I have a bottle of Zerex G-05 in front of me and it says nothing about MINI or BMW compatibility. Only Mercedes Benz. I realize ECS Tuning sells ZEREZ G-05, but the jug I'm looking at says nothing regarding BMW or MINI.

NAPA sells 1 gallon jugs of undiluted PENTOSIN including a blue colored one, for whatever that is worth. But the Pentosin NF is BMW and MINI rated. http://pentosin.net/f_antifreeze.asp

 

The old bottle of Zerex did, but it looks like they updated the bottle now. We now have the updated photo on our site. We have contacted Zerex to find out about the change.







As for other aftermarkets that meet the MINI Blue Coolant fluid : NF , Vaico Va-011 Blue , Rowe AN

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/82140031133/

 

Let us know what you find because the implication is that its no longer compatible.

 

Very interested in this as I just flushed my '04 and I filled it with a 50/50 G-05. Before I button everything up I can refill with something else......

 

Zerex / Valvoline stated its the same formula as the picture above, they just updated / changed the sticker on the bottle. So no issues there.

Guess they are coming out with a Blue fluid in the future for BMW / MINI that will be what they are pushing people towards.

 

Pentosin Pentofrost NF is specifically listed for Mini on the bottle and is available at NAPA in concentrate.



Although the part # doesnt match what I see in the manual.

 

Your general point is a good one. However, regarding "the lady," perhaps you could have done your research first and asked yourself, "How the heck did she win such a case?"

The fact is that (a) McDonald's was definitely at fault because it deliberately passed a liquid it deliberately kept at 200+ degrees through a drive-in window in an extraordinarily flimsy container (ever ask why they don't serve gasoline in paper cups at the filling station?); (b) McDonald's deliberately stonewalled her about her serious injuries, and all she sought at first was coverage for her medical bills; (c) there had been many other such instances, all stonewalled by McDonald's; and (d) all of the negatives you read about her are generated by corporate PR departments, fatcat corporate defense lawyers, and their trolls.

The same legal logic under which she won her case can be found underlying the federal court decision in New Jersey over the Mini Cooper Death Rattle. The thing is supposed to do what it's supposed to do, and the consumer isn't the one who designed the faulty package.

 

Are people still using Zerex g-05 or have people switched to Zerex g-48 for coolant? The label on the g-05 is updated and is now for "Mini', 1990 or older" and recommends the g-48 for >1990 mini coopers.

 

You can safely use either.

I believe the only difference between the two is the color; the G5 being a pale golden color, while the G48 matches the teal color of the OE MINI branded coolant.

 

Pentosin PentoFrost NF (not SF!! which for my Saab) is definitely great in 1st generation Mini Coopers. I am researching changing to Zerex G-05 due to that it's 50% the cost of super-expensive PentoFrost NF. In my Saab I already switched to Zerex G-05 from PentoFrost SF about a year ago when I did a complete flush of the Saab.

After 30 mins of Googling, it seems that Zerex G-05 is compatible with my R53 ...right? I just still feel hesitant putting the same antifreeze coolant in both cars!

 

I am going down this same path, looking for what is the correct antifreeze for my 2003 R50.

There are all different types of antifreeze now a days. Inorganic Acid Technology (IAT), Organic Acid Technology (OAT), and Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT) seem to be some of the more popular. Dare to mix the types, and VERY BAD things happen to your cooling system, like the fluid turns into a thick gel.

Color doesn't seem to be a reliable way of ID'ing your existing antifreeze type, since manufactures dye their products any color they wish. There is no industry or world wide standard for color dyes.

I am needing to add more to my MINI. I guess if I was going a full flush and replace, I would not need to worry about mixing two (or more) different types, but that is not my task.

I did have my MINI dealer do a flush and replace a while back. So, I am even unsure if I still have the original type of antifreeze, or some other new type MINI is pushing thru its service dept's.

Any help or suggestions? Is Zerex G-05 the always safe? Or possibly Zerex G-48?

I am so confused.

 

Picked this up today at autozone. It’s blue just like what I have in there. Going to give it a try later.

 

Never seen that stuff at Autozone before.

 

Looks like PEAK called up Pentosin and said they need a coolant that is not a "one fits all" type