell up your cooling system. It can happen. If you decide a certain type other than what is already in the bike is "the way to go", do a good flush first and use preferably distilled water for the concentrate.
Some parts of the world have very high mineral deposits and such in the tap water which can also clog up tiny passages badly.

When you’re driving in extreme temperatures, the last thing you need is engine failure. Whether in extreme heat or cold, Honda Genuine Longlife Blue Antifreeze/Coolant provides long-term corrosion protection to all metal and non-metal parts of your Honda’s cooling system and protects against boil over and freezing. Honda Genuine Longlife Blue Antifreeze/Coolant is the only coolant designed specifically for Honda vehicles. Its pre-mixed formulation is so advanced, no coolant service is required for up to 10 years or 120,000 miles. Use Honda Genuine Longlife Blue Antifreeze/Coolant for optimum long-term engine performance.

What Honda has to say is interesting

The Dan said:

When you’re driving in extreme temperatures, the last thing you need is engine failure. Whether in extreme heat or cold, Honda Genuine Longlife Blue Antifreeze/Coolant provides long-term corrosion protection to all metal and non-metal parts of your Honda’s cooling system and protects against boil over and freezing. Honda Genuine Longlife Blue Antifreeze/Coolant is the only coolant designed specifically for Honda vehicles. Its pre-mixed formulation is so advanced, no coolant service is required for up to 10 years or 120,000 miles. Use Honda Genuine Longlife Blue Antifreeze/Coolant for optimum long-term engine performance.

What Honda has to say is interesting

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Similar to what VW language is for their "special" pink Pentosin PentaFrost G-12/13 type coolants. Very high quality, long life. Good stuff, just doesn't work well when mixed/contaminated with some other types. Usually gets replaced only at TB service intervals at 100K miles.
Personally never had a "coolant" related failure. But, I have seen a few great gooey messes come out of some folks "vehicles".
Apparently the ST's coolant system isn't so highly advanced so as to need "Honda" coolant filled from the factory.
If/when I flush and replace the ST coolant it will probably get replaced with long life type "conventional" green coolant like most of the other liquid cooled recreational toys came with and still all are running with in my garage. I really don't need one more "specialty" fluid product on the shelf. Having a couple VW diesels makes for enough of that already.