Hey guys, I just hit 31,000 miles and I am going to be getting a radiator flush and fill done next week. Is there special type of coolant that I have to use? Or can I just use the same prestone stuff that I can buy at the parts store? I am just trying to see if I am going to have to pay more than I expect when I get this job done at Midas.... And if there is a special coolant, how much is it per gallon? Thanks

 

As per the FSM, Nissan recommends their special coolant.

I use Prestone.

 

It says in the manual to use Nissan Long Life green coolant or an equivalent coolant. What would be an equivalent coolant?

 

When I do a flush and fill, I'll proably use 30% Prestone (Green) 70% distilled water and a bottle of Water Wetter. I'm from a warm part of the country, and my car will most likely never be in temps below 40 F. Nissan recomends a 50% anti-freeze / 50% water solution in climates that reach -30 below F.

Edit:
This won't tell you what product to buy, but perhaps it will help you chose when you go in to the parts store:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...t/1272436.html

 

Im ready for flush and fill too. How do u bleed it?

 

The bolts on the engine block are hard to get to, so using the radiator drain is fine.

To make sure all or at least most coolant and water is drained, run the car and add a 'trickle' of water through the radiator (garden hose method is fine) This method should be sufficient.

 

Yup, whatnMexMAX said.

Plus, It's helpful to fill it with fresh water and run the heater full blast until the car warms up. Then let that cool and drain the fresh water. The heater will hold maybe a gallon of water too, so this will flush the heater system. And don't forget to clean the radiator and use a soft brush to knock the bugs off.

Castrol has better instructions. (More thurough) But Prestone has a video!

 

There's a big thread in the Fluids and Lubricants forum, check it out. You should definitely not use Prestone unless it specifically says silicate-free.

Call up the Nissan, Honda, and Toyota dealers near you to find out which of their coolants are cheapest and buy that. They are interchangeable and won't damage coolant system components. IIRC, Prestone is not designed for Japanese cars.

Water Wetter is supposed to be an excellent product; I will be adding it when I do my flush this spring.

 

Yep, use only silicates-free, phosphates-free coolant/antifreeze.

 

Why chance it for the sake of saving $5? Just get a jug from the closest Nissan Dealership.

 

50/50 mix of Toyota Red and Distilled Water.

 

You should check out the advice on this stickie:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=278600

Pay attention to these posts, and particular attention when there is a *:
#4, #6, #8*, #11, #13, #21*, #29*, #44, #48

I did not go all the way to the end of the posts.
Good Luck. I will be doing this this spring.

Also notice that they are talking about earlier Gens than our Gen 6, so check the owners manual to find the capacity of your Gen 6 cooling system and buy the appropriate volume of Jap AF.

The general concensus is that the Toyota is the best price, but you should also check the Honda and Nissan prices as well to be certain that is the case where you live.

 

a local nissan dealer told me that the green prestone coolant is fine for the car. but all this silicate free talk makes me wonder if i have the wrong coolant.

 

you could try this
http://www.valvoline.com/pages/produ...asp?product=11

 

That's what I use.