Yet Another Anti-freeze question
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Green coolant is ethylene glycol and was the standard coolant for many years in almost every vehicle. Coolant with a red to orange tint is a Dex-Cool type used by GM since 94 or 95. The two are not compatible. There are some coolants that are yellow in color and are supposed to work with either type.
You can find both the green and red coolants from a wide variety of brands. Prestone makes both types as does Peak. Check the label to see what type of coolant it is.
You can find both the green and red coolants from a wide variety of brands. Prestone makes both types as does Peak. Check the label to see what type of coolant it is.
Thread Starter
Slingshot
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,817
Likes: 24
From: Charlotte NC
Green coolant is ethylene glycol and was the standard coolant for many years in almost every vehicle. Coolant with a red to orange tint is a Dex-Cool type used by GM since 94 or 95. The two are not compatible. There are some coolants that are yellow in color and are supposed to work with either type.
You can find both the green and red coolants from a wide variety of brands. Prestone makes both types as does Peak. Check the label to see what type of coolant it is.
You can find both the green and red coolants from a wide variety of brands. Prestone makes both types as does Peak. Check the label to see what type of coolant it is.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 361
Likes: 6
I had my water pump rebuilt at a local corvette shop and they refilled my $500.00 Dewitt radiator with Dexcool. I have an 88 and it is an open system. A brown tar like substance started clogging my radiator and I was highly upset. I looked everywhere for the "green stuff" and finally found it at PepBoys. I can't remember the brand but it was a black jug with a label that said it was the old green formula right on the front. Two flushes later and no more brown tar.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 804
Likes: 5
From: Fresno CA
I'm doing a water pump on a 96 right now and found some of that tar-like buildup in the system, doing a very, very through flush with distilled and I'm going with the Zerex GO-5 and distilled based on the information shared here.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,226
Likes: 9
From: Irvine Ca
Ethylene Glycol is as clear as water. The color dye added to it is the manufacturers choice.
I used to work for coolant recyclers We used Reverse Osmosis to filter the used coolant. It came out of the membrane filter clear...we'd drip Green Dye into it.
I'd still say stay away from DexCool.....not going to get into why......
And with the introduction of Aluminum components to engines or cooling systems, I'd suggest using Propylene Glycol over Ethylene Glycol...
I used to work for coolant recyclers We used Reverse Osmosis to filter the used coolant. It came out of the membrane filter clear...we'd drip Green Dye into it.
I'd still say stay away from DexCool.....not going to get into why......
And with the introduction of Aluminum components to engines or cooling systems, I'd suggest using Propylene Glycol over Ethylene Glycol...
Last edited by jhammons01; Aug 11, 2009 at 12:20 PM.
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