GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

2003 base model vibe. about 110,000 miles with original coolant. question = for some reason when the mechanic changed coolant in my 2004 corolla he used "prestone ,gm approved dex cool". some of the discussion i,ve read on this forum some the guys recommend just to use "50/50 prestone ,any kind, any color" coolant. a recent radio talk mechanic i heard was saying never to mix to different color coolants. question = if i only drain the radiator every few months and refill with 50/50 "any kind any color" will that be a safe way to get it done??

On my 2003 Vibe the dealer used Dexcool. Said that was what was in there OEM. I said, if so, why does the owner's manual say to change at 24,000 miles or 2 years whichever comes first. Dexcool is a 5 year coolant. In prior discussions here no one was ever able to positively identify the 2003 OEM coolant. There was a history of gelling problems with Dexcool. My take was that if you changed it out at 24 months, 24,000 miles that was not an issue so that is what I did. As far as mixing coolant of different colors, the only thing I ever read is that if you mix a 2 year/24,000 mile coolant with a 5 year coolant you will be o.k. if you adhere to the lower 24 month change schedule. I would be a lot more concerned that you left the OEM coolant in there for 110,000 miles. I would think any rust/corrosion protection would be long exhausted at that point. Is there a patron Saint for radiator/heater core protection to pray to?

Toyota charges like $30+ for their "Special Red Coolant". I said humbug as the system has no issues or leaks at 117,000. The coolant was just on the Low mark. So I went to Autozone this weekend and picked up some Valvoline MaxLife Coolant. It mixes with ALL colors, especially the red stuff. It is clear in color and contains something different than what the others had (I looked at the ingredients on the backs) and it is stated to allow proper mixing with what you have in your system already.

yes. the patron Saint for "all matters",especially football is Drew Breeze. He does mieracles sometimes.

Quote, originally posted by jamesmetairie »yes. the patron Saint for "all matters", especially football is Drew Breeze. He does miracles sometimes.???

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »???New Orleans Saint's Quarter Back

Quote, originally posted by ou.grizzly »New Orleans Saint's Quarter Back So he drives a Vibe too? And is confused about what coolant to use?

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »So he drives a Vibe too? And is confused about what coolant to use?I Like Chocolate!I would guess the football comments are in the wrong post.