I need to top-up my engine coolant on my 2005 Outlander XLS, the dealer claims I need to use Mitsubishi fluid only for top-up.
This does not sound right to me, what do other members use?
Brian

 

no such thing as a Mitsubishi coolant. just match the colour and they won't know. make sure you dilute it with the proper ratio of water.

 

Dealers where I live are not open on Weekends, so based on your dealers claim, If on Saturday morning I find that my coolant is low, I should park it until Monday morning or drive it with low coolant for 2 days!
Mitsubishi, probably outsources 80% of all the parts in your car, So I'm sure they don't manufacture coolant. Your Owners manual should have the grade of coolant you should use, If you go with a brand name you should be fine, and might even be using the exact same stuff that it's the Jug that says Mitsubishion it.
I work in a paper plant when I was a student. We made tissues, and about different 30 brands of paper not only came out of the same plant, but we also used the exact same machines to make it all.

Make sure you use distilled water. It costs about $1 per jug

 

don't necessarily have to use distilled water if you are mixing with coolant. you can just use tap water. but if you use water alone then you should use distilled.

 

This might turn into the next, regular VS premium gas or synthetic vs mineral Oil. you might be right but when I last changed my coolant (in my old car) I looked around, a few places said to use distilled and at 99c a jug I figured, why not. BTW on the gas and oil, I use regular and mineral.

 

lol. distilled is used for anti-corrosive purposes by itself. but the minute you have coolant, it takes over to prevent corrosion so it makes distilled water useless.
i used to water cool my PC and used aluminum and copper components for the blocks. i used distilled water when not adding coolant and regular water when mixed with coolant.

 

Actually, the use of distilled water is because it doesn't contain particulates(calcium, lime and other "hard" water bits). Since there is a lot of phosphorous in older style of coolants, they would combine with the particulates in regular water and create bigger "chunks" that would act like sandpaper inside the system and cause failures. If your coolant is "phosphate free", the need for distilled water is reduced. If you use a phosphate coolant, you should still use distilled water. $0.99 is cheap insurance.

 

I always use the Prestone 50/50 premixed

 

Mitsus coolant is just standard ethlyne glycol. You can get it most anywhere, including the mitsu dealer.

 

Why would anyone use anything different is beyond me? It's convenience in a bottle. I don't know why every argues about the water when all anyone has to do is get the premixed stuff, shake it up, and pour it in. Why mix it yourself? To save a dollar or two and chance spending hundreds for a new radiator, water pump, a complete flush, heater core, etc? Why?

OP, the dealership will tell you anything to get you to buy "dealership" things. As stated above, they outsource anything and everything that isn't specific to Mitsu. It's cheaper that way because they don't have to make a mold for it, that includes fluids. Tell me, does that relay behind the fusebox say Mitsu or is it just tagged with their name and the actual brand stamped elsewhere?

Just be smart about what you get that is aftermarket as not everything is equal and don't be cheap. Cheap and quality do not equal each other.