Fleebay? Puhleeze. Why pay for something when you can
download it for free?
As for coolant, don't just go buying coolant based on the color. Sheesh. New engines and their coolants are designed with each other in mind. Just because you have an aluminum engine doesn't mean you need this or that color, either. The owner's manual will specify the type of coolant you need. Do
not think you know better, 'cause you don't. Using the wrong type of coolant will have a really bad effect on not just the cooling system, but on all the seals and things like heater core and water pump and everything else the coolant touches. The seals and all those components are designed for a specific coolant.
HOAT stands for Hybrid Organic Acid Technology. Many newer Ford and Daimler vehicles require HOAT coolant. The other option for coolants is the OAT coolant, OAT standing for Organic Acid Technology. Both HOAT and OAT are a coolant/antifreeze, but that's like saying brake fluid and transmission fluid are both oils. Except that one is a hydraulic oil and the other is a lubricating oil, and they are very, very different from each other. HOAT and OAT are likewise just as different from each other.
Prestone does not make a HOAT antifreeze, despite the label saying that it is good for all vehicles, including aluminum engines. The fact is, it's not, and it's been proved to be not. (I have found, by and large, when something claims to be good for everything, it's actually
optimal, or
best, for nothing).
Automotive engineers spend lots of time on metallurgy and coolant chemistry. There's sooo much more to coolant than a boiling or freezing point. It also contains additives to prevent electrolysis, lubricate the seal in the water pump, prevent foaming, and condition gaskets. The life of your radiator, heater core, water pump, and heater tubes are at stake, and the cost of replacing those components FAR exceeding the extra cost of genuine Chrysler coolant, or a genuine recommended HOAT product like Zerex G05 (available at all NAPA stores, as far as I know). Knowing this, why would anybody risk it? I don't know.
People will freak out over $20 or $25 a gallon coolant for the Sprinter, and will go get the much cheaper alternative, and then pat themselves on the back for their ingenuity. Then, a little later, they'll curse their POS Sprinter because its POS heater core or POS engine head gasket has failed.
All other things being equal, the big difference between HOAT and OAT is coolant electrolysis. Because of the basic chemistry involved in the two formulations, and the interactions of the coolant and the metals involved, the anti-electrolysis agent in OAT coolant breaks down rather quickly. OAT does not contain certain anti-corrosives for copper, for example, and the interaction between the copper, aluminum and coolant in a Sprinter's cooling system will accelerate the degradation of the electrolysis agent. Once that agent is exhausted, the dissimilar metals throughout the cooling system begin swapping electrons, causing significant and costly damage. There is no one size fits all coolant anymore, simply due to the metallurgy and chemistry involved.
Heater core failure, for example, is most often caused by electrolysis, regardless of whether the proper coolant chemistry is used in the vehicle. Replacing a heater core in most late model cars involves removing the entire dash, evacuating the A/C system and the complete disassembly of the heater box and ductwork. It's slightly different with a Sprinter, but in any case it's usually every bit of a $1,000 repair. You can prevent it by regular coolant changes and using a coolant specifically designed for your cooling system (A.K.A., the one the manufacturer recommends).
If you're so inclined, you can check the electrolysis of the coolant. Using a digital multimeter, set it to read 12 volts DC. Attach one of the test leads to the negative battery terminal and submerse the other end into the coolant. Rev the engine to 2,000 RPM and read the voltage on the meter. Any reading over .3 volts indicates that the coolant is conducting too much electricity and is eating away at your cooling system components. Either the coolant needs replacing or you have a grounding problem in the vehicle. If the coolant is fresh, check for poor ground connections between the engine and the firewall and the engine and the negative battery terminal, as fresh coolant is just as corrosive as old coolant when there's a ground problem causing the electrolysis. In the case of Prestone in a Sprinter, I promise you, the voltage will read above .3 volts at a much lower mileage than the label says that you'll be protected for.
The color of your antifreeze is, by and large, irrelevant, as there are some exceptions. But generally, coolants with IAT (Inorganic Additive Technology) are green in color, OAT is orange, and HOAT is yellow. Depending on which Mopar part number of coolant you get, it could be day-glo orange, a day-glo yellow-gold or a deep red that looks more like transmission fluid.
It's bad enough when you use the wrong coolant for your systems, but it's really bad when you start mixing chemistries (mixing colors, to those who don't know the chemistries). Always use the coolant the manufacturer recommends. Stick to the list. Always stick to the list.
If your GM requires Dexcool, then you know what? That's what you should use. If yours requires OAT, then use OAT. If it requires HOAT, there ya go. Don't stick Dexcool or HOAT or OAT into a classic car, either. Classic cars use the original green stuff, for the most part, but few other cars do anymore.
Don't buy coolant because it happens to be your favorite color.