Jimmy W1

This has probably been asked before but I couldn't find anything on the subject. So, I bought my 05 in 2011. Since then, I have never changed the anti freeze. I don't know if it has ever been changed. I figure it probably has but............ Should I be changing it? I figure it is due to be changed either way. And is there a method of how I should change it? Or should I just take it to the dealer and have them do it? That would probably be the best way but do you guys think it's due? By the way the car has 28,000 miles on it. Thanks for any opinions.

irok

its long over due.supposed to be changed every 5 years

juanvaldez

Dealers can seem to change the oil without screwing something up. Wonder how they will do on anti-freeze.

Jimmy W1

I don't know. The last time I had a dealer change the oil on my 08 Impala SS they didn't tighten the filter enough and a few weeks later it started dripping. So, I went back to doing my own oil changes.

Jimmy W1

So, how would I go about doing it myself? Is there a petcock on the bottom of the radiator? Put back in the same amount that comes out?

RobLo

Just had all the hoses, the water pump and thermostat changed on my '05 Z51, 31K miles. I bought the car in 2010, 10K miles and had the anti freeze changed then so this is my second time. I had a Corvette mechanic do it (NOT at the dealership), in addition to changing the coolant he pressure tested the system for leaks, all good. He had some kind of machine that mixed the coolant with water to the exact ratio and pressure filled the cooling system. Being as you don't know if it's ever been changed I'd definitely do it to get a baseline for the next time. I also changed the trans fluid (A4) and had the rear end/differential grease changed, while back there he found the seals leaking and replaced all 5, labor intensive. And if you can find a dealer you trust I don't think it's a very expensive job for them to do...good luck!

juanvaldez

There is probably a petcock. I find it easier to just remove bottom hose. Cooling system capacity is in owner manual. You will not get everything out. I would flush with distilled water then add the amount of anti-freeze to bring it up to 40/60 anti-freeze/water. If you are going with same stuff that came out you don't have to particularly thorough. If changing you need to get it all out.

C6ToGo

I used this write-up by another member:

Change coolant every 5 years or 150,000 miles, which ever comes first.
Buy 2 gals Prestone Dex Cool (Walmart) and 6 gals distilled water. I used 5 gals of distilled water this year
and flushed it twice. I think three flushes would have been better.

1) Drain coolant (drain plug is on passenger side). Approx. 8 qts out of 12.6 qts will actually drain.
2) Pull Surge Tank and clean out crud. Refill surge tank to the neck with distilled water.
3) Start engine, idle 4 min
4) Top off surge tank
5) Rev engine at 2000-2500 rpm for 2 more min. (temp should reach ~200 F)
6) Shutoff engine, cool for 20 minutes
7) Repeat steps 1-6 until fluid drains clear (2-4 flushes)
8) Refill with 6.3 qts Dex Cool (it's a slow process) and then top off with distilled water.
9) Repeat steps 3-5, take test drive, refill as necessary with distilled water.
10) Dispose of your old antifreeze at a recycling center.