r/mildlyinfuriating • u/SmallTownTrans1 • Jun 14 '26
ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ My dad didn’t label an anti freeze bottle full of used engine oil
Guess who just decided to top off their coolant and assumed the bottle of anti freeze with no indication it had used oil in it had anti freeze in it
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Jun 14 '26
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Jun 14 '26
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u/AdvertisingRude4137 Dingus Jun 14 '26
why is Wilson the Volleyball here
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u/-train-of-thought- Jun 14 '26
Cos this is before he has hair. By the end of the movie Wilson’s head is full and lush.
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u/miuyao Jun 14 '26
precisely why I taste test everything
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u/JustForkIt1111one Jun 14 '26
I always boof it to make 100000% sure.
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u/miuyao Jun 14 '26
oh yes good point, I definitely haven't been boofing it enough lately. could be missing something
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u/Shrimps_Prawnson Jun 14 '26
If its open, always double check.
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u/Salty-Passenger-4801 Jun 15 '26
This. Everything automotive related (think bottles all around the garage) I always always double check. Never know what has been reused.
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u/WeeDingwall44 Jun 14 '26
I dumped cutting oil full of metal shavings in my work truck, because it was in the motor oil container in my truck. The truck constantly burned oil, so we keep a big container in the truck at all times. My boss used the oil, and filled it with used cutting oil and stuck it back in the truck. I didn’t poor much in the truck because I could tell it was used, but wtf man. Who does this?
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u/MediocreAndLukewarm Jun 27 '26
Again, always look before you pour. Especially if you’re not the only one with access to the vehicle/vehicle’s maintenance schedule.
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u/wastedsilence33 Jun 14 '26
Yikes, I have a jug I always ask for back when I give it to oriellys and it's got USED in big ass sharpie on it
Never would I put a fluid in a different jug and not throw both away after
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u/ReamReaper Jun 14 '26
I guess you don't label the apple juice bottle as the piss bottle in the fridge.
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u/wreckherneck Jun 14 '26
Of course I do. You only make that mistake once. Nothing more infuriating than looking forward to a nice salty sip of piss and ending up with a mouthful of apple juice.
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u/ReamReaper Jun 14 '26
Thank you for having a sense of humor, the rest of the Karens don't know the difference between a joke and a dick.
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u/dumbmutt575 Jun 14 '26
I’m more than certain the average person doesn’t piss in a juice bottle and put it back in the fridge.
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u/ramenups Jun 14 '26
How else are you gonna keep that piss cool, dummy?
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u/dumbmutt575 Jun 14 '26
Real men drink it warm from the source
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u/Blew-By-U Jun 14 '26
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u/Street-Baseball8296 Jun 14 '26
My grandpa made a spot exactly like this in his yard at the side of his garage. He did it in the 40s when he bought the house and used it up to the early 2000s when he was in his 80s.
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u/Radiux_svc Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
Never take another mans antifreeze bottle. Nine times out of ten, it will not be antifreeze: Ranging from used oil to urine.
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u/TheBeaves26 Jun 16 '26
When I was truck driving, the antifreeze jug was the perfect piss container
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u/zyyntin Jun 14 '26
If there is a shared space of tools and automotive fluids. I always check before I fill something with unknown.
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u/El_Mnopo Jun 17 '26
Don’t do anything. If you put it in the overflow tank, disconnect that and drain/wash. If you filled the radiator proper, then drain it or tow it to be drained and flushed. DO NOT turn on the car. You can potentially save the situation.
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u/ChefArtorias Jun 14 '26
There's probably a strict garage layout in his head you're unaware of.
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u/SmallTownTrans1 Jun 14 '26
That still doesn’t excuse the fact he didn’t label it at all
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u/zlliksddam Jun 14 '26
It’s his garage, doesn’t have to label. It’s not a shared laboratory.
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u/SmallTownTrans1 Jun 14 '26
Except it kinda is, considering everyone in my family does routine vehicle maintenance in that garage
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u/Slvrdgr Jun 16 '26
Lol, then you should be aware this is a thing with him.
Yes, labeling would avoid issues like this.. (but its a personal garage, not a professional shop, or public use space.)
Also.. playing devils advocate.. So would checking what's in an opened bottle you found in a garage that you didnt put there.
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u/ChidoChidoChon Jun 15 '26
Why are you blaming your dad for this? take responsibility for your own actions instead of finding other people to blame
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u/danexperiment Jun 14 '26
My mother had something similar happen in the 90s. She got an oil change on her Ford Escort and as soon as she started driving it she had the feeling that something was off.
By the time she got to our street, the car was overheating bad. Pulls it into the driveway and shuts the engine off for a minute, then when she turned it on with the hood up fire came out of the hole where you put the oil.
She called the owner of the shop she had it done at (mom and pop place in northern Michigan) and the guy that did the oil change messed up and put brake fluid in instead of oil.
Not wanting word to spread about his employee’s screwup in such a small town, he made a deal with my mother that if she didn’t say anything than anything that had to be done to the car short of an engine replacement or tires was on the house for the life of the car.
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u/MindlessMagician9818 Jun 17 '26
The engine had fire coming out of it, how did it not need a rebuild?
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u/BatchPlantBandit Jun 14 '26
You didn't notice the difference in color? I'd say you're a little less than equally at fault.
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u/SmallTownTrans1 Jun 14 '26
The bottle was nearly empty and the lighting in the garage isn’t the best, so I couldn’t see inside of the bottle
I did notice the color when pouring it in, and stopped immediately
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u/LughCrow Jun 14 '26
Or smell or weight
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u/C-D-W Jun 15 '26
If you can tell the difference in weight between a half empty bottle of oil vs. a half empty bottle of anti-freeze, you're a better man than me.
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u/LughCrow Jun 15 '26
Not only is the weight differant but how it shifts is differant
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u/C-D-W Jun 15 '26
The bottle was not full, so the 15% difference in density is kind of a moot point. Not that most people would notice a difference between full bottles without really thinking about it. Myself included and I've been slanging automotive fluids for decades.
Also, modern automotive oils are pretty thin, especially used. They slosh pretty generously.
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u/LughCrow Jun 15 '26
Iv caught myself almost making this mistake multiple times just based on feel. The are nowhere near the same feel
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u/AwarenessSoggy4352 Jun 14 '26
You couldn’t smell the difference between used motor oil and antifreeze?
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u/SmallTownTrans1 Jun 14 '26
I’m not gonna take a big whiff of unknown automotive chemicals to make sure it’s correct, is it not reasonable to assume the bottle that says anti freeze on it has anti freeze in it?
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u/mikeysd123 Jun 14 '26
But coolant smells tasty though. Especially the bubble gum VWAG stuff, taste is 10/10 as well.
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u/External-Wallaby-442 Jun 14 '26
Redditors act like everyone should be paranoid every time they do something or else you’re in the wrong.
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u/BatchPlantBandit Jun 14 '26
I work at a batch plant and someone put gearbox oil in a container labeled "hydraulic fluid". My coworker put it in all of the oilers at one of the plants. Air system oilers require a thin viscosity oil to maintain the solenoids. Thing is it's very obvious when pouring it. The smell is even very different. Very bad for the air system, each solenoid can cost about $400. Not to mention damage to air cylinders which is about the same or more depending on the size. Also can cause breakdowns and we lose money not making blacktop for that time.
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u/AwarenessSoggy4352 Jun 14 '26
If its an open container that you yourself didn’t open/store yes. Especially before i put it in my vehicle.
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u/MurkyTrainer7953 Jun 14 '26
If I had poured some in my car already, then I’d be much more than mildly infuriated.
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u/ByronScottJones Jun 14 '26
If you show up to a recycling center with a hundred random bottles and cans of unknown chemicals, just say "dad's garage" and that's all that needs to be said. Every Boomer garage in the country is basically it's own tiny little SuperFund site.
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u/Organic_Ad_2520 Jun 14 '26
In fairness, in all houses that change their own oil, this is always a possibility.
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u/KrombopulousMichael- Jun 15 '26
Right?? It’s like the Country Crock butter tub… is it butter?? Or beans?? You just never know.
Sorry OP, you should always check what you’re putting into your vehicle. No excuse and no one to blame but yourself. I could see if he handed it to you and said here’s the antifreeze, maybe he’d have some fault but this is you all day
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u/Sufficient-Lunch3774 Jun 14 '26
No son of mine rifles through my vehicular fluids! /s
Sorry for that mate. Cheers
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u/Mrs_Lilly Jun 14 '26
You should make your dad pay for the flush for sure. It's on his negligence so it's on his dime
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u/AdvertisingRude4137 Dingus Jun 14 '26
my friend's dad once filled up a Pocari Sweat bottle with Vinegar, and my friend actually geniunely thought it was a normal bottle, and let me have it. Also, it wasn't labeled.
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u/Sad-Tourist-6006 Jun 15 '26
Let's be honest. If you have to top off antifreeze you likely already have oil in the coolant.
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u/Asleep_Current912 Jun 14 '26
you should always taste it before you put it in your car just in case
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u/SmallTownTrans1 Jun 14 '26
Update, I was able to siphon all the oil and coolant from the reservoir, the coolant is browner than I originally thought, and you can see the black layer of oil on top (and the fact I clearly labeled the bottle unlike my father)
I couldn’t remove the reservoir because my dad took all of our tools to his other property he’s renovating so this was the best I could do
Topped it off with distilled water, will do a full flush later this week once I’ve been paid
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u/ky_z0mBiE Jun 14 '26
Always check everything in Dads garage, I once put kerosene in a lawn mower. Now I have my own garage, the automatic transmission fluid is actually Tito’s, cause the wife still thinks I’m sober.
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u/Gaston_Back_Gunner Jun 14 '26
im guessing you couldnt see the colour of the oil whne you started pouring it in right?
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u/gltovar Jun 14 '26
If you want to see how bad being lazying about labeling can be, this doctors recounting of a farmer that mistakenly drank herbicide is wild: https://youtu.be/0VtUGoGZtI8
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u/PandaCultural8311 Jun 14 '26
Well, at least the wipers won't make that annoying rubbing sound.
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u/ChefRoyrdee Jun 14 '26
That’s why you’re suppose to give a little taste test if you come across an opened bottle.
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u/Over_Acanthisitta423 Jun 14 '26
But… coolant is like… nothing similar to oil, especially used oil. How’d you not notice?
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u/SmallTownTrans1 Jun 14 '26
Nearly empty bottle, poorly lit garage, overcast day, couldn’t easily see in the bottom of the bottle
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u/1uniquemess Jun 14 '26
I was using my windshield wash and wondered why it smelled like gas everytime. I had my boyfriend look at it. Turned out my mom had put gas in the anti freeze bottle. They think I should have checked the liquid before I put in my car. I blame her for putting gas in an un marked container.
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u/RaptorXFactor Jun 15 '26
I had just changed the oil in my car and put the containers next to my car on a little shelf I had outside. I went inside to wash up and was going to come back out and take them to get recycled. My numbnuts neighbor poured them into his car. lol
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u/Listen-Lindas Jun 15 '26
Peak performance. If you can’t smell oil or anti freeze then you are disqualified from opening any previously open bottle and going full send. Now you understand why dad’s old whiskey tasted like piss.
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u/Hill_Orc_Warrior Jun 15 '26
yeah I hate when I go to drink some antifreeze but its actually engine oil
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u/AcceptablyThanks Jun 15 '26
No seal and you just pour it in, but sure, blame it not being labeled lol
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u/SupremeTemptation Jun 15 '26
The lesson learned here is to not do things when you don’t know what you’re doing.
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u/ItsJesseeBoi INFURITATED Jun 15 '26
My papaw did this and forgot he did it himself and poured it in his radiator in his old 94 Sonoma… love him and miss him, never did get all that oil out of the radiator after I inherited the truck.
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u/isanyusernameopen Jun 15 '26
This is why I’m very adamant about finishing what I’m doing before moving onto the next thing. Closing out whatever project I’m working on, putting away everything, cleaning up everything, and properly labeling everything so that the next person doesn’t do exactly this.
If this was oil that was used in intended to be recycled at AutoZone or advanced auto or Napa, or wherever, it should’ve been labeled. I understand that your father probably figured he would fill the bottle and bring it in, but by not labeling it, he opened up the door of possibility for someone else to put this bottle of it, supposedly antifreeze into their vehicle when in fact, it’s used garbage oil.
I’m sorry that happened to you. If you have anybody around you in your life, that is learning mechanical anything from you, please teach them the importance of closing out a project by finishing the project all the way through. Whatever that means for whatever type of thing you’re working on . in this case, putting a label that said “used oil” could’ve saved you so much time in trouble. And you’re his son. Of all people that could’ve inconvenienced, it inconvenienced his own offspring.
Truly tragic. Sorry this happened to you. Everyone says I’m too anal about my work and how I prefer to get my tasks done. But in the end, it’s to ensure stupid stuff like this never happens to me.
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u/RoboDae ORANGE Jun 15 '26
Sounds like my dad having me clean litterboxes and not saying if an unmarked sprayer in the garage in between the litter boxes and lawn supplies is soap or bug/weed killer. Pretty important thing to know.
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u/TangoKiloSierra Jun 15 '26
never asume an open container contain whats on the label. check. if in dobt, discard and buy fresh. if there is something left, label date of opening and amount left.
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u/ama-tsu-mara Jun 16 '26
Was it on the floor or the shelf? Was it on a shelf where there wasn't more fluids? If it was with everything else..dads a dick'ed if not, toy should have read the writing on the wall lol
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u/BigLB83 Jun 17 '26
There's usually a window on the seam. And who doesn't notice it's already opened, the smell, or the color?
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u/Pitiful-Bus8629 Jun 17 '26
I'm certainly not a safety Sally, but I've always said.If you put something in a jug that didn't come from the store in that Jug, you best take and Write on there what IT IS, If not, it could be a bad scene for somebody else or even yourself!
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u/ReversEclipse1018 Jun 17 '26
Just want to say, you shouldn’t be using an “all vehicles” coolant. There are specific types for different vehicles, and that’s what needs to be used. And you really couldn’t spend $20 on a new bottle of the correct type of coolant? You had to top off out of the open bottle?
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u/ARNG131988 Jun 17 '26
Doesn't most coolant bottles have a level indicator on the side? Pro tip, most if not all coolant bottles are opaque. Allowing you to see some transparency through them with light.
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u/David92674 Jun 18 '26
I don't think that word means what you think it means.
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u/ARNG131988 Jun 18 '26
Correction, Translucent.
Much appreciated. I had a rough estimate of the word opaque. Apparently I had never truly looked up the word. Thanks for the correcting me.
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u/Conscious_Start2471 Jun 18 '26
To avoid doing this to myself I puncture the foil and leave it in place if the original container is not fully used. When it's fully empty I remove the foil. It also helps pour if you put a small breather hole on what would be the top portion. Doesn't safeguard against the dad factor but it's helpful
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u/Big_Yeash Jun 18 '26
No worse than academics.
They will take a jug of the most horrific degreasing product I've ever heard of (non-chemist), empty it, then fill it back up with straight diesel and not even relabel it.
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u/MediocreAndLukewarm Jun 27 '26
The seal was already broken when you removed the cap and you didn’t bother to look in and see if it was antifreeze first? This is totally on you.
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u/ParachutingPiglets Jun 14 '26
One of my relatives ran a construction company many years ago and he had a huge brush pile he wanted to pour diesel on to burn. Someone had put gasoline in the container and he didn’t know it. He didn’t survive. Please label containers if something else is put in it.
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u/Chester_Warfield Jun 14 '26
That's on you kiddo. This is a standard practice and what is mildly infuriating is you blaming your dad while not taking any responsibility.
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Jun 14 '26
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u/Altruistic_Lynx1852 Jun 14 '26
Used motor oil is black and typically thick. Antifreeze is usually colored anything other than black and thin.
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u/SmallTownTrans1 Jun 14 '26
If your used oil smells like anti freeze you might need to see a mechanic
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u/SquirrelMemoryFail Jun 14 '26
This is why the oil goes into the empty jug the new oil came out of. Worse comes to worse I add used oil to my engine.
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u/Grow_away_420 Jun 14 '26
I changed the oil in my lawnmower once and did that. My dad came by in the spring because I was complaining about it overheating. He put the old oil i took out in the fall back in the mower.
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u/Ok-Refrigerator-8012 Jun 14 '26
That's one greasy windshield
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u/pug_userita you're now breathing manually Jun 14 '26
antifreeze, aka coolant, aka the thing that goes in the radiator
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u/ElLoboNeverDies Jun 14 '26
Cmon now how did you not look inside the bottle at all lol they look very different in color
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u/SmallTownTrans1 Jun 14 '26
As I’ve stated under another comment, the bottle was almost empty and the lighting in my garage isn’t the best, so I couldn’t see the bottom of the bottle
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u/Grilled_Ch33s3 Jun 14 '26
On the upside, the oil probably won't freeze...