another coolant question

[Nitr0]

I searched several topics and I didnt find exactly what i was looking for, what are pros and cons to using dexcool? I heard its expensive, which im not a fan of, and Iv used prestone regular green in my other 3 cars from the past and had no problems, I read up on how to do the flush but my main question is, would anyone recommend flushing the system of dexcool and just putting the regular green prestone coolant in?

[star_deceiver]

You'll have to change it every two years but other then that there shouldn't be any drawbacks.

[10vibe]

Good luck finding traditional Prestone green (or yellow) silicated inorganic two year replacement antifreeze. I have seen some in house store brands of the old traditional stuff at various auto stores, and some conventional Peak at Kmart. Are you sure it has Dex-Cool in it, or is it Toyota Red concentrated or the newer Toyota Pink 50/50 that came standard in the Vibe depending on the year. It could be that during a service at a Pontiac/GM dealership they replaced the original Toyota coolant with Dex-Cool.

I would use either Zerex Asian 50/50 or possibly Peak Global formula if it is a drain and fill from the original Toyota coolants. I might even be tempted to just do a drain and fill from Dex-cool to either the Zerex Asian or Peak Global, and to do a couple drain and fills in the next two or three months as a flush and to get most of the Dex-Cool out. A similar technique is used for drain and fills on automatic transmissions. Might be able to find Peak global in a concentrated form which would make things easier if needing to flush the system first. Only mix with distilled water. If needing to flush and can only find 50/50 premix, make sure to at least finish the flush with a few gallons of distilled, get as much out, then do at least one or two drain and fills with the 50/50 before winter if living or traveling in a cold climate. The right mixture is also necessary for protection from galvanic reactions. Luckily there are less problems in Toyota's with all aluminum engines and radiators.

There is an alternative flushing technique that saves hooking a hose up to the car and then flushing or back-flushing contaminated antifreeze and water down the driveway. After draining coolant into a pan, fill with distilled water, run to operating temperatures, cool down, drain into pan for proper disposal, then repeat a few times. This technique will be safer for pets and animals and irate neighbors. You can use a radiator flush treatment with this technique, and might be the preferred method with flushes now. Some people use distilled white vinegar instead of commercial treatments like Prestone radiator cleaner or flush treatment. If always using an OAT or Asian Phosphated HOAT with demineralized or distilled water, scaling should not be a problem and needing to excessively flush or back-flush with hose should not be needed. If the car has always had drain and fills in reasonable time frames, then flushing should not be needed.
Edited link 1-29-2013, thanks for the heads up gregs:
For more on my thoughts on coolant, viewtopic.php?f=28&t=36762" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I was going to re-write and arrange it to make at least the beginning more Vibe centric, discussing Toyota or Asian coolants versus Dex-Cool, and what to use, but by the overwhelming response to it I figured to HECK with it. I know my writing style and technique is atrocious, and maybe I obsess on the obvious and probably common knowledge of the experts here, but the lack of response for what I spent a considerable amount of time on is.......

In conclusion, I would not go back to inorganic silicated coolants, which is getting harder to find. I have no firm answer that works in all situations and for all vehicles, especially as you look at older vehicles. Dex-cool and it's clones out there scare me a little, especially if the car did not originally come with it or have gaskets, seals, pressurized coolant recovery systems, etc. that were designed for it. I would like to think that in newer GM vehicles Dex-Cool is perfectly fine and the Dex-clones would be fine too. My problem is that the Vibe is not really a GM vehicle and Toyota and all the other Asian manufacturers are not fans of Dex-Cool or silicated HOATS or conventional silicated inorganic coolants. So why use any of them in a Vibe. Safest bet is to use the recommended Toyota coolant, but Zerex Asian seems to be good too.

[gregs]

The link in the previous post is no longer valid; I think it is this viewtopic.php?f=28&t=36762" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Flip-Side]

Simply put, never use GM Dexcool in toyota powerplants, which are in all Vibes. Only use toyota SLLC. The moly additives in it keeps your water pump lubricated, and you wont get precipitate buildup like dexcool or standard prestone extended tend to create.

[10vibe]

The link in the previous post is no longer valid; I think it is this viewtopic.php?f=28&t=36762" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for the heads up gregs. Edited link, should be fixed.

[cq358]

Just remember the SLLC in Canada is more concentrate than in USA. Canada is 45/55 mix and USA is 50/50 mix.

I am wondering does 1 bottle of Zerex Asian +SLLC=47.5/52.5 mix?

[jake75]

Simply put, never use GM Dexcool in toyota powerplants, which are in all Vibes. Only use toyota SLLC. The moly additives in it keeps your water pump lubricated, and you wont get precipitate buildup like dexcool or standard prestone extended tend to create.

My 2003 Vibe owners manual says "use one-half clean drinking water and one-half coolant that meets GM Specification 1825-M which wont damage aluminum parts." The owner's manual maintenance chart also had a 24,000 mile/24 month coolant change schedule. When I had it changed in 2006 the dealer insisted that the OEM coolant was Dexcool. The color didn;t seem to be the same - one was orabge, the other pink - I forget which was which. Well, if it was Dexcool I was way early to get a change. But this has been hashed over many time here in the past decade with the majority concluding that GM doesn't know beans from apple butter. I did go ahead and have the Dexcool put in in 2006 knowing that it would probably be the last time as I usually didn't keep a car for more than 5 or 6 years total.

[Gandalf]

Simply put, never use GM Dexcool in toyota powerplants, which are in all Vibes. Only use toyota SLLC. The moly additives in it keeps your water pump lubricated, and you wont get precipitate buildup like dexcool or standard prestone extended tend to create.

My 2003 Vibe owners manual says "use one-half clean drinking water and one-half coolant that meets GM Specification 1825-M which wont damage aluminum parts." The owner's manual maintenance chart also had a 24,000 mile/24 month coolant change schedule. When I had it changed in 2006 the dealer insisted that the OEM coolant was Dexcool. The color didn;t seem to be the same - one was orabge, the other pink - I forget which was which. Well, if it was Dexcool I was way early to get a change. But this has been hashed over many time here in the past decade with the majority concluding that GM doesn't know beans from apple butter. I did go ahead and have the Dexcool put in in 2006 knowing that it would probably be the last time as I usually didn't keep a car for more than 5 or 6 years total.

All Vibes came with RED Toyota antifreeze, that is good for only 2 years. After the 2 years, I used an extended (5 year) Peak antifreeze.

Avoid Dexcool, and 'Dexcool compatible' antifreeze like the plague! I've heard too many horror stories about what Dexcool does to cars to gamble on it.

[triz]

You want the Toyota Red.