![]() I personally recommend the thermostat and cap should be changed before 75-100k miles with high quality replacements. This was especially important on this specific engine (the 5.3 LM3 Vortec) because it's a bimetal engine which causes coolant degradation much quicker.Īfter initial fill, regardless of the coolant, regardless of the vehicle, the coolant should be changed between 30-50k miles or every 2 years whichever comes first. After flushing it out (with replacement dexcool, and a new OEM temp thermostat) the engine ran cooler constantly, and the system was 100% happy again. The fluid was getting very dark and dirty and had lost its sweet smell. When I flushed out my avalanche a couple years ago, it had 4 years and 90k miles on the Dex that was in it. Dexcool gets much angrier than most coolants where it will do its typical acidic turning to gel thing which essentially destroys a cooling system. ![]() Exceeding this interval is definitely a mistake. I see the effects of dexcool every day at work, and I can tell you for sure that the dex in a properly working cooling system definitely lasts at least 3 years, and is probably ok up to 5 years on its initial fill. The coolant is there to not only raise the boiling point of the fluid (under pressure in a properly maintained cooling system), but to lubricate the water pump and prevent corrosion in the system as well.įlushing the system at prescribed intervals is just as, if not more important. They get a heck of a lot hotter then 212.Ī proper cooling system contains 50-70% Antifreeze/Coolant, regardless of how much you drive it, regardless of how often you flush it. It's under pressure why would it boil at 212? All the dirt track racers in Mason City run straight water and they don't have a boiling issue. Wouldnt he still want to run 50/50 mix? 50/50 mix boils at 265ish and Water with a little anifreeze in it will boil at a bit over 212? My main concern would be the changes in chemistry as it ages- not something the floating ball coolant tester can really tell you. There are other universal long life coolants out there as well, so that you can still run a long time on it. Supposedly the new variation is better, but the name is tainted forever. The original Dexcool was notorious for chewing up gaskets. Water is a better conductor of heat than AF however, even with seeing 0 degrees of freezing weather, you want to run some AF for the simple fact that you don't want to freeze up the heater core (due to the AC). Plastic junk.If the vehicle was just going to be in Florida and only driven 2k a year, I would be really tempted to run at most a 20% coolant solution and add a bottle of cooling system lubricant. Siphoning what you can out of the tank and leaving it factory sealed as long as possible could be the way. Punctured front rad in October, hose blew off out of nowhere during casual driving late March, and now leaking pump/replace entire cooling system. That will be 3 times touching coolant in 9 months. Despite all that, it still was all over the floor, and all over me by the end. A big sheet of cardboard on the floor, nitrile gloves, hat. Last time I used my recycle bin, it was almost big enough. Then the drip hits on other parts and goes even more everywhere. Especially since there is no drain valve, you pop the hose and it just goes everywhere, from both ends. ![]() I've even seen people say that due to this being a pressurized complex system, it's better to not touch it at all.Īnyways, at the end of the day I don't want to waste money doing something that's not needed or recommended, potentially causing more issues than needed.Ī coolant flush is one of the only services I would pay for because, unlike motor or transmission oil or even brake fluid, doing coolant flushes yourself often involves it spilling copiously on your hands or the ground. I like to do preventative maintenance, I don't necessarily want to constantly test my coolant pH levels, I think keeping new coolant in the system is preferable to marginally passable coolant. Others say unless the coolant itself looks bad, or tests below the pH threshold, you shouldn't touch it. Some people say doing a 60k interval coolant flush is generally good for your car. My coolant has been topped up many times during my ownership, so i'm sure a good portion of it is not 7 years old. My car is at about 55k, a 2017 model, I was considering doing a full coolant flush in the fall when I do my next oil change. I haven't been able to get a concrete answer from anyone on this, and I've read/heard both sides of the isle.
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