K7MXE

I wonder if any C6 owners have tried Synthetic anti freeze.
I tried Mercedes Benz coolant in my C4 and would like to try it in the C6. A brand name Mishimoto also sells Synthetic anti freeze.
Found nothing in the search engine for Synthetic coolant.

Gearhead Jim

In the early years, Dexcool had some problems.

More recently, it seems to be working just fine.
Lots of people here with lots of years and lots of miles and very few problems.

"Don't try to fix something that isn't broken."

LDB

All antifreeze is well over 90% ethylene glycol, which by most definitions, would be called synthetic. The difference between the various “flavors” (ie, the old standby green, the orange Dex-cool, and various foreign flavors) is in the corrosion inhibitor package. The potential problem with mixing the various flavors is that the corrosion inhibitor packages may or may not be compatible. If they aren’t you can generate some very interesting goo. I never worked directly with antifreeze formulation so I can’t be any more specific than that, but I’d say that you are exposing yourself to a nontrivial risk by shifting from one grade to another.

You mentioned Mercedes antifreeze. I Googled its MSDS (material safety data sheet), and it too is mostly ethylene glycol plus small amounts of various corrosion inhibitors. So I can’t see any reason to call it any more or less synthetic than the others. There’s no such thing as an ethylene glycol tree, and you can’t pump ethylene glycol out of the ground, so as noted in the opening sentence, I’d call them all synthetic.

windyC6

I can remember back when they first came out with synthetic oil. The word was "NEVER...EVER" combine Syn with reg oil or you will ruin your motor. I use to always think to myself....something about that just doesn't make sense.....now you can by them already mixed. I sometimes wonder if the freezes could be the same.

LDB

Can’t totally rule out that possibility, but the situation is at least somewhat different. Conventional antifreeze inhibitors are inorganic, mostly phosphates and silicates. The newer ones are organic compounds (carbon/hydrogen based), and there’s more potential for trouble when mixing organic and inorganic. Doesn’t mean there will be trouble. Just a warning flag. With motor oil, both conventional and synthetic are organics, so they have less “built in” problem potential.

Powershift

Here is some info on the MB antifreezes: http://www.mbwholesaleparts.com/down...antifreeze.pdf

MB used the equivalent of Zerex G-05 for MANY years. It is a HOAT type (hybrid organic acid technology).

Their latest is the blue version, which according to the article is not much different than the previous one........although it is more of a OAT (organic acid technology) like Dex-cool. But it is not Dex-cool.

For our newer Corvettes, just stick with Dex-cool. For the older ones (like my 1967) Zerex G-05 is the ticket. It is also what MB used for many years.

Larry

windyC6

Points well taken LDB. I sometimes just get a little to negative when it comes to this stuff....LOL. You know the drill...for a while there all the "experts" were saying just be sure you use the same color if you mix. Well heck....I had an old beater for about 10 years and i'd pour anything in it that was cheap....green in with yellow....yellow in with pink....etc...etc. Never saw/had any problem and if memory serves the thing even had a system made with cheap-A@# materials.

HOXXOH

and still Much thanks.

K7MXE

Its now a done deal with M Benz blue installed in my 2013 after a complete flush. I was noticing when my fan came on and was around 216 deg F.
I will report back in ten years to let you know how it worked out. Note M Benz also has a yellow color coolant and dont know much about it but looks a little like G05 Zerex.
Been in the C4 now a couple of years in Montana and no problems.

rvsullivan

Just curious, is the MB coolant just really cheap? Otherwise what is the benefit of changing from Dex-cool?

juanvaldez

G-05 is probably the best coolant out there. If I was building a car, that is what I would use. That said, Dex-cool is completely adequate. When I change coolant in the '16 Z51 I will us Dex-cool to avoid the flushing required to change types.

C6 Snowboarder

I use the stuff the Corvette Engineers used in testing and evaluation and recommends. I think they put enough effort into this to stay with what is in the Manual. But That is just me -- others might think they can change fluids to different types and it now runs better. Ok with me.

Welker1

As has also already been said, why 'fix' something that isn't broken. When it comes to the fuels, other fluids, servicing, etc., I stick with what the Owner's Manual recommends. This has worked well with all my vehicles over the years, all of which have had minimal drivetrain issues, many with over 200K miles on them

airmed2

^^^ I'm with you ^^^ I have enough stress in other areas of my life that causes me not to over think these kinds of things. K.I.S.S

K7MXE

The MB antifreeze is about 30 a gallon USD. Its designed to work with aluminum the best. Dexcool when not changed on time will eat your cooling system
Freeze plugs, heater core, gaskets. radiator. Buying a used car not taken care can really bite you if the previous owner did not do the changes on time.
People in the auto repair biz love dexcool, GM loves it because it gets cars off the road so you will buy new ones. Its in the owners manual on the life of the coolant
but who reads that! I did the other day and was surprised that GM said I could use tap water with the AF. I had some well water but most came out of a gallon jug
from the store. If you like it by all means stay with it, Lots of choice in this big world. I have G05 in everything else and have been happy and the old G05 goes in my
8N tractor that blows it out on a hot day running the mower.

Vette_Fan

^ This sounds interesting and believable. However, MB's & BMW's both those cars' weakest link is their Cooling systems. If not done every 50K miles you're asking for an entire cooling system replacement - big bucks!

My C5 lasted 10 years on the same Dexcool... Just saying..

Corvette_Ed

I sure hope the OP got EVERY drop of DexCool out, and if not, that the new stuff doesn't act like when you mix DexCool and green antifreeze together. Green and orange equal an acidic compound that will eat the coolant system from the inside out. I had a shop do this accidentally on another of my cars, and they ended up having to replace everything having to do with the cooling system after the mixture ate through the gaskets and seals.

K7MXE

We did a good job Ed. Took off a hose to get around the thermostat when we flushed it. That sure cleaned out the heater rather quick. I was very choosy that way. Also had good flush a number of years ago on a Chev S10 pickup that went way over time because I did not know about Dexcool then. It did get G05 then. I looked at the MB site and they say 15 years for this stuff. I might be too old to drive then and wont care. I am not sure this blue stuff will mix with G05 as have just used it in the c6 and c4. Been in the C4 three years.

EuroRod

K7MXE

Evans does have my interest and not that much more cost than the MB antifreeze.