What antifreeze should I use in my 2005 C6
03-06-2010, 10:53 AM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
What antifreeze should I use in my 2005 C6
What antifreeze should I use in my 2005 C6. Brand and mix. Going to replace mine today when I install 160* thermostat.
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03-06-2010, 11:37 AM
#2
Safety Car
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Unless you can absolutely get all of the dexicool out when you do the flush use the dexicool again. If you put normal coolant in there and it comes into contact with the dexicool it will turn into pudding. Not exactly what you want in your coolant system.
03-06-2010, 11:54 AM
#3
I have had the dexcool turn to sludge because someone added regualr anti freeze to dex cool and it was a mess to get rid of. I had to flush the system several times with heavy duty cleaner and also had to take out the radiator and have it boiled out. Fortunately it was not on my vette, but still a pain.
03-06-2010, 12:01 PM
#4
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
drain
Can I remove the thermostat and put the housing back on without thermostat. Then can I open radiator drain and fill overflow tank with hose and flush system. Should the car be running when flushing? Then I could reinstall thermostat and fill system. Or can you just remove thermostat and install housing and run water Thur housing with radiator hose off to flush system. Also I plan on using Preston 50/50 with distilled water is that a good antifreeze?
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03-06-2010, 12:43 PM
#6
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You are gonna need to flush it several times to get all traces of dexicool out of the system. There are some system flush chemicals at the auto parts store. Empty your system from the petcock on the bottom of the radiator and fill it with the chemical and water run the car for a bit and repeat this several times. I cant emphasize enough the importance of getting the dexicool out of there if you plan on using a different type of coolant. Prestone is fine thats what I replace mine with. A little of that purple ice additive or whatever its called will help as well.
03-06-2010, 08:24 PM
#7
Tech Contributor
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What I do is drain the system and refill with water and drain again. Then repeat until the drained coolant runs clear. There are at least two quarts of coolant that are in the block when the radiator is drained the first time. Then add the correct number of quarts of DexCool and top off with drinkable tap water and you will be set to go for another 5 years. Since 1997 I have done this procedure on 5 GM cars after they reached their 5 year change interval. One of them went through the second change after it reached 10 years. The green stuff only has half the life span of DexCool so in the long run costs more than Dexcool and causes more environmental waste.
Bill
Bill
03-06-2010, 08:40 PM
#8
Drifting
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St. Jude Donor '14
I do not recommend using any chemicals to flush the cooling system. Water pumps don't like them, neither does GM. I personally don't like "dexcool", and have seen many systems that were just plain nasty, gunked up mess. Here is chevy's flush procedure.
Flushing
Important: Do not use a chemical flush.
Store used coolant in the proper manner, such as in a used engine coolant holding tank. Do not pour used coolant down a drain. Ethylene glycol antifreeze is a very toxic chemical. Do not dispose of coolant into the sewer system or ground water. This is illegal and ecologically unsound.
Various methods and equipment can be used to flush the cooling system. If special equipment is used, such as a back flusher, follow the manufacturer's instruction. Always remove the thermostat before flushing the cooling system.
When the cooling system becomes contaminated, the cooling system should be flushed thoroughly to remove the contaminants before the engine is seriously damaged.
Drain the cooling system.
Remove the surge tank.
Clean and flush the surge tank with clean, drinkable water.
Install the surge tank.
Follow the drain and fill procedure using only clean, drinkable water.
Run the engine for 20 minutes .
Stop the engine.
Drain the cooling system.
Repeat the procedure if necessary, until the fluid is nearly colorless.
Fill the cooling system.
Flushing
Important: Do not use a chemical flush.
Store used coolant in the proper manner, such as in a used engine coolant holding tank. Do not pour used coolant down a drain. Ethylene glycol antifreeze is a very toxic chemical. Do not dispose of coolant into the sewer system or ground water. This is illegal and ecologically unsound.
Various methods and equipment can be used to flush the cooling system. If special equipment is used, such as a back flusher, follow the manufacturer's instruction. Always remove the thermostat before flushing the cooling system.
When the cooling system becomes contaminated, the cooling system should be flushed thoroughly to remove the contaminants before the engine is seriously damaged.
Drain the cooling system.
Remove the surge tank.
Clean and flush the surge tank with clean, drinkable water.
Install the surge tank.
Follow the drain and fill procedure using only clean, drinkable water.
Run the engine for 20 minutes .
Stop the engine.
Drain the cooling system.
Repeat the procedure if necessary, until the fluid is nearly colorless.
Fill the cooling system.
03-07-2010, 02:42 AM
#9
Melting Slicks
Keep it simple... Stay with DexCool.
And to "possibly" run a little cooler, use 70% distilled/30% DC with Purple Ice. Purple Ice works with DexCool.
FYI, Purple Ice is similiar to Water Wetter http://royalpurple.com/radiator-additive.html .
And to "possibly" run a little cooler, use 70% distilled/30% DC with Purple Ice. Purple Ice works with DexCool.
FYI, Purple Ice is similiar to Water Wetter http://royalpurple.com/radiator-additive.html .
03-07-2010, 09:27 PM
#10
With all the problems and damage that DexCool has caused over the years, I am amazed they still put it in these cars. It has to be one of the biggest mistakes in GM's history. I don't understand why they still continue to use it.
03-08-2010, 09:53 AM
#11
Race Director
Don't mix Dexcool with other coolants, change it when recommended and Dexcool works fine.
03-10-2010, 09:43 AM
#12
At last count there were 14 lawsuits filed in state and federal courts throughout the country by GM vehicle owners angered over their experience with Dex-Cool.
Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...#ixzz0hmjHZOG2
Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...#ixzz0hmjHZOG2
What To Do
As lawyers continue to collect names for potential class action lawsuits from people claiming Dex-Cool damaged their car or truck, automobile mechanics are advising that if you have Dex-Cool as a coolant in your vehicle, you should not replace it with another form of antifreeze.
If your car or truck came from the factory with Dex-Cool, you should continue to use that coolant both as replacement and to top off the radiator, the mechanics say.
Last but not least, if your car came from the factory with standard "green" antifreeze, don't switch to Dex-Cool.
Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...#ixzz0hmjrJPdA
As lawyers continue to collect names for potential class action lawsuits from people claiming Dex-Cool damaged their car or truck, automobile mechanics are advising that if you have Dex-Cool as a coolant in your vehicle, you should not replace it with another form of antifreeze.
If your car or truck came from the factory with Dex-Cool, you should continue to use that coolant both as replacement and to top off the radiator, the mechanics say.
Last but not least, if your car came from the factory with standard "green" antifreeze, don't switch to Dex-Cool.
Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...#ixzz0hmjrJPdA
http://www.imcool.com/articles/antif...l-macs2001.php
http://www.imcool.com/articles/antif...l2007Part2.php
Last edited by CSixDude; 03-10-2010 at 10:11 AM.
03-10-2010, 11:27 PM
#13
Le Mans Master
I never have been able to figure out why some GM cars have problems with Dexcool forming a brown sludge, and others do not.
I have an Impala with an overflow tank that is not pressurized, and the antifreeze is always clean.
The Corvette has a pressurized reservoir, and it has always drained out looking like new.
But, I have a Malibu that also has a pressurized reservoir, and the reservoir is coated with a brown sludge.
It MAY have something to do with getting air into the system and how full the reservoir runs. I have always changed the antifreeze at least every 2 or 3 years, even though Dexcool is supposed to last up to 5 years.
I have an Impala with an overflow tank that is not pressurized, and the antifreeze is always clean.
The Corvette has a pressurized reservoir, and it has always drained out looking like new.
But, I have a Malibu that also has a pressurized reservoir, and the reservoir is coated with a brown sludge.
It MAY have something to do with getting air into the system and how full the reservoir runs. I have always changed the antifreeze at least every 2 or 3 years, even though Dexcool is supposed to last up to 5 years.
03-11-2010, 09:15 AM
#14
Race Director
I never have been able to figure out why some GM cars have problems with Dexcool forming a brown sludge, and others do not.
I have an Impala with an overflow tank that is not pressurized, and the antifreeze is always clean.
The Corvette has a pressurized reservoir, and it has always drained out looking like new.
But, I have a Malibu that also has a pressurized reservoir, and the reservoir is coated with a brown sludge.
It MAY have something to do with getting air into the system and how full the reservoir runs. I have always changed the antifreeze at least every 2 or 3 years, even though Dexcool is supposed to last up to 5 years.
I have an Impala with an overflow tank that is not pressurized, and the antifreeze is always clean.
The Corvette has a pressurized reservoir, and it has always drained out looking like new.
But, I have a Malibu that also has a pressurized reservoir, and the reservoir is coated with a brown sludge.
It MAY have something to do with getting air into the system and how full the reservoir runs. I have always changed the antifreeze at least every 2 or 3 years, even though Dexcool is supposed to last up to 5 years.
"Prestone was good enough for my dad so it's good enough for me",
"Dexcool is too expensive, I'll just top off with this Generic Pep Boys crap".
The minimum wage guy at the shop that refills fluids while techs are working on your car just grabs the nearest coolant to refill your surge tank. "Antifreeze is antifreeze, there is no difference except in Brand name".
