Ok, we don't have Dexcool, right? We have the green stuff, I checked. I am turning 40K and noticed my resevoir is under the Min level. I called the stealer and they want $99. I then called Midas and they have a deal going for $49.99. Midas says they "flush" not just drain the radiator.

First question, should I go with Midas, I already scheduled the apt for tomorrow??

Second question, I asked Midas about going to Dexcool long life coolant. They said no way, can't do it, not if you started out with regular stuff. I thought if they drain and flush with water then I could go with Dexcool (orange stuff). Why can't I???

 

50 for a flush is pretty good i think. i paid 70 at a jiffy lube.
don't know about the dexcool stuff. tho i'm up for a second flush myself (at 76k) i may have to consider using that next. advantages??

 

Better quality fluid, meets higher standards, long life stuff, supposedly only have to change like every 50-100K depending on driving conditions. But like I said, the guy from Midas said no-go cuz I had the old school green stuff in there from the start. Sounds like blowing smoke so I'm looking for other opinions.

 

The two shouldn't be mixed. They have different additive packages.
Any time you mix orange and green, the new maintainance schedule sticks with the lower duration fluid. So, if you went to orange, you will be stuck with several regularly scheduled orange changes until you are sure that 100% of the green is gone. Never gonna happen.
Just stick with green and change regularly. If you decide to go with orange, you'll need to do several flushes with orange in order to remove/neutralize any residual green leftover. Its a waste and defeats the purpose of the super long life fluid.

All that Dexcool longlife is BS. If it was so good, why don't they warranty the cooling system for 5y/150k(what the bottle says)?

Antifreeze, like ATF, PS, BF, is another neglected overused fluid.
I change the coolant/antifreeze every year in my cars, family/friends' cars etc. Water pump, radiator, heater core failures are non existent with this type of maintenance. I also like to toss in a bottle of Redline water wetter and always use distilled water.

 

I would recommend Prestone Extended Life as it has all of the benefits of DexCool(ie, no abrasive silicates) and can be mixed with either DexCool or regular green anitfreeze. It is more expensive however(something like $7-8/gallon) but worth it IMO.
Just to confirm...you cannot mix DexCool with regular antifreeze. The regular stuff will indeed materially invalidate the anticorrosive, lubricating and antifreeze properties of DexCool.

 

I switcehd from green to orange in my last car.
double flush with distilled water letting water run out clear.

Then refilled with 70% dist water 30% AF (was summer).

Do not switch if you are just getting a radiator drain and refill.
Be sure you ask those guys if it is really a FLUSH they or a drain/refuill they are offering for $50.


Fred...

 

don't take it to the dealer!

TSB out there on Maint says new procedure for cooland service is to drain and fill the radiator, no more flushing the block unless coolant looks real bad (and probaly for additional charge)

From TSB

Engine Maintenance
Cooling System Maintenance
1. During standard scheduled maintenance:
Now only the radiator is to be drained.
Draining the engine block is no longer part of standard scheduled maintenance.
2. If drained engine coolant contains contaminants such as rust, corrosion, or
discoloration, draining the block or flushing the cooling system may be indicated.
3. Refer to the appropriate Service Manual for model-specific cooling system layout
instructions and refill directions.

http://autopedia.com/html/NHTSAtsb.html

Under equiptment

 

Well that's interesting. Saves me some $$. I took it to Midas and when I came back an hour later they hadn't done anything. They said their flush machine wasn't compatible with my car so the only thing they could do was drain and fill the radiator and I told them I wanted more than that. I think I'll just try to do that myself, can't be that difficult.

 

There is nothing wrong with the drain/refill of the radiator with a 50:50 mix antifreeze/distilled water. Just remember to clean out the overflow bottle. It is easy/quick and can be done every six months for about $10. This is way better than adding tap water and trying to do a complete flush. Most people don't know the capacity of the entire cooling system and rarely add enough antifreeze to make up for water that is still left in the entire system(block/hoses/core) after flushing the running engine with water.