In the context of studies on the influence of the anion lifetime on the geminate ion kinetics, 1,1,1,2- and 1, 1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (1112-Tetra and 1122-Tetra) were studied as solutes in liquid methylcyclohexane (MCH) at low temperatures (133-183 K). The two isomers serve as examples of long anion lifetime. The analysis of the pulse radiolysis data was based on the t(-0.6) semiempirical law for geminate ion kinetics. The visible band with lambda(max) = 450 or 430 nm is shown to be due to the anion of 1112-Tetra or 1122-Tetra, respectively. Its kinetics relates to three consecutive geminate pairs of ions, due to two ionic reactions: (a) The fast process represents the cationic mechanism: the precursor cation M+* relaxes (or isomerizes) to the high mobility ion MCH+ (k(r)) and simultaneously fragments (k(f)) to a diffusional methylcyclohexene(+) (MCHene(+)). The total M+* decay (k(tot) = k(r) + k(f)) produces mixed cations (MCH+,MCHene(+)). (b) The slow process is due to the anion fragmentation (k(-)) from Tetra(-) to Cl- + R-., with tau(-) = 13.7 or 20.0 mus (143 K) for 1112- or 1122-Tetra, respectively. The fragment radical R-. is freed too late to allow scavenging of positive charge. The three geminate pairs of ions are (M+*/Tetra(-)), (MCH+,MCHene(+)/Tetra(-)), and (MCH+,MCHene(+)/Cl-). All ions (except Cl-) contribute to the optical absorption. The rate constants k(tot) and k(-) are both independent of the concentration of Tetra. For k(tot) this means that M+* decays in a fixed ratio of k(f) to k(r). This is in contrast to previous findings with N2O or CHCl3 but corresponds to our recent proposal that M+* appears to represent some isomer of MCH+ in a higher energy state (or of higher ionization potential). The anion fragmentation rate for 1112-Tetra is k(-)(143 K) (7.3 +/- 0.6) x 10(4) s(-1) with E-act = 17.8 kJ/mol and log A = 11.2. For 1122-Tetra it is k(-)(143 K) = (5.0 +/- 1.0) x 10(4) s(-1) with E-act = 16.9 kJ/mol and log A = 10.9. The free ion intercepts, from the t(-0.6)-simulations, reveal for all geminate pairs with Tetra- a strong dependence on the Tetra concentration [T], eventhough complete electron scavenging was ascertained. This is explained by the formation of dimer anions T-2(-) through an equilibrium T- + T reversible arrow T-2(-). The absorption at 450 nm (or 430 nm) then is due to T-2(-) (most likely a charge resonance transition (T <-- T-)). For the initial geminate pair (M+*/Tetra(-)), the free ion intercept was smaller than the one for Tetra- alone (actually T-2(-)). As this result was based on the assumption that M+* and MCH+ have the same mobility, this now reveals that the precursor cation M+* must have at least a 9 times higher mobility than MCH+.