You can drain and flush it. If you're any good with a 1/4" drive ratchet, you can drain, flush, and refill easily. You can avoid pulling the alternator by instead pulling the intake manifold, although getting the thermostat housing off and the thermostat out and replaced can be trying. You'll need a 10 mm for that part, I think, then 12 mm and 10 mm sockets (12 mm may be 14 mm).kaflex wrote:somebody that had my GT before me had GM green put in, so i'm stuck with that...
I took it to a Toyota dealer to have the system flushed and fill with pink, but they strongly recommended against it due to the green already in it. I'm thinking bout getting peak yellow next time, it's for all makes and models, then a system flush and fill with pinklannvouivre wrote:You can drain and flush it. If you're any good with a 1/4" drive ratchet, you can drain, flush, and refill easily. You can avoid pulling the alternator by instead pulling the intake manifold, although getting the thermostat housing off and the thermostat out and replaced can be trying. You'll need a 10 mm for that part, I think, then 12 mm and 10 mm sockets (12 mm may be 14 mm).kaflex wrote:somebody that had my GT before me had GM green put in, so i'm stuck with that...
Ask your dealer if he knows who made the Vibe. Ask your dealer if he knows who made the motor. Ask your dealer if he knows who made the transmission. Ask your dealer if he knows who made the ECU. Ask your dealer if he knows who made the water pump. Ask your dealer if he knows who made the alternator. Ask your dealer if he knows who made the body and running gear.Houston wrote:You're right, Jake. Just got this from my dealer: In doing a coolant flush here, I would only use the Dexcool. This is what GM requires and if there ever was a special policy that arose on something, GM could deny you anything if we didn’t put in what is required in your owner’s manual. Probably would never happen, but our policy is to only use what the manual requires.
And this is one of the many places that the manual as flat out WRONG. On both of our Vibes, I've only used the Toyota coolant to top them off and that is all I will ever use, or the appropriate Toyota substitute. On the Vibe assembly line they also built Toyota cars & trucks and all they put in the vehicles built there was Toyota fluids. I've marked through the coolant spec on the manual and wrote in "Toyota coolant ONLY - this is a TOYOTA drivetrain" so if any of my kids need something done, they will have the right information for reference.Houston wrote:You're right, Jake. Just got this from my dealer: In doing a coolant flush here, I would only use the Dexcool. This is what GM requires and if there ever was a special policy that arose on something, GM could deny you anything if we didn’t put in what is required in your owner’s manual. Probably would never happen, but our policy is to only use what the manual requires.
GM probably knows those things, and in their official service manual for this vehicle they specifically say to use DEXCOOL. The service manual also specifies Toyota WS transmission fluid, so it's not like it's some generic GM recommendation.Vulcan05 wrote:Ask your dealer if he knows who made the Vibe. Ask your dealer if he knows who made the motor. Ask your dealer if he knows who made the transmission. Ask your dealer if he knows who made the ECU. Ask your dealer if he knows who made the water pump. Ask your dealer if he knows who made the alternator. Ask your dealer if he knows who made the body and running gear.Houston wrote:You're right, Jake. Just got this from my dealer: In doing a coolant flush here, I would only use the Dexcool. This is what GM requires and if there ever was a special policy that arose on something, GM could deny you anything if we didn’t put in what is required in your owner’s manual. Probably would never happen, but our policy is to only use what the manual requires.
After you explain it to him, ask him why a Toyota would have GM chemicals in it.
Though Dexcool is designated as a 5 year or (maybe 5 yera/100,000 miles whichever comes first) coolant.Houston wrote:I really appreciate the comments you've made in this thread.
I just read somewhere (sure wish I'd saved the URL) that Dex-cool doesn't cause problems with GM vehicles unless it - the coolant - is in the system for two years or longer. He said the problems are caused by various components in Dex-cool that begin to break down after that point. He said the way to avoid problems is to change it out every two years. If what he says is true, then we can follow GM's directions and protect our engines even without using Toyota coolant. Your thoughts?
Toyota it is. Trans AND radiator.jake75 wrote:I think we may finally have a definite conclusion to the coolant questions.
Remember ... the manual is written from GM's viewpoint.gtv237 wrote:I was wondering about that too. The manual says dexcool but they come with toyota SSLC.
Unless you did a complete drain of ALL coolant adding 50/50 will not result in 50/50 final dilution.03GTMatthew wrote:I just did a coolant drain on the 2003 vibe GT this weekend.
pulled almost all the coolant out of the system. and then refilled with Peak 50/50 Pre-Diluted... It took One Gallon at the time.. and then a 1/4 after the first drive.. now its all topped off
From what iv been reading the dex-cool eats at your seals?.... that kind of scares me.. as my 2003 is already older and id like to make the 115,000 turn in to 450,000
It would be nice if we could get a real determination on what does and doesn't hurt our vibes.. I LOVE MY VIBE
And why not? - whatever remained in there was 50/50.Water boy wrote:Unless you did a complete drain of ALL coolant adding 50/50 will not result in 50/50 final dilution.03GTMatthew wrote:I just did a coolant drain on the 2003 vibe GT this weekend.
pulled almost all the coolant out of the system. and then refilled with Peak 50/50 Pre-Diluted... It took One Gallon at the time.. and then a 1/4 after the first drive.. now its all topped off
From what iv been reading the dex-cool eats at your seals?.... that kind of scares me.. as my 2003 is already older and id like to make the 115,000 turn in to 450,000
It would be nice if we could get a real determination on what does and doesn't hurt our vibes.. I LOVE MY VIBE
It is best to take the cooling capacity and add undulated to 50% of the capacity. THEN top off with water.
Caretaker wrote:Tim: that's why you should walk outside right now and write Toyota SLLC ONLY with a sharpie on top of your coolant jug.
Well, I guess if you are certain that what was in there was 50/50 then I could streeeeetch my thought process. Now if one did a "flush" my reasoning stands.jake75 wrote:And why not? - whatever remained in there was 50/50.Water boy wrote:Unless you did a complete drain of ALL coolant adding 50/50 will not result in 50/50 final dilution.03GTMatthew wrote:I just did a coolant drain on the 2003 vibe GT this weekend.
pulled almost all the coolant out of the system. and then refilled with Peak 50/50 Pre-Diluted... It took One Gallon at the time.. and then a 1/4 after the first drive.. now its all topped off
From what iv been reading the dex-cool eats at your seals?.... that kind of scares me.. as my 2003 is already older and id like to make the 115,000 turn in to 450,000
It would be nice if we could get a real determination on what does and doesn't hurt our vibes.. I LOVE MY VIBE
It is best to take the cooling capacity and add undulated to 50% of the capacity. THEN top off with water.
Likely going to get a flush at the Toyota dealership near by.gtv237 wrote:It depends on what you're doing. If you're doing a flush I would recommend Toyota Super Lonf Life Coolant (Pink) or AcDelco Dexcool (Orange). If your just topping off get a universal coolant to be safe. They make several kinds that will mix with any color.
PLEASE do not put DexCrap in your Vibe, or anything else that you value. Google "Dexcool problem" and see why.gtv237 wrote:It depends on what you're doing. If you're doing a flush I would recommend Toyota Super Lonf Life Coolant (Pink) or AcDelco Dexcool (Orange). If your just topping off get a universal coolant to be safe. They make several kinds that will mix with any color.
Some Toyota dealers are real sticklers when it comes to the whole vibe/matrix thing. In my experience a lot of them won't even sell you toyota parts in fear of compatibility issues.Dairgo wrote:Likely going to get a flush at the Toyota dealership near by.gtv237 wrote:It depends on what you're doing. If you're doing a flush I would recommend Toyota Super Lonf Life Coolant (Pink) or AcDelco Dexcool (Orange). If your just topping off get a universal coolant to be safe. They make several kinds that will mix with any color.
Admittedly, the kid at the desk stared at my a little weird when I said I had a Pontiac Vibe, but he was informed that it had their guts in it.
Hopefully they won't be that way if/when I try to get parts. atleast I know they'll do the coolant flush and just stare at me funny as they turn their noses up at my vibe.gtv237 wrote:Some Toyota dealers are real sticklers when it comes to the whole vibe/matrix thing. In my experience a lot of them won't even sell you toyota parts in fear of compatibility issues.Dairgo wrote:Likely going to get a flush at the Toyota dealership near by.gtv237 wrote:It depends on what you're doing. If you're doing a flush I would recommend Toyota Super Lonf Life Coolant (Pink) or AcDelco Dexcool (Orange). If your just topping off get a universal coolant to be safe. They make several kinds that will mix with any color.
Admittedly, the kid at the desk stared at my a little weird when I said I had a Pontiac Vibe, but he was informed that it had their guts in it.
The sad thing is unless you make it very clear that you want Toyota SLLC, they will probably put in Dexcool because that's what the vibe calls for. Even though it's factory filled with Toyota SLLCDairgo wrote: Hopefully they won't be that way if/when I try to get parts. atleast I know they'll do the coolant flush and just stare at me funny as they turn their noses up at my vibe.
There is nothing wrong with Dexcool. It does an excellent job at preventing corrosion to aluminum. Now days almost every part the cooling system is aluminum (engine block, heads, radiator, heater core, water pump etc.) The real reason it got a bad reputation was because of the poor design of he intake gaskets on the 60 and 90 degree GM v6 motors. It would sludge up when oil leaked into it. The intake gaskets leaked because they were made of plastic which would warp and crack over time. It is true that Dexcool can eat away at plastics if it's not changed at the proper intervals but that shouldn't be a problem if you maintain your car like you're supposed to. Fortunately for us we don't have any plastic gaskets in our motors so we can use Dexcool without any potential problems.Vulcan05 wrote:PLEASE do not put DexCrap in your Vibe, or anything else that you value. Google "Dexcool problem" and see why.
Yeah, going to make sure the Toyota Dealership puts in the Toyota SLLC in my vibe.gtv237 wrote:The sad thing is unless you make it very clear that you want Toyota SLLC, they will probably put in Dexcool because that's what the vibe calls for. Even though it's factory filled with Toyota SLLCDairgo wrote: Hopefully they won't be that way if/when I try to get parts. atleast I know they'll do the coolant flush and just stare at me funny as they turn their noses up at my vibe.