so i recently had my oil changed and they said that the antifreeze/cooliant is low. instead of buying the first thing i found, i wanted to see what everyone else suggests
low means you plan to top it off.
top off = use whatever you already had. Do not mix different types of coolant.
Your car came with Dexcool stock.
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I kissed my Dexcool goodbye years ago for a changeover to standard green fluid...don't miss it.
Agent Omega wrote:I kissed my Dexcool goodbye years ago for a changeover to standard green fluid...don't miss it.
So, how does what you run in your car have anyting at all to do with what he should use to top off his car?
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i think he was saying that if he was planning on changing the coolant then the regular green stuff works just fine.
if you arentsure what is in there now i would sugget doing a flush and just remember to dilute 50/50
if you dont know how long its been sincethe last time you flushed your cooling system, it's been too long. flush it and switch from dexcool to something that isnt dexcool. i prefer peak all makes (the yellow stuff). i've of heard people liking the prestone low tox stuff as well.
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Godspeed wrote:so i recently had my oil changed and they said that the antifreeze/cooliant is low. instead of buying the first thing i found, i wanted to see what everyone else suggests
Your car is equipped for Dexcool only. I say "only" because that's what the cooling system is built to work with. If you use the regular green silicated anti-freeze you run the risk of developing pre-mature wear and corrosion of your cooling system. And if you mix Dexcool and the regular green anti-freeze you'll really have issues. So it's either this or that. If your car has Dexcool in it right now, top off with a Dexcool coolant until the proper level is reached in the reservoir. Top off only when your engine is cold. You can buy the AC-Delco branded Dexcool concentrate from any GM dealer but beware that you have to dilute it with distilled water (50/50 mix is recommended). Alternatively, you can buy the Prestone Dexcool pre-mixed coolant, this one is available at most auto stores, and just top off without the need to add any water to the mix. You'll find plenty of websites telling you about how bad Dexcool is and all that nonsense but the truth is only one engine was affected by certain issues relating to Dexcool (the Vortec 4300) and as long as you change the coolant as suggested, keep the system topped off at the proper level, keep the system at the proper mix and not mix it with anything else Dexcool works very well. If you want to use the regular green anti-freeze, don't use it top off. You must flush your entire cooling system thoroughly first and then refill with green anti-freeze only.
^^ really? because i've been running the yellow since i got my car. no issues with it, been about three years now, and i'll never go back to dex cool.
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I used to do all this for work...
heres the rule of thumb
it came with dex... Run dex.... every parts store carries it, hell walmart has it too
if you have a problem with Dex.... Flush it ALL OUT (mixing dex with green causes the fluid to turn to jello inside the motor), and replace with a comperable 150,000 mile fluid.
DO NOT... under ANY circumstance... run basic green. Basic green is a 30,000 mile fluid and not designed for our engines.
the only other fluid that ive seen that safe and comparable to Dex is Prestone Yellow Extended Life. Prestone yellow claims to be safe to substitute for any fluid.
when i rebuilt the LN2 in my 93, i ran Dex in it... havent had a problem with it....
