antifreeze question
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,688
Likes: 19
From: Stratford, CT
antifreeze question in gunna flush my radiator soon and was wondering what kind of antifreeze would be best for me to use. can i use like prestone 50/50 or does it have to be a specific kind. also should i get a new thermostat/gasket while im at it?
Unless you want to completely and very thoroghly flush out the system, you should just stick with dexcool.
And the 50/50 stuff is a ripoff. Think about it, you're only getting 1/2 gallon of coolant, and paying for half a gallon of water when you buy the 50/50 stuff.
I just bought the unmixed dexcool at walmart, it was 13.84 for the gallon. The 50/50 stuff was a little under 12 bucks. Then I bought a gallon of distilled water for 83 cents.
Now I can mix up TWO gallons of 50/50 dexcool for only about 3 bucks more than one gal of the premixed stuff.
I pickup up a new thermostat and radiator hoses too. Reason being I'm taking it all apart to change my waterpump, so I figure I might as well just change everything now. The car has 104k and I don't know if any of that stuff has ever been changed. I'm thinking prob not.
And FYI - the stock temp thermo (which comes in the housing) was 20 bucks from Autozone, and the lower rad hose was 17.50, and the upper was 10 bucks.
And the 50/50 stuff is a ripoff. Think about it, you're only getting 1/2 gallon of coolant, and paying for half a gallon of water when you buy the 50/50 stuff.
I just bought the unmixed dexcool at walmart, it was 13.84 for the gallon. The 50/50 stuff was a little under 12 bucks. Then I bought a gallon of distilled water for 83 cents.
Now I can mix up TWO gallons of 50/50 dexcool for only about 3 bucks more than one gal of the premixed stuff.
I pickup up a new thermostat and radiator hoses too. Reason being I'm taking it all apart to change my waterpump, so I figure I might as well just change everything now. The car has 104k and I don't know if any of that stuff has ever been changed. I'm thinking prob not.
And FYI - the stock temp thermo (which comes in the housing) was 20 bucks from Autozone, and the lower rad hose was 17.50, and the upper was 10 bucks.
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TECH Fanatic
Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Just This Side of Damnation
I have yet to see a bottle of modern green coolant that didn't say it was rated for aluminium engines. Antifreeze has come a long way in the last ten-twenty years.
Use whichever you want. You should flush your system regardless of what your run, but if you flush it's the perfect opportunity to go green. Dexcool goes bad when subjected to air infiltration. If your system is tight you can us Dexcool with impunity. If your system isn't tight and/or you find icky brown goo while you're working on your system, I'd go ahead and make the change to green. I have, and it suits me fine. Dexcool is NOT mandatory.
As for the straight and mix vs 50/50. Whatever suits your garage. I don't have to mix, I don't buy it that often, and it's quick and easy with no mixing or math. I have it available for the six vehicles in my driveway, plus anyone else that needs a top-off. No fussing around, just pour and forget it.
Use whichever you want. You should flush your system regardless of what your run, but if you flush it's the perfect opportunity to go green. Dexcool goes bad when subjected to air infiltration. If your system is tight you can us Dexcool with impunity. If your system isn't tight and/or you find icky brown goo while you're working on your system, I'd go ahead and make the change to green. I have, and it suits me fine. Dexcool is NOT mandatory.
As for the straight and mix vs 50/50. Whatever suits your garage. I don't have to mix, I don't buy it that often, and it's quick and easy with no mixing or math. I have it available for the six vehicles in my driveway, plus anyone else that needs a top-off. No fussing around, just pour and forget it.
for what it's worth ford is using the dexcool formula in the new mustangs, and i assume their other 2010/2011 models, you can easily look it up so you can't just say dexcool is crap. It's been in service for around 15 years and continues to be used.
I tend to disagree with the dexcool going bad with air, a lot of problems with dexcool and air had to do with cast iron blocks where rust would form in the cooling passages in the block then the coolant would wash it away and rust particles would float around in the system. But, if you have air in the cooling system or the cooling system does not hold pressure, that is the problem and any resulting cooling system problems aren't necessarily the fault of the coolant type.
the additives in dexcool are what make it a long life and a good coolant, specifically the 2-eha additive which is also what makes it incompatible with other coolants and incompatible with certain types of gasket materials (nylon/plastic). When you buy the universal antifreezes that can mix with any type of antifreeze, you are buying an antifreeze with a subset of additives that is common to all antifreezes, that is how it is "compatible" but you are getting less of a product than dexcool, less than a product of G05 which has silicate additives, and less than a product of the asian formula coolants which use phosphates.
I tend to disagree with the dexcool going bad with air, a lot of problems with dexcool and air had to do with cast iron blocks where rust would form in the cooling passages in the block then the coolant would wash it away and rust particles would float around in the system. But, if you have air in the cooling system or the cooling system does not hold pressure, that is the problem and any resulting cooling system problems aren't necessarily the fault of the coolant type.
the additives in dexcool are what make it a long life and a good coolant, specifically the 2-eha additive which is also what makes it incompatible with other coolants and incompatible with certain types of gasket materials (nylon/plastic). When you buy the universal antifreezes that can mix with any type of antifreeze, you are buying an antifreeze with a subset of additives that is common to all antifreezes, that is how it is "compatible" but you are getting less of a product than dexcool, less than a product of G05 which has silicate additives, and less than a product of the asian formula coolants which use phosphates.
I steer clear of the dex-cool, it tends to break down quickly and produce the corrosive orange crud that is so prevalent. A source of why GM's are notorious for recurrent failure of their water pumps and corresponding bearings in them.
I would very thoroughly flush the entire system a couple times with water for 50-100 mile intervals and then run either evans or amsoil antifreeze at the 50/50 ratio. I have used the amsoil for a long time and it has proven to be nothing short of amazing compared the the stupid dex-cool gm uses.
I would very thoroughly flush the entire system a couple times with water for 50-100 mile intervals and then run either evans or amsoil antifreeze at the 50/50 ratio. I have used the amsoil for a long time and it has proven to be nothing short of amazing compared the the stupid dex-cool gm uses.
yes get the dexcool extended life, it should be red in color or like an orangish, get the full unmixed gallon and a gallon of distilled water, you don't wanna use tap water because your **** will rust out