# Antifreeze G11, G12, G13: which to put in your car and which can be mixed _Updated: 8 November 2026_ **Short answer:** The antifreeze your car needs is written in the owner’s manual, and the colour does not tell you. G11 and G12 are never mixed. Other types can be topped up with one another, but some then protect less well against rust. ## Which antifreeze to put in your car: it is in the manual The car maker sets which type of antifreeze the car needs and how much of it is mixed with water. This is written in the owner’s manual. The antifreeze must meet that standard. The names G11, G12, G12+, G12++, G13 and G12evo are Volkswagen and Audi standards. Other makes have their own standards, and those are written in the manual. ## Names and colours: G11, G12, G12+, G12++, G13 and G12evo Each next name is a newer type of antifreeze. Volkswagen replaced the older types with newer ones. From model year 2019 it fills cars with G12evo at the factory. | Name | Colour at Volkswagen | | --- | --- | | G11 | Blue-green | | G12 | Red | | G12+ | Purple | | G12++ | Purple | | G13 | Purple | | G12evo | Purple | ## Which antifreeze can be mixed and which cannot When G11 and G12 are mixed, acids and lumps form in the fluid. The acids eat into engine parts and the lumps block the narrow channels, so the engine can overheat and be damaged. All other types can be topped up with one another. When you add a type listed next to your name in the table, the fluid protects as before. With other types the fluid protects less well against rust. | In the car | Top up with, no loss of protection | | --- | --- | | G11 | G11, G12+, G12++, G13 or G12evo | | G12 | G12, G12+, G12++, G13 or G12evo | | G12+ | G12+, G12++, G13 or G12evo | | G12++ | G12++, G13 or G12evo | | G13 | G12++, G13 or G12evo | | G12evo | G12evo | The car maker advises changing all the fluid after mixing, because a mix protects less well against rust. The exception is G12++ and G13, which mix with no difference. ## The colour does not tell you which antifreeze is in the car There is no common rule for the colour of antifreeze, so the same colour does not mean the same type. Antifreeze can be green, blue, yellow, pink, red, purple or even clear. When G11 is mixed with G12+ or a newer type, the fluid turns brown. The car maker says this is normal. Without a special test of the fluid, you cannot reliably know which type is in the car. When you do not know what was poured in, the safest thing is for us to flush the system and fill it with the right antifreeze. ## When antifreeze is changed The interval for changing it is in the service book. **When antifreeze is changed: it depends on the type** - **G12+, G12++ and G13 at Volkswagen and Audi:** lasts the life of the car, but only as long as it is not mixed with another type. - **Older antifreeze with silicates,** the kind used in older cars: usually changed every 2 to 3 years. Antifreeze is also changed before the interval: - When several types are mixed in the car, because a mix protects less well against rust. - When the radiator, the pump or another part of the cooling system is replaced. - When the wrong type was poured in or nobody knows which type is in the car. ## How we change antifreeze When the car had another type or a mix, we drain the old fluid, flush the system and fill it with antifreeze to the standard, mixed with distilled water. Then we measure down to what temperature the fluid protects against freezing. The price depends on how much fluid your engine takes, which type it needs and whether the system needs flushing. ## How to check the antifreeze level On most cars antifreeze is in a clear plastic tank under the bonnet. The cap usually says "coolant" or shows a thermometer in liquid. Check the level when the engine is cold, at least 30 minutes after switching it off. Make sure you have the right tank. Antifreeze poured into the screenwash, brake fluid or power steering tank can cause damage. Where the antifreeze tank is on your car is shown in the car's manual. The fluid should be between the MIN and MAX marks on the tank. Do not open the cap while the engine is warm, because hot fluid under pressure can scald you. If the fluid is below MIN, with the engine cold, top up with the type of antifreeze from the manual, mixed with distilled water as the manual says, until the level is between MIN and MAX. Check the level at least twice a year, before winter and before summer. In summer the engine runs hotter, and a fault in the cooling system may show only on a long trip with a full car. The antifreeze level should not drop. Most modern cars have a sealed cooling system, so fluid that disappears is leaking somewhere. ## Signs that antifreeze is leaking or low - **The temperature gauge reads higher than usual:** Fluid may be missing. The cause can also be the thermostat, the pump or the fan. - **An amber temperature light comes on:** The fluid level is low. - **A red temperature light comes on:** The engine is overheating or the fluid is below the minimum. Stop and do not open the tank while the engine is warm. - **The heating blows cold air:** There may be too little fluid in the system. - **A patch is left under the front of the car:** The fluid is leaking, most often from the radiator. - **There is a sweet smell around the car:** Antifreeze smells sweet, so you can tell it apart even when it is clear. - **The hoses have wet or white marks:** A leak may start there. With too little antifreeze the engine can overheat. Overheating can damage the fan, the head gasket or the whole engine. While the fluid is leaking, do not go on a long trip. The leak is found and repaired, and the system is filled with the right antifreeze. [More about dashboard warning lights](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/advice/dashboard-warning-lights) ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I top up with water? Only in an emergency and only a little, until you top up with the right antifreeze. Antifreeze is mixed only with distilled water. If the diluted fluid stays in the car over winter, the water in it can freeze and damage the engine. Do not add anything until the engine is cold. ### Can I use just water in summer? No. With antifreeze the fluid boils less easily, and all year round antifreeze protects the radiator and engine from rust and scale. With plain water the engine overheats more easily in summer. In winter water freezes and expands, which can split the radiator, the pump or the engine block. ### Does antifreeze need changing before winter? Not because of winter. It is changed by the interval in the service book. Before winter, check the level, and we measure down to how many degrees the fluid protects. [More about getting the car ready for winter](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/advice/winter-car-checklist) ### How much water goes with antifreeze? As much as the owner’s manual says. Most often it is half antifreeze and half distilled water, and that fluid protects down to about -36 °C. Some makers specify a ready-mixed fluid, to which neither water nor antifreeze is added. ### Does the antifreeze have to come from the car maker? No. Antifreeze from any maker will do, as long as it meets the standard in the owner’s manual. Antifreeze that does not meet it can damage the cooling system or the engine, and that repair costs far more than the fluid. ### Is antifreeze poisonous? Yes, it is dangerous if swallowed. It tastes sweet, so children and pets may drink it. Keep it closed and out of their reach. Have a question about your car? Message us on WhatsApp or call 067 774 1606. ## Read also - [Getting your car ready for winter: 8 checks](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/advice/winter-car-checklist) - [Car battery in winter: why the car won't start and how to protect it](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/advice/car-battery-in-winter) - [Car battery: which one to choose and what to look out for](https://autoindustrija.rs/en/advice/which-car-battery) --- Page on the website: https://autoindustrija.rs/en/advice/antifreeze-g11-g12-g13 auto-industrija, Belgrade. Phone and WhatsApp: +381677741606. E-mail: kontakt@autoindustrija.rs.