Brownish Coolant
Brownish Coolant 99 SS
my coolant is a brownish liquid and its not clumpy at all just brown,,,, is it time to change?
when they say flush what is that?
and how would i know to start filling it?
Basically how do you do everything?? thanks guys
my coolant is a brownish liquid and its not clumpy at all just brown,,,, is it time to change?
when they say flush what is that?
and how would i know to start filling it?
Basically how do you do everything?? thanks guys
TECH Regular
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 416
Likes: 1
From: Minnesota
You need a coolant flush. Drain the radiator. leave the radiator pet **** open. Take off one of your heater hoses. Hook up the garden hose to the heater hose. let it run until it comes out clear. Hook to hose to the other side and back flush through the engine. Let the radiator drain out. Blow air through the heater hose to clear out the water. Find the capacity of the cooling system (in owners manual). Close petcock on radiator and hook up heater hose. Fill half the system with strait antifreeze. top off the radiator with water.
I would put green antifreeze back in. It is cheaper and won't turn brown and sh*tty like dexcool.
I would put green antifreeze back in. It is cheaper and won't turn brown and sh*tty like dexcool.
What's the deal between green antifreeze and dexcool. I have heard SO MANY different things and not one straight answer that is a fact. Can or can you not put green coolant in the engine.
TECH Regular
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 416
Likes: 1
From: Minnesota
The dex cool is supposed to be better for alloy engines, but when it is exposed to air it turns to ****. Turns brown, smells really bad, and gets kind of chunky. Manufactures have been using aluminum intakes with green antifreeze for ever and haven’t had problems. I don’t see why they all stopped using green antifreeze. Yes you can run green, just flush the system first. If you want to change back, just flush out the green and put in dexcool, but don't mix them.
I believe the main difference is the green has silicates and the dex cool is silicate free.
I believe the main difference is the green has silicates and the dex cool is silicate free.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,231
Likes: 1
From: Just This Side of Damnation
Dexcool is not a bad coolant if minimum maintenace is done. Dexcool is silicate-free and will not coat the inside of the cooling system. That coating will reduce your system's efficiency. It is also better for water pumps and seals.
Dexcool's main natural enemies are air and non-distilled water. Additives not approved for Dexcool are not good. If you don't check your fluid level and it gets low it will suck air in and out of the system, thus creating an undesireable condition.
While advertised for 5yr/100,000 miles, in the real world that may be optimistic. If you are like everybody else here you will check your system regularly and replace at 2 or three years.
Green coolant is the answer for those that don't understand or like Dexcool. But there's nothing wrong with Dexcool that checking your coolant level regularly, topping off with distilled water, and changing it regularly won't keep away. That's just basic maintenance!
Flushing your coolant system will remove all the expired coolant and back flushing will remove more scale and deposits than simple flushing will remove. Kind of like petting your dog backwards...
Dexcool's main natural enemies are air and non-distilled water. Additives not approved for Dexcool are not good. If you don't check your fluid level and it gets low it will suck air in and out of the system, thus creating an undesireable condition.
While advertised for 5yr/100,000 miles, in the real world that may be optimistic. If you are like everybody else here you will check your system regularly and replace at 2 or three years.
Green coolant is the answer for those that don't understand or like Dexcool. But there's nothing wrong with Dexcool that checking your coolant level regularly, topping off with distilled water, and changing it regularly won't keep away. That's just basic maintenance!
Flushing your coolant system will remove all the expired coolant and back flushing will remove more scale and deposits than simple flushing will remove. Kind of like petting your dog backwards...
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Originally Posted by RFERG43
ALL antifreeze made today is formulated for use with aluminum engines and radiators. They wouldn't be selling much antifreeze otherwise. I use Prestone. Says right on the label "good for all engines".
I got a 95 that came with green and I haven't changed. A friend of mine uses Dexcool. He mixed spicket water with his and the coolant is turning brown and clumpy. Above, a guy says that non-distilled water is dexcool's enemy. Is this really what happens when you don't use distilled water? My friend thought that the clumpy stuff is gasket material that has broken off and settled itself up to the top of the resevior tank. Looks like somebody 
in it. Anybody have any thoughts on this?
in it. Anybody have any thoughts on this? 
Originally Posted by CASHss99
dont forget to bleed it? what do you mean...
so run a hose for awile , while the drain is open? then fill up green and start teh kar then fill more if needed?
so run a hose for awile , while the drain is open? then fill up green and start teh kar then fill more if needed?
what he means is, fill the radiator up, then keep the cap off, start the car, and watch as the coolant bubbles down while all the air bubbles work thier way out. Once you stop seeing bubbles come to the surface and the coolant starts to rise up to the cap, just make sure that the radiator is full, then cap it off, drive it around for a little while. After that bring it home, let it cool down then remove the cap and top it off one last time. Then your good to go
