BMW Lifetime Coolants Simple Guide: Blue Coolant (LC-87) vs Green Coolant (LC-18 a.k.a. HT-12)
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
- Welcome to Season 2 Episode 14 (S02E14): Many of us feel unsure about many aspects of the coolant in our BMWs. This is why I've made this quick video to collect as many details, recommendations, warnings, and other noteworthy information into one video.
#B58TU #B58 #Coolant #HT-12 #LC-87 #LC-18
I spoke with 3 different dealers and they all say green coolant is backwards compatible so I flushed and used the new ht18 l. Been 3 years so far so good. F30 over 110000 no water pump thermostat radiator replacement yet and engine temp always same. Car also heavily tuned with big turbo
Thanks for sharing.
good job. for information, the LC-87 coolant, now comes in a square bottle, which looks just like the LC-18. However the lable states that it is LC-87, so take a good read at the labels.
Sore throat?
Lol, very informative. Great work
We need more of those videos ! No fuss, just facts, thanks! Sorry if I have a quesion many asked, but despite I can't find a clear answer. My car is 2014 M235i. As per ISTA, LC-87(G48) is the recommended coolant, no doubt. I plan to do a full flush (no just top up).
Can I use HT-12 ? My concern is whether if HT-12, being more recent, is more performant. It is also confusing because approved HT-12 products such as Valvoline state they are backward compatible. Based on your experience, may I ask your view ? Should I keep it simple and stay LC87 or is it worth going the HT-12 path ?
Thanks !
In my very humble opinion it only depends if you are living in some extreme environment. If you are living / driving in typical environment (temperatures are not extremely cold in winter and not extreme hot in summer) you can stick with LC-87. In typical environments (e.g. temperatures ranging from minus 5 degrees C to plus 35 degrees C) I believe you are unlikely going to see any benefit from full flush and replacement with HT-12, except fresh corrosion protection. The same benefit is theoretically possible with full empty flush and re-fill with LC-87.
@@NoBrainerTalk Thanks for your quick response. To add to the equation, it's becoming more difficult to readily get OE LC-87 from BMW retailers where I live (France), they phased it out for non-pro/end users like me and only propose Frostox. Incidentally the G48 Glysantin has also been phased out for end users (due to EU environment norms regarding 2-ethylhexanoic acid) and BASF directs us to G64 instead. This very well could explain the phase out at the BMW dealerships I contacted.
BASF say Glysantin G64 is the recommended alternative for G48/LC-87 but it only formally has the LC-18 approval.
Plently of other brands which claim LC-87 compatibility, but I prefer to stick to OEM or expressly approved (ISTA) fluids.
Of course in the end you can have everything through internet...
Well, I will take the OE BMW Frostox HT-12, it's easier to obtain in my case.
Looking forward to seeing your next videos, thanks again !
@@sajadeshahidpour2008 You bring up a very interesting additional factor, thanks for sharing.
BMW has a special standard for coolant for use with their engines: "BMW GS 94000". Any coolant which is comply to this standard should be safe for use. Colours may vary, but it's the chemical composition and whether the coolant meets the spec approved by BMW - that's important. For example, Valvoline G48 comply to the standard.
You were right up to 2020, as of 01/04/2020 "BMW GS 94000" is no longer in use. Since 01/04/2020, the coolant has to bear BMW Lifetime Coolant-XX to indicate approval from BMW.
@@NoBrainerTalk Both of them meets ASTM D3306 standard, so it should be safe to use any of these.
@@MrAlx1001 Actually the specification gives broad requirements and covers also Propylene glycol coolants. I would not mix two coolants based only on both being ASTM D 3306 standard.
@@NoBrainerTalk In general I would agree on that. At least it should be safe to mix LC-87 and G48. Found the document which is saying they are technically the same, just different branding. Looks like the original G48 formulation was developed by BASF.
@@MrAlx1001 Thanks Alex, would you mind sending me the document you have at: nobrainertalk@gmail.com
Great overview! Found out that my main circuit has this transparent brownish coolant too, while intercooler circuit has the default green one ... Always has been maintained at BMW, but I guess they check the level, but don't care about what color from factory. Any new findings from your side? Thanks!
We must find out the Part Number or designation of the brownish fluid, it must be from BMW factory... Other than that All good. :)
I accidentally used the blue to top off a new bmw before finding out mine has HT-12. What should I do?
Intermixing of the two coolants should be avoided but it's not a disaster. It sounds like you added a small quantity which should have negligible short term implications. Just add a coolant flush to a future service for peace of mind (many people do not accept the "lifetime" name of the coolant and schedule coolant flushes anyway).
No big deal "for the short term," but I would flush the system in the future just to be sure.
omg I accidentally did that today went to autozone they told me blue. As i went opened the lid I saw little green and was skeptical but still poured in the blue. Freaking out the whole day and doing a bunch of research. 2021 330xi
Literally just did this today. The coolant won’t gel if I let it sit over night? Super paranoid as it’s a m2 😢
just flush using the lowest point
Hello,
please confirm: am I thinking correctly?
It's a Mini R50 1.6L gasoline 2003, 263kkm
I hesitate between 2 fluids:
RAVENOL ETC Premix ‑40°C Protect C12evo (RTU)
BMW LC-87 standard
"Si-OAT" technology synonymous with HOAT (with silicates)
pink
VALVOLINE Antifreeze Coolant 12+ (concentrate)
BMW GS 94000 standard
OAT technology (silicate-free)
pink
mix 60% conc/40% water
the GS 94000 designation was replaced by the LC-87 designation in April 2020 - is this true?
Meanwhile, the OEM fluid for my model is class G11 (probably IAT) blue. However, I want to upgrade to G12 or higher for a longer interval while maintaining the BMW spec that both fluids have. Now I have dark-pink fluid in the system, unknown fluid.
I think Ravenol may be a better option because it contains silicates just like the OEM fluid, it is ready to use, and the LC-87 marking suggests a newer production date.
But isn't Valvoline the better brand? Are silicates needed if the fluid meets the BMW standard but does not contain silicates?
Thank you
Hello, I don't know which aftermarket coolant is better and whether it is truly advantageous to change the classification type in your case. Generally, I would say it is not good to have an unknown fluid in your vehicle, therefore I agree it should be replaced, preferably with a coolant approved by the vehicle manufacturer. I know these responses are somewhat general and you were hoping for a more technical response.
@@NoBrainerTalk - Thank you for your answer, I ordered the "RAVENOL ETC Concentrate Protect C12evo" concentrate
The decision was the newer standard for BMW and the silicate content similar to OEM and G48, which, however, are blue and I want to avoid mixing colors.
@@gbrumcajsek8456 Good luck!
thanks
Hi. Do you need to do 50/50 water/coolant with lc87?
Yes
@@NoBrainerTalk thank you
Thanks for reply, i would like to ask, i have bmw 2010 e90 n47 2.0 tdi, which one i of these 2 you would advice to use
@@pauliusnanukas7183 LC-87 should already be in your expansion tanks so I would continue to use the same.
Hello , in my car I have LC-87 (blue) I spoke with dealer he told me that I can use LC-18 (green) , when I was at shop , I found Green antifreeze HT 12 and at bottle were was wrote Compatible with cars from 1988 (LC-87) , what you think about it? can I use green LC-18 togerher with LC-87 ? Thanks!
Hello, generally you should avoid mixing coolants and should generally stick to the same coolant from factory. BMW has reportedly permitted the topping up of LC-87 filled cars with HT-12 / LC-18 coolant, but I don't see this compatibility note stated on my bottle of HT-12, would you mind sending me a photo of your bottle and the note via email?
nobrainertalk@gmail.com
@@NoBrainerTalk you can check it : valvoline ht-12 coolant green
Mine still has the brown coolant in my intercooler. No problems yet but is a source of worry
Unfortunately, after two years of investigation I have not found any proof that the brown fluid is "normal" so my personal recommendation is that the fluid is flushed and replaced with the correct coolant.
Brown? That sounds like what you get in a Volkswagen if you mix their G12 with the green coolant we all know. That is not good for those cars because it forms a gel like substance that can clog things. It is not a Volkswagen only problem. This can happen to ALL vehicles if an incompatible coolant is added. It usually turns some ugly color like brown when it happens and stains the reservoir. It can give the under hood a very neglected look when there is a stained reservoir like that and possibly artificially lower a vehicle's value because of the perceived likelihood of poor maintenance. Color is not everything but if it looks old or is not the right color for that vehicle there may be something wrong and you may want to get it flushed. That is because if you go to a shop and they add the wrong stuff to it you may get that nasty gel I mentioned earlier. That can clog heater cores even. I would not want to have to tear out my dashboard to change a heater core because of a thing like that. It is a major job and it is costly and time consuming!! I was once at a shop that uses BG coolant and it is yellow. It is not a very bright or deep yellow so it is hard to see the level in the reservoir. Not only that my VW normally uses G12 which is a special pink coolant. When I saw that yellow stuff in there it looked weird and I changed it out for the proper pink stuff just to be safe. I have no idea how incompatible it may be but I was afraid I might get that gel if ANY G12 was still in there with that junk. I just drained out as much as I could, filled it with _distilled_ water and *not* my well water. I did that a couple times until I was satisfied the water was clean. I then added some concentrate G12 to get it close to a 50/50 mix. I didn't have to squeeze hoses to burp air out. I just took it out of the garage and let it warm up and added coolant if I need to (once the air escapes). It is not a bad idea to take some premixed coolant with you so you can add some. I don't trust "universal" coolants at all!! If yours is low and needs a specific type use it or distilled water. Adding water will not cause that gel but any universal or incorrect coolant could. Universal is very likely incorrect chemistry for a lot of vehicles.
@10:48 it's said the original coolant type can be determined by the VIN... how is this done?
Hi, it's possible through a BMW dealer and checking it through the BMW internal system. I never paid for online VIN checkers so I don't know if there's an commercially alternative way online.
Is the blue one G48 BASF Glysantin HOAT known as well as G11 or G12 ?
Thank's
BimmerN53
As far as I know, Glysantin G48 coolant is a concentrate based on ethylene glycol that contains corrosion inhibitors. The technical specification uses "Approved according to BMW GS 94000" which is not allowed to be used any longer after 01/04/2020. In order to signify approval from BMW it should bear "LC-87" designation. I believe G11 and G12 refer to VW products.
G11 yes not G12
Can both be mixed with each other?
I own an X6 G06 30d 2020 with 286hp, which coolant do I have to use LC 87 (blue) or LC 18 (green) because I have to top up something and on the internet it says that the LC 18 should be used for the X6 G06. But in my vehicle the blue coolant (LC 87) is already present and not the green one (LC 18)
Hi there, the coolant used is not model specific, please ask your local dealer with your VIN number what the coolant was at factory, this should be continued to be used in the life of the vehicle unless you need the extreme properties of either coolant (and a full coolant flush would be required). But as a general rule, if you already see that the coolant is LC87 then you should continue using that.
Can these coolants last 10 years before they require a complete flush?
Officially they are lifetime coolants and never need flush. Some owners choose to periodically flush their coolant anyway.
@@NoBrainerTalk my f30 is 9 years old and has got 48k kms. Guess I'll flush the coolant at 49k
@@drivewithvg9412 I don't think there is any harm in that. I would as well.
@@NoBrainerTalk Officially lifetime fluid is in AT 😂
But this is piece of s...
@@BMWmech Wish I knew what "in AT" means but I am too old, and it's probably something the cool kids say these days... 🤣🤣
LC 87 = G48 = G11