Coolant flush questions for my SS

[ReBop]

Technical questions about coolant flush on the SS .....

My 2002 SS is now 5 years old with 33,000 miles. Time for the coolant flush.

So I go to my favorite oil change dealer and have the coolant flushed and replaced.

Instead of using the recommended Dextron, the technician told me he was using the new, "universal" coolant.

I asked him if he used distilled water and he said no, he used tap water.

Questions:

1) Is the new "universal" coolant acceptable and will it cause problems?

2) Should I worry about the minerals in the tap water for dilution?

By the way, it is quite difficult to access the intake or upper hose for the LS1 radiator. It was the guy's first LS1 coolant flush and he struggled to make it happen. Somehow he got it done. Hopefully no issues.

[Joe K. 99 Zeee!!]

I can't comment on "universal" coolent. I've never used any such thing. But if you use Dexron, make sure you're using distilled water. I think there's an an anti-leak additive that tends to gunk up over time. As long as it's changed by 5 years/60k miles it should be ok.

If not changed you'll see things like your heater core clog up (no heat from the vents) or a false low coolent light.

[raroZ28]

ive heard that the new prestone universal coolant works well. there was a lengthy thread on this a while ago, try to search and see what it said, cause I don't remember, I just stick with what GM recommends. I don't know which is better so I can't recommend one. I'd guess that it wouldn't matter which you used, either way you should be good to go.

[fastTa]

So far I haven't see any adverse reactions with using the Prestone "all makes all models" coolant. We've been using it for over a year now in GM vehicles with no problems.

I think that tap water is actually better than the use of distilled water in an automotive coolant system. The primary reason is that purified or distilled water, can actually have a defervescence effect, effectively raising the boiling point of the coolant system. Distilled water not only has a higher boiling point than that of common tap H20, but it's boiling point is very unstable.

Also, distilled water can often become deionized upon the distillation process. This is also not good for a coolant system, because it will exacerbate the potential for damaging electrolysis to occur.

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

I don't get why you would want a lower boiling point?

[fastTa]

Although both Ethylene Glycol and Propylene Glycol are 100% miscible in both common tap water and distilled water, the total chemical composition of the common "over-the-counter" coolants are tested and designed using common tap water. This is because the chemical engineers are aware of the potential problems of using deionized or distilled water in a mixture with their coolants.

The boiling point and vapor density of undiluted EG and PG respectively are 197 deg C(386.6 deg F)/2.1 and 188.2 deg C(370 deg F)/2.6. When mixed with common tap water in a 50/50 (1 to 1) mixture, the changes to the resultant mixture lower the observed boiling point by roughly 100-110 deg F depending on which glycol compound is used.

Consequently, when you use a 50/50 mixture of distilled or deionized tap water, the observed boiling point is not nearly as affected as compared to the tap water mixture. This might appear to be good, but it's not. There is a specific reason why engineers and chemists chose to design a limit of around a 260-270 deg F observed boiling point of a properly maintained automotive cooling system and you do not want to exceed that.

Distilled or deionized water is also much less able to control the coolant systems's pH level, or more specifically to keep it stable. This is called the buffering capacity. Due to the lack of deionized water's buffering capacity, it is prone to allow the system to become excessively acidic (low pH) due to the absorbtion of the ever present C02 in the atmosphere, and therefore cannot inhibit the formation of carbonic acid (H2CO3.)




You asked Kev......

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

Tap water is garbage where I live. I'm not putting it in anything I own. If I was using tap water in my vehicles, the radiators would be full of sediment.

[fastTa]

Tap water is garbage where I live. I'm not putting it in anything I own. If I was using tap water in my vehicles, the radiators would be full of sediment.

Kev, I hope you aren't making your homebrew with that stuff! Does the water look the same coming out of your outside water hose compared to inside the house?

[Injuneer]

The Product Data Sheet for Chevron DEX-COOL indicates that Chevron sells a 50/50 pre-mix, and they use deionized water.

Chevron DEX-COOL Extendied Life Prediluted 50/50 Antifreeze Coolant is a 50/50 mixture of Chevron DEX-COOL Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant with deionized water.

Ref (enter DEX-COOL for product, and "English?"):

https://www.cbest.chevron.com/msdsSe...searchScreen=y

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

Kev, I hope you aren't making your homebrew with that stuff! Does the water look the same coming out of your outside water hose compared to inside the house?

It's well water, and it's grey. If you leave it in a pan to evaporate, it leaves behind a lot of minerals. The minerals leave a buildup on my cat's drinking bowl and other stuff like the faucets and drains. It's really hard water. I drink it, but I mix something into it first. I don't know if it has ions in it or not

[Jeffs Black 97 Formula A4]

I had the same thing happen to me when I got my coolant and transmission flushed at an "Express Lube" place (btw, DEXCOOL is what you meant, as DEXRON is transmission fluid). This place uses Shell lubricants (Mobil synthetic upon special request).

Anyway, I even requested the DEXCOOL coolant flush. When the tech was working on my car, I went over to him to confirm he is refilling with Dexcool. He then proceeded to tell me the stuff he put in my car is better than Dexcool, and went on saying that Dexcool has issues after 40000-45000 miles causing rust and other build-up (even though they push the 5 year 150000 miles thing). I guess as long as it works, keeps my engine cool (all the way down to 160*), it's all good. I checked the coolant and it's that pinkish color, not greenish.

[fastTa]

The Product Data Sheet for Chevron DEX-COOL indicates that Chevron sells a 50/50 pre-mix, and they use deionized water.



Ref (enter DEX-COOL for product, and "English?"):

https://www.cbest.chevron.com/msdsSe...searchScreen=y

That is very interesting. I wonder if all the manufacturers of "Dex Cool" type coolants started doing this after all the lawsuits began?

[Injuneer]

A GM TSB relating (indirectly) to the quality of water used with Dex-Cool. See the very top of page 3:

http://www.acdelcotechconnect.com/pd..._04D-J-054.pdf

Poor quality water can jeopardize enhanced performance qualities of Dex-Cool.