I need coolant help

[jgarcia408]

Hello everyone. I need to add coolant to my 2004 Vibe. I normally have it done by a shop, but Im just going to do it myself. Ive been scouring the internet and the more I look, the more confused I am. Can someone tell me what kind of Antifreeze/Coolant I should put in my vibe? The manual says it needs to meet "GM Specification 1825-M". When I look online I see people mentioning specific colors, dexcool, and other stuff I dont get. If I could get an answer that simply says, The Pontiac Vibe should have (insert brand and type here) coolant, then that would be great.

Thanks in advance,
John

[gtv237]

I would just use a universal coolant from the auto parts store because you don't know what's in there now. Some coolants can't be mixed but universals will work with any coolant.

[Caretaker]

OK, first: don't consult the GM owner's manual. It is riddled with errors. Consulting a monkey in the zoo would get you better results. Secondly, since we have the Toyota Super Long Life coolant in our cars, you want to buy the Zerex Asian. Make sure it is the ASIAN formula and not the regular Zerex. The Asian formula matches exactly as what is found on the Toyota SLLC bottles.

[gtv237]

OK, first: don't consult the GM owner's manual. It is riddled with errors. Consulting a monkey in the zoo would get you better results. Secondly, since we have the Toyota Super Long Life coolant in our cars, you want to buy the Zerex Asian. Make sure it is the ASIAN formula and not the regular Zerex. The Asian formula matches exactly as what is found on the Toyota SLLC bottles.

In a perfect world that would work but any vibe that has been in a shop has probably been refilled with dexcool or God forbid that green stuff. I wouldn't suggest putting Toyota or Asian coolant in it unless you're positive that that is what's in there now. As I said before, save yourself a headache and use universal coolant.

[ImUrOBGYN]

When I got mine, I flushed the hell out of it, refilled it with toyota red. Ahhh, that felt good. Here's to hoping the previous owner(s) didn't chew up the aluminium too much with crappy coolant.

[jgarcia408]

Sorry I didnt return earlier, but thanks for the info. Right now there is a light red looking coolant. Last time I had my cars oil changed they topped it off. When I called the auto place they couldnt tell me what they used, so I have no idea whats in there now. Should I mix with a universal, and if so can you recommend one, or should I do a complete flush and get some Zerex Asian?

Thanks in advance

[kumquat]

I would do a complete flush.

[sideshowalan]

Fill and drain with distilled water a few times. Do final fill with the Toyota coolant.

One full strength jug mixed 50/50 with distilled water is plenty for a fill. The Toyota stuff is expensive but worth it for how infrequent the coolant gets changed.

Don't forget to bleed the air out.

[circuitsmith]

If you're having to add coolant more than once every year or two then you have a leak.
I haven't had to add coolant between 5 year changes.

[ImUrOBGYN]

I would do a complete flush.

Fill and drain with distilled water a few times. Do final fill with the Toyota coolant.

One full strength jug mixed 50/50 with distilled water is plenty for a fill. The Toyota stuff is expensive but worth it for how infrequent the coolant gets changed.

Don't forget to bleed the air out.

What these guys said^

Full flush. I've seen what a mixed coolant motor can become. It's a horrifying slushy mess over time. Frankly amazed me.

Flush it well. Both block and radiator. When you purchase the Toyota Red coolant, save some money and do not buy the premix. Buy the straight coolant and mix it yourself. Double check when they bring you the coolant to be sure. Don't forget to to drain and clean your coolant reservoir, as well. Expect to spend some time doing all these flushes and cycling the car to be sure it's fully flushed and absent of air or take is somewhere that can be trusted (easier said than done). The service manual does a decent job of walking you through it all if it's needed.