Sorry to beat a dead horse and years after the thread died, but I got here because it was linked to a new thread giving out info on Anti-Freeze.
Prestone has lost several Trade Court Cases, but the court has no authority to force them to change the labeling on their bottles. The courts have found Prestone has no basis to make their claim their anti-freeze mixes with others, nor that it is meets the recommendations of manufacturers that recomend using the type of anti-freeze they are marketing. Some day there will be justice and Prestone will suffer the enourmous liability they deserve by their deceptive claims.
It might be worth noting in the fine print on the Prestone bottle it will tell you that if your going to use it, you should drain and flush your cooling system completly before adding it. Huh? That doesn't sound like an antifreeze that works with all makes and models and mixes with any other antifreeze?
Next time you're in an autoparts store that sells Prestone Products, put a bottle of Prestone "All Makes, All Models, Mixes with any color anti-freeze" next to a bottle of Prestone GM Dexcool, compare the list of ingredients, THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS ARE THE SAME FOR BOTH ANTI-FREEZES.
And the key, that makes this undeniable is the ingredient "2EHA" or "2-Ethylhexanol", this chemical is only used in GM Dexcool. NO other antifreeze uses 2EHA, and it is the problem chemical that has created all the complaints you hear about GM Dexcool.
Some of the Japanese Manufacturers have their own form of OAT anti-freeze, those do NOT use 2EHA, but they also are NOT for mixing with other forms of anti-freeze.
GM has reformulated Dexcool to fix some of the problems that happened when it was first fielded and that has worked to some degree. So the fact that people have used Prestone's "All Makes, All Models, Mixes with any Color AntiFreeze" and didn't have a problem "YET", is NOT proof that it is good for your vehicle. What is always best is to use the proper fluid recommended for your vehicle and do NOT mix it with other fluids.
Yes, it is sad the state of affairs in the Automotive aftermarket, that so many consumers are so ignorant about their vehicles that companies actually get away with unethical behaviour like this, because even the few that know better are drowned by the millions that have no clue.
Chrysler/Ford and MB use HOAT, and the only aftermarket suitable replacement that I know of, that is actual HOAT is Zerex G-05.
The original green IAT type antifreeze, is arguably still the best antifreeze for protecting a vehicle, PROVIDED YOU USE DISTILLED/DEMINERALIZED WATER AND CHANGE IT AT THE RECOMMENDED INTERVAL. People kept mixing IAT with heavy mineral ladened tap water, and leaving it in their vehicles for 5 or 6 years, then when the antifreeze gunked or clugged up the radiator or some other type of failure due to their lack of proper maintenance, they blamed it on the antifreeze. That is why the manufacturers came up with long life anti-freeze that works with mineral laden tap water, it doesn't protect as well as the original IAT. But if your lazy, don't know the difference between tap water and distilled/demineralized water, or won't bother changing your antifreeze ever, then the long life stuff will protect you better.
Although its NOT a good idea to mix different types of antifreeze, the green IAT and HOAT are very tolerant with mixing with each other, they should NOT cause a problem as long as you change the antifreeze at the shorter interval for the two types mixed together.
And finally, NEVER TRUST THE COLOR, its just die the manufacturer adds to the antifreeze, the color won't tell you what kind of antifreeze it is, just what color die the manufacturer added to it. Prestone's "All Makes, All Models...." is yellow, while their identical Dexcool is Orange. Chrysler HOAT is Red while the identical Zerex G-05 is clear/yellow.
I saw a guy buy Red RV potable water antifreeze and was adding it to his chrysler vehicle, said that its red like what's in there, it must be the same thing. Ummmm, its NOT.