bought the wrong antifreeze

[Potomac30]

I got the stuff that was on sale (bogo with mir) and had the big display at the front of the store. It turns out that extended life gold colored antifreeze is not what our explorers like. I had put the same stuff in it less than two years ago and noticed an increasing rusty color. So, I've done a thorough flush and put green back in it. It meets Ford ESE-M97B44-A specs. That's what I get for thinking that the gold looks kinda like the green, at least it's not pink/red/orange. I used the carquest house brand, zerex white bottle is good but hard to find.

Link to info: http://www.paulmachenry.com/documents/CoolantFAQs.pdf

from link: All pre-1999 vehicles, as well as all model years of Mercury Villager, must be serviced with the green-colored engine coolant.

Ford vehicles equipped with Motorcraft Premium Engine Coolant, meeting Ford specification ESE-M97B44-A, require silicates

link with application chart: http://www.valvoline.com/pdf/Zerex_CoolantChart.pdf

Hope this helps

 

[josh93rodeo]

Antifreeze is a lot more complex than most people think with all the Dexcool and longlife knockoffs it's getting harder and harder to find conventional green these days.
You want to stay away from any Dexcool or longlife knockoff because of the 2-EHA it contains which is a 'plasticizer', meaning it will eat plastic.

 

[geoph1986]

Most definitely stay away from Dexcool coolant. This isn't my rad, but mine was just as bad. I also had to replace the LIM on my Grand AM.

Thank you Dexcool. Apparantly, when Dexcool is contaminated with (exposed to) air, it becomes an acidic sludge that eats gaskets and plugs up the cooling system. It was really fun getting all that gunk out of my engine, it took 3 chemical pressure flushes to get it all.

 

[boggs1227]

:shifty_ey hmmm , i got a 2005 chevy colorado and i had to add some coolant ( dexcool ...=$21 @ the dealership per gallon ) about twice since i had the truck bought new ....they say the run life of dexcool is 5 years ....but after seeing this...i dunknow now . i want to say that i have added the coolant with only distilled water to mix it right before pouring it in but after seeing that i just got a un-nerveing feeling .

knowing my luck you not suppose to mix dex with anything and just pour it in as is ...yep that would be my luck and have to chemical flush mine ....geez thanks chevy glad i finally bought a ford .

 

[geoph1986]

I don't think you're supposed to dilute Dexcool. As far as the sludge goes, GM had a huge class action lawsuit over it. I was able to get $500 from it.

 

[boggs1227]

^^^.....thats just great....

 

[geoph1986]

^^^.....thats just great....

I made a mistake (first one ever). I just looked at my service records, and product information. Dexcool comes pre-mixed, and full strength. DO NOT dilute the premixed stuff. Dilute the full strength stuff (50/50 mix) with distilled water only. I haven't run Dexcool in my car since the unpleasantness, I use traditional green stuff. They say you shouldn't run green stuff in a car designed for Dexcool because of corrosion to aluminum parts in the cooling system. There has been aluminum in cooling systems forever (rads, t-stat housings, and intake manifolds). I have had the green in for 2 years now and haven't had any problems with it. My personal opinion is, if you have Dexcool, get rid of it, IT SUCKS DONKEY C**K!

 

[boggs1227]

just got done reading the back info on the jug and they are saying to mix it 50/50 with water ....tap water at that ( yes tap water ! )

i could not have to put in no more than say a 16oz coke bottle worth in there but i mixed it with distilled of course....i just can't see how they said mix it with normal tap water ....it's like they want it to get scaled and have you take it back to them for radiator replacement ,sad.

 

[9blackex1]

I made a mistake (first one ever). I just looked at my service records, and product information. Dexcool comes pre-mixed, and full strength. DO NOT dilute the premixed stuff. Dilute the full strength stuff (50/50 mix) with distilled water only. I haven't run Dexcool in my car since the unpleasantness, I use traditional green stuff. They say you shouldn't run green stuff in a car designed for Dexcool because of corrosion to aluminum parts in the cooling system. There has been aluminum in cooling systems forever (rads, t-stat housings, and intake manifolds). I have had the green in for 2 years now and haven't had any problems with it. My personal opinion is, if you have Dexcool, get rid of it, IT SUCKS DONKEY C**K!

Its not so much they are worried About the Aluminum Parts in the system, but its the seals. They are made from different composites than "green" seals. Follow OEM specs for what kind of fluid to use, just not necessarily the time frame in which to change it

 

[geoph1986]

Its not so much they are worried About the Aluminum Parts in the system, but its the seals. They are made from different composites than "green" seals. Follow OEM specs for what kind of fluid to use, just not necessarily the time frame in which to change it

OEM says to use Dexcool, which is absolute garbage (google dexcool lawsuit). Dexcool coolant starts to break down and become acidic sludge when exposed to air. That's right, air. How do you not expose coolant to air? I've been told by GM that green isn't good for the aluminum components. As far as the seals go, when the dexcool lawsuit started, GM was using crappy gasket material for a period of about 10 years and in millions of vehicles with different engines. They then decided to use thicker, better gasket material to solve this issue.

Everyone can use whatever coolant they want. When I used Dexcool, it cost me a pretty penny for the adverse effects of the "superior" coolant. I was able to get some back, from the lawsuit, but I will NEVER use Dexcool again.

 

[Potomac30]

Fords don't use dexcool (except the '99 Cougar). The mistake that I made was in thinking that the Prestone extended life antifreeze (gold) would be fine for my '93 Explorer. If you want to learn more about the different types and chemistries of antifreeze, check out: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3828/is_200408/ai_n9453107/?tag=content;col1

Added: the more I read, the less I know... from Prestone's FAQ: . Prestone® Extended Life 5/150 Antifreeze/Coolant has been approved by General Motors under their DEX-COOL® specifications and is compatible with other DEX-COOL® approved coolants.

So, color doesn't mean much anymore.

 

[field]

I'm guessing that the antifreeze is what caused my plastic thermostat container to fail and leak badly.

It never freezes here. Any body know what anti-corrosion substitutes could be used to replace anti-freeze?

 

[Wolfie_85]

I would just find a conventional coolant. I had a Chevy that had Dex Cool. Never, ever again. After that fiasco, the Chevy got green stuff, and never had another cooling issue again.

 

[acschilling]

Can I go to a Ford dealership and ask what kind of coolant they are using?

 

[Wolfie_85]

I would, but be clear with them, as Ford might use something different in newer vehicles. Bear in mind, these are two decades old now.

My advice is to seek out a seasoned Ford tech, familiar with the older models. This will be the one who won't say "should be ok with whatever!" Or, just find a conventional coolant. I'm sure there is a thread about it. Some guys in the parts stores know their stuff, too.

 

[natenkiki2004]

Pop into NAPA and grab the blue jug of their house brand coolant. It's the regular green antifreeze. Simple & cheap, no need to overthink it

 

[FR-425]

Green stuff.

Only ingredients are Amonium Glychol. Good old fashioned anti-freeze

 

[RangerX]

Walmart Supertech house brand.

 

[Anime]

Ford actually spec'd the newer G-05 coolant (the yellow/gold-colored stuff) for later Explorers with the OHV 4.0L, even though they didn't include the 91-94 OHV 4.0L in the revised specs for G-05 and indicated they should only use "green" eyhylene glycol coolant.

Both are iron blocks with iron heads, so it works just fine to use G-05 in any 4.0L OHV. I've been using it in mine for years (after accidentally using Prestone "green" without realizing they had changed it to a "Dex-cool" type without telling anybody until it ate the water pump gasket) and it works great.

You can get Zerex G-05 at Napa and a few other parts stores. It's the same exact stuff Ford Dealers sell as G-05 coolant. Zerex Green is what you want if you still want to run the older stuff.

The G-05 is "long life" coolant and will go 100,000 miles and beyond, while the green stuff only goes about 30,000. The pricing is pretty close so it makes little sense to use a coolant that lasts 1/3 as long.

 

[acschilling]

Just checked the bottle of peak in my truck. Green Peak. Ethylene Glycol, Water and "proprietary inhibitors". Says compatible in all cars and light trucks regardless of make or model.