Coolant Question ?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 11,113
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From: SE Pennsylvania
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Oldtimer
Green or pink ?
I failed to mention that the whole section in the owners manual talks about all the things that can go wrong with the coolant system, but it doesn't say a word, (Other than stating it's dangerous to take the radiator cap off when the engine overheats )
But it doesn't say one word about what kind of coolant goes in the system. Do you think that has to be Ethylene Glycol Or Propylene Glycol ? Or was Ethylene Glycol the only kind of anti-freeze available in 1990 ?
Jim Ward
But it doesn't say one word about what kind of coolant goes in the system. Do you think that has to be Ethylene Glycol Or Propylene Glycol ? Or was Ethylene Glycol the only kind of anti-freeze available in 1990 ?
Jim Ward
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Rolla Missouri
2021 C4 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist
St. Jude Donor '10 thru '25
I failed to mention that the whole section in the owners manual talks about all the things that can go wrong with the coolant system, but it doesn't say a word, (Other than stating it's dangerous to take the radiator cap off when the engine overheats )
But it doesn't say one word about what kind of coolant goes in the system. Do you think that has to be Ethylene Glycol Or Propylene Glycol ? Or was Ethylene Glycol the only kind of anti-freeze available in 1990 ?
Jim Ward
But it doesn't say one word about what kind of coolant goes in the system. Do you think that has to be Ethylene Glycol Or Propylene Glycol ? Or was Ethylene Glycol the only kind of anti-freeze available in 1990 ?
Jim Ward
It won't say exactly what kind, but should give you a GM spec for each and every fluid in your car.
Look for a section like "Maintenance Schedule", and then "Recommended Fluids and Lubricants".
My '96 specifically mentions DEX-COOL, but also gives the GM specification 6277M
Yours won't mention DEX-COOL, but should still give a spec to meet.
Oh, and Dexcool (so called orange stuff) was not used as a factory fill in the Corvette until the 1996 model year.
Not sure when it was introduced though. It was introduced in some other GM models before '96.
I think by '96 all GM models used it.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 622
Likes: 13
From: UNION CITY TENNESSEE
1996 was the first year for Dexcool and it was used in every GM product since.
The GM spec for the 1990 is 1825M (like my 1991) and the only one still made now that I can find is the green PEAK brand and I get the 50/50 premix.
The GM spec for the 1990 is 1825M (like my 1991) and the only one still made now that I can find is the green PEAK brand and I get the 50/50 premix.
Last edited by BGZQ8; Nov 3, 2012 at 09:41 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
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From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
The car uses Ethylene Glycol (green) coolant in a 50-50 mix of coolant and distilled water. Just about any parts store will have the green coolant. That mix will provide protection to -35 degrees and adequate corrosion protection.
Buy the concentrated coolant. The pre-mixed stuff in a gallon jug can run an much as $5 more per gallon jug. Buy a gallon of concentrate and get a gallon of distilled water from a grocery store for a buck. That gives you two gallons instead of one gallon of pre-mix.
Buy the concentrated coolant. The pre-mixed stuff in a gallon jug can run an much as $5 more per gallon jug. Buy a gallon of concentrate and get a gallon of distilled water from a grocery store for a buck. That gives you two gallons instead of one gallon of pre-mix.
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Pro
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 694
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From: St James New York
Actually the color of any modern coolant today really has nothing to do with what type of coolant it may, or may not be!
Color is just a dye added by the manufacturer, to an etheyene glycol based coolant and can't really be used to determine one spec'd coolant from another.
Your vette was shipped from the factory with GM 1825M spec ethyene glycol coolant, which is an old silicate/phosphate corrosion inhibiting type coolant. This was green/yellow in color.
Check out these threads for all you what to know about C4 coolant, and plenty of misinformation you don't need to know as well!!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...or-matter.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...e-choices.html