Toyota uses pink. Honda uses blue. GM uses orange Dex-Cool. Ford uses yellow. Mopar uses purple. BMW uses blue-green. Kia and Hyundai use green — but HOAT, not IAT. Nissan uses green OAT. The color is just dye — here's the make-by-make specification guide for every common vehicle in Chico.
The reliable way to find your coolant specification is your owner's manual — look for 'coolant specification' or 'antifreeze.' The color in your reservoir is a rough guide but can be wrong if someone previously added the wrong product. Here's a make-by-make reference for Chico's most common vehicles.
2004 and newer: Toyota SLLC (Super Long Life Coolant) — pink/red OAT, 5-year/100,000-mile initial, 5-year/50,000-mile subsequent. Pre-2004: Toyota Long Life Coolant — green, traditional HOAT. Hybrid models (Prius, Camry Hybrid, RAV4 Hybrid): Same SLLC specification — no separate EV coolant specification for most models. Azure by LubeMaster is OAT-compatible and meets Toyota SLLC spec.
2013 and newer: Honda Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant Type 2 — blue OAT, phosphate-free. 2008–2012: Honda Long Life Coolant Type 2 — some models use blue, some use green (verify by year). Pre-2008: Honda All-Season Antifreeze/Coolant — dark blue-green, closer to IAT chemistry. Acura: Same as Honda by model year. Azure universal is OAT-compatible and suitable for 2013+ Honda/Acura.
1996 and newer: GM Dex-Cool OAT — orange. 5-year/150,000-mile life. Never add green IAT. Pre-1996: GM specified IAT green. Colorado/Canyon with Duramax diesel: NOAT (Nitrite-OAT) — typically an orange/red diesel-specific formulation. Azure is Dex-Cool-compatible for gas applications.
2002 and newer: Ford VC-7-A specification — yellow/gold HOAT. 5-year/150,000-mile life. Pre-2002: Motorcraft Premium Coolant — green IAT. PowerStroke diesel: Ford HOAT is correct — some diesel-specific formulations also contain nitrite. Azure HOAT-compatible for most Ford applications.
2001 and newer: Mopar MS-12106 or MS-9769 — purple/violet HOAT. 5-year/150,000-mile life. Older: green IAT. Diesel RAM (Cummins): NOAT specification — look for MS-12106 diesel or equivalent nitrite-OAT. Azure is Mopar HOAT-compatible for gas applications.
Most models: BMW Coolant Technology N600 69.0 — blue-green Si-OAT (silicate-OAT). The high silicate content is intentional for BMW's all-aluminum engine construction. Life: 4 years. Note: BMW specifies their own product more strongly than most manufacturers, and the higher silicate level is genuinely relevant. For BMW, we use BMW-specification coolant rather than universal for optimal protection.
Most models: MB 325.0 spec, typically met by Mercedes-Benz Antifreeze/Coolant — blue or blue-green HOAT/Si-OAT. Life: 3 years or per inspection indicator. Note: Many HOAT universals meet MB 325.0. Azure is suitable for general Mercedes service.
Most models 2008+: Subaru Genuine Coolant (or equivalent blue OAT, phosphate-free). Older Subaru: Green IAT was common. The EJ25 engine (Outback, Legacy, Forester, Impreza through ~2011) has particular cooling system sensitivity given its head gasket history — using the correct OAT coolant with proper inhibitor package matters more on EJ25s than on most other engines. Azure OAT-compatible for 2008+ Subaru.
Newer (2018+): G13 — violet/purple Si-OAT with partial glycerin base. Mid-period (2008–2017): G12++ — pink-violet Si-OAT. Older: G11 (blue-green HOAT), G12 (red OAT), G12+ (red/pink HOAT). VW/Audi G-series coolants have specific silicate levels and additive packages — we use the correct G-series product for VW/Audi, not universal.
2000 and newer: Nissan Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant (green, OAT — yes, green OAT). This is one of the clearest examples of why color is misleading. Nissan's coolant is green but OAT chemistry, not IAT. Do not substitute with traditional IAT green. Azure OAT-compatible for Nissan.
Most models: Green coolant, but HOAT chemistry (similar to G-05 type). Kia and Hyundai are unusual for using green HOAT rather than the orange or yellow common in other HOAT applications. Life: 5 years/100,000 miles. Azure HOAT-compatible for Kia/Hyundai.
Traditional IAT green is still correct for most pre-1995 American vehicles and for older vehicles with copper/brass radiators. The silicate film protection in IAT is important for these systems. Change every 2 years or 30,000 miles. Azure is available in IAT-compatible formulation where needed.
The coolant specification page in your owner's manual lists the exact specification required. This is always the authoritative source — it overrides what's in the reservoir (which may have been incorrectly topped off previously).
Many vehicles have the coolant specification stamped or labeled on the reservoir cap or lid — 'Dex-Cool,' 'SLLC,' 'Long Life Coolant Only.' This is a reliable secondary check.
If you're not sure what's currently in your reservoir, or you want to verify before topping off, call us at (530) 826-4275. A two-minute conversation is much less expensive than correcting a coolant chemistry mismatch.
2004 and newer Camry uses Toyota SLLC — pink/red OAT, 5-year/100,000-mile initial fill. Pre-2004 Camry uses green HOAT. Verify by model year.
1996 and newer Silverado uses GM Dex-Cool OAT — orange, 5-year/150,000-mile life. Never add traditional green IAT to a Dex-Cool system.
2013 and newer Accord uses Honda Type 2 — blue OAT, phosphate-free. Pre-2013 uses a different formulation — verify by year. The blue is Honda OAT, not related to Subaru blue.
2001 and newer Wrangler uses Mopar purple/violet HOAT (MS-12106). Universal HOAT-compatible coolants including Azure by LubeMaster are compatible.
No — Nissan specifies green OAT, not IAT. This is one of the most common coolant identification mistakes. Nissan's green coolant has 5-year life, not the 2-year IAT life. Do not substitute traditional IAT green.
digital inspection when performed · Written estimates before any work
📍 2695 CA-32, Chico, CA 95973 · Open Mon–Fri 7AM–6PM · Sat 8AM–5PM · Sun 9AM–5PM · Open 7 Days
Complete cooling system care · 2695 CA-32, Chico · (530) 826-4275
Buddy Rausch founded Tedious Auto Repair in Chico, CA in 2007 and has been serving Butte County for 18+ years. Buddy oversees shop standards and quality control. All content on this page reflects real procedures, OEM specifications, and cases seen in the shop. About Buddy Rausch, ASE-Certified →