I guess since I need to change mine and have a blue car I may as well get the Audi/VW blue. Is there a part number or name or do I just ask for "the blue stuff"?

 

There is a nine state class action suit against GM for using and Chevron for distributing Dexcool. I posted a thread awhile back with the link to one the lawsuit highlights.

Dexcool

Most people don't maintain thier cooling system regularly but I think the lawsuit is because they were following the manufacturers guidelines and their cooling systems failed.

If you Google Dexcool, almost all the links go to complaints about Dexcool or disscusions about the lawsuits involved. Somewhere I had a link to study done about "the orange stuff" vs. "the green stuff" and I believe the green stuff came out ahead. I'll have to find that link later. I think the overall winner was the Mercedes OEM coolant but I don't remember what its called. I guess I'll have to look for that later also.

 

I'd been using a phosphate-free green but switched a couple weeks ago to Peak Global. Avoid orange, if theres anything else left in the system it turns to yogurt, most colors aren't cross compatible but orange is especially nasty stuff if it isn't pure. That's why I went with Peak, it's yellow and (at least claims) it's compatible with just about anything else, and the store had only 3 brands (orange, green that wasn't phosphate free and this). The cooling fans wouldn't shut off and I wasn't driving all over looking for coolant, I wasn't planning to flush all the green out or I might have switched to VW blue (VW dealer just up the street). So far the car runs nice and cool.

 

OK, this is good info - now the next silly question:

What's the best way to flush out the cooling system? If I just open the drain at the bottom of the radiator, all the coolant in the engine will still remain. In other cars I've owned, I've done the little plastic "tee" thing that comes in the kits, but I sort of want to avoid cutting the heater lines on this car. The only other option I can think of is to run the engine until the thermostat opens, then drain the radiator but this is also a bad idea because (1) the coolant is hot and can burn and (2) then you have a hot engine sitting with no coolant in it just air-cooling until you get the new coolant poured in. Keep in mind also that I need to collect all the coolant that flushes out the bottom of the radiator or elsewhere so it doesn't go in the storm drain, so just pumping gallons and gallons and gallons of H2O through the system won't be practical.

Suggestions?

 

ttt

 

If you need to capture everything that comes out of the engine, you might have to drain and refill it several times. Probably not as good as removing the thermostat and running lots of water, but the old antifreeze is water soluble, so it souldcome out.

You can also buy chemicals to flush the system. Check the label for aluminum compatibility.

 

The Zerex G-05 is the exact same thing as the Mercedes OEM stuff (Zerex developed it for Mercedes). If you look on the Zerex/Valvoline website it says so. It is Phosphate free, fairly low silicate content, and is now pretty readily available (Napa, Autozone, others) since Ford and Chrysler also use it since 2002 or so. It's also pretty reasonable at 8 or 9 dollars per gallon. Another nice thing is that it doesn't have the problems that Dex-cool does and is supposedly ok to mix with the regular green stuff so if you don't meticulously flush your system before switching to it you shouldn't have problems.

 

i use oil to cool my engine.. and air.. but that cools the oil..

 

Who lets these guys in here? Isn't there someone at the door, checking I.D.s?

 

Think i paid between 30 and 40 for two jugs.

 

Uh oh, I never flushed before pouring in the orange stuff. Just drained. Been in there for a little while, and when I drained out to pull the hoses off, it still looked very good.

I will have to read up on the dexcool stuff, but I believe the orange stuff meets the dexcool requirements, but is not dexcool.

I looked at the yellow stuff as well, but on the bottles I read, nowhere did it say phosphate free, so I did not get it. Although I was wondering what was in it, since it is compatible with all coolants.

 

Cool. I'll buy that one. The Audi/VW stuff is too pricey.

 

you should run a flush through the system after you drain the old stuff out....and i recomend putting a water pump lube (about $10 available at most auto parts stores, i think it's a gunk product) in with the new fluid. a very good fluid for the car is blue autobahn, which is the audi/vw coolant.

 

Would that be even recommended if replacing the water pump (I'm going to do this as part of a belt / seal / water pump job).

 

I have 2 bottles of VW/Audi blue coolant if anybody wants silicates in their engine.

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...highlight=blue

I use Prestone Dexcool. I dont have a bottle handy to check the exact name, but its green and is phosphate and silicate free.