I'm just wondering if I need to use a certain kind of anti-freeze for the I30? I know some people mention Prestone Dex Cool, but I don't know if my radiator is aluminum or not. Is it?

I went through this same thing with the fuel (needs Premium) and the oil (needs synthetic), so I just want to make sure I get the correct anti-freeze fluid.

Thanks.

Your car does not need premium or synthetic who ever told you that is dumb.
Like, for real dumb.

Put whatever it has now. You can't mix different types. If you do switch for whatever reason idk why, first completely flush the old stuff out. Completely.

Just looked at the manual for your '00 I30 and it specs genuine Nissan coolant, which has the same HOAT non-amine, nitrite, EHA, silicate, boron formula all Asian OEMs use. Is that the best stuff to use? Yes. Will the regular all makes/models stuff suffice? Most likely. I used Peak LL after replacing my radiator over the spring and have had no problems. I'm going to change the fluid every 2-3 yrs just to be safe.

It's good for 100k. They are all aluminum engines. Nothing is going to happen.
No one ever changes coolant and they're still fine at well over 100k. ****, the only time it gets changed is when the radiators fail LOL

The blades on the water pump are the only thing you ever have to worry about. Coolant is expensive. Why keep throwing cash away?

Not everyone is as fortunate as you with the ability to change their water pump. In our car, its a tricky job in a very sensitive area of the car. So why not pay a little more for the anti freeze and push the water pump job further away? Some guys on here even use distilled water in the cooling system. Their water pump from factory is still running great at well past 200k miles.

The blades aren't going to oxidize away that easily. I changed the pump in case the bearings were bad.

Yes, distilled water should be used since it is clean. Tap water may scale.

So what kind of anti-freeze specifically are you referring to? I just need some names so I know what to look for. Thanks for the replies.

Thanks for the info on this. I can get distilled water for about .80 cents a gallon. How much do you think I'll need? Plus my car's fifteen years old and I don't know when the last time the whole radiator system was cleaned out. The heat runs great and I've never had it overheat on me so should I flush the system or just leave it be and make sure the fluids are good?

Peak, Prestone, even Supertech make long life universal coolant. If it's been a long time since you changed the coolant or aren't sure what's in there now, it's better to flush the entire cooling system with distilled water. Steps:
1. Drain out current coolant in radiator. Make sure car is cool first before removing rad cap so you don't get 3rd degree burns.
2. Refill rad with distilled water to the brim. Start car with rad cap off and run for a few min. Top off rad with water as needed.
3. Turn off car, wait a bit and drain rad again. Again, be careful as everything is hot.
4. Refill again with distilled water. Repeat drain and fill process til the drained water is clear so no coolant is left in the system.
5. Refill rad with pure concentrate antifreeze so it'll mix with the water remaining in the block and be close to a 50/50 mix.
6. Bleed air out by turning on the car, putting the heat all the way up with fan off. Rev engine to 2500 RPM for several seconds and repeat til cooling fans cycle on/off atleast twice. Keep topping off rad as needed during this time.
7. Put rad cap back on, drive car and make sure heat is hot and temp gauge is normal.

I never changed coolant until 220k and im still on original water pump and thermostat at 243k

Thanks for the instructions, mclasser. I changed the coolant yesterday. I used Peak LL. Took a while to drain all the old coolant, but heat is good and temp needle is staying in the same place it was before.