Coolant??

[Nigel215]

I just had the LOW COOLANT light pop up on me the other day. I just broke 70,000 on my truck last week and I think it still has the origonal coolant in their. So im guessin its time to change....But my question is, Should i use the pink stuff that comes in their and is in the manual? I heard a few people say that its not too good to use the pink shit, But then why would they put it their from the factory? Anyway... if anyone has any suggestions one weither i should use what the manual calls for or should i go to a better brand. Let me know what to do guys.

[jeverett]

If your adding to the coolant thats in it now, you Dex-Cool, if you want to flush the system, you can re-fill with either green or dexcool, just do not mix the differnt kinds. I've heard that the green is better for the cooling system in the long run.

[silveradoman]

it is, I just had to have my intake manifold gaskets replaced, after 40K

[jeep_cj4x4]

Wow, another bit of great info. Add changing the coolant from pink to green to the list....

I always thought you couldnt change if you had the new stuff.

[broughy84]

Get rid of the Death-cool. Flush that shit out and get the good ole green shit in there...

[killerkatana75]

you can go from pink to green, but not from green to pink....and just like a month ago they now have yellow which will work in either system

[Nigel215]

kool....looks like im gettin some of the ole' green shit. now, how do i go about flushing the system?

[jeverett]

This is how I used to do it at the service station I worked at. Drain the coolant thats in it now, leave the drain open, remove the coolant resivor cap and start the engine. Let it get up to operationg temps, and use a water hose to steadily keep water going into the system. After about 10-15 minutes of doing this, it should be clean. If this didnt make any sense, just tell me and I'll try to explain it again lol

[Nigel215]

No, that makes sense, ill give it a shot when i get to changin the coolant. Thanks.

[skipr]

What about the orange crap? I was told the green glycol does not have the anti corrisive properties that are needed for the aluminum and that plastic crud (mylar I think) that the upper manifold is made of. But then again I have been told alot of things that turned out to be bullsh%#.

[broughy84]

don't listen to that shit, the facts are that the dexcool is more damaging to the system because it eats away at gaskets. I have a 88 chevy silverado and it has over 150K on it, it has all original cooling system minus the water pump. It has always ran the green stuff.....BTW It has an aluminum intake, aluminum radiator, and aluminum heater core....Death cool is bad stuff.

[nineball481]

Nigel-
Check out "low oil pressure" post by estone4009. In there a few people started to have a coolant leak into the engine at about 70,000 miles...This maybe something you want to look into. The end result for those guys was a blown engine.......
I know that isn't something you want to here, but better safe than sorry....

Here is that post:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=290114

[jeverett]

Yeah, be careful dude. The only reason I haven't swapped mine out yet is b/c of the warranty on my new engine. I don't like paying $10 a gallon for some orange junk anyhow. Why pay $10 when you can get it for like $4?

[RPSTELMA]

I have a 1999 Z71 with 83K on it. I found that the factory hose clamps which are the squeeze kind will leak and I got a low coolant light coming on. I took and replaced all my factory hose clamps with the regular screw ones. Also the coolant, the pink or red stuff is a 100,000 mile coolant. If you replace it with what ever coler you use mix it 50/50 with distilled water, it dose not have any metals or minerals in it. I will not clog your radiator and will lubricate your water pump. I had a car with 170,000 miles on it and did this. I never replaced a water pump or thermostat or hoses. Oh one other thing the color of the antifreeze dose not mater one bit, the manufacture puts it in there, just don’t mix the colors.