changing coolant

[RyanbabZ71]

I am going to be changing my coolant soon and was wondering something. I bought the havoline gm approved coolant. The truck takes 3.75 gallons and it says to use a 50-60% mix (coolant and water). It says use clean drinkable water. My question is, is it safe to use distilled water? Id rather have it clean as possible. Anyone elese use distilled water? Also how did you mix it? Did you pour it into like a clean (never used before) gas can or something or just put in the fluid then water?

 

Thanks

[frdfandc]

Most manufactureres recommend to use distilled water. Tap water has minerals in it that can cause corrosion if the coolant is not changed when recommended. When I mix it, i usually have a clean 1 gal container (milk jug or something like that) then I pour half of the coolant and fill with water. Then you have 2 gal of 50/50 mix.

[seadoons]

There is an easier way...buy the Havoline GM Dexcool approved pre-mixed 50/50 solution! It costs the same price but there is no mixing necessary. Out of curiousity, how do you drain the coolant? Is it like the transmission in that when you do drain it, there is still some left in the hoses, motor, etc? Seriously though...just use distilled water...I would go to the grocery store and buy some!

[RyanbabZ71]

buy the Havoline GM Dexcool approved pre-mixed 50/50 solution

 

hmmm you have me curious now because that is what I may have gotten. I thought the back said to mix it though. I will have to check. Only place I could find the havoline was walmart

[asepgrad98]

i like to take the upper rad hose off the rad and put a garden hose in the rad cap hole and run the car untill clean water comes out the upper hose. Then drain rad and put 50% of coolant capacity in with 100% coolant in rad and rest water. You could do this with distilled also.

[frdfandc]

i like to take the upper rad hose off the rad and put a garden hose in the rad cap hole and run the car untill clean water comes out the upper hose. Then drain rad and put 50% of coolant capacity in with 100% coolant in rad and rest water. You could do this with distilled also.

How about undooing the lower rad hose along with the upper and flush the engine. Remeber coolant always flows bottom up. Starts at the bottom and goes up thru the engine. Then you can flush out the rad.

[99silveradoz71]

I used distilled in mine. I can't recall how we did the fill though, whether it was add some water, then some coolant or mixed in the distilled jugs.

[Wingnut]

There is an easier way...buy the Havoline GM Dexcool approved pre-mixed 50/50 solution! It costs the same price but there is no mixing necessary. Out of curiousity, how do you drain the coolant? Is it like the transmission in that when you do drain it, there is still some left in the hoses, motor, etc? Seriously though...just use distilled water...I would go to the grocery store and buy some!

Yeah...But since you are only buying half as much antifreeze, it's kind of a ripoff. You just paid out the wazoo for a half gallon of water.

 

 

It is a TON easier to use it though. You don't have to do the math on capacities, trying to figure out how much stays in, mix ratios, etc. It's just right, all you have to do is top it off.

[carguru]

I've always used distilled water to mix my antifreeze. We usually have a stock of the gallon cases of distilled water. To mix the first gallon, drink about half gallon of the distilled water. NOTE: Don't get confused and drink half gallon of the Dex-cool. Then you can pour half gallon of the Dex-cool into the half-full (or half-empty) water jug. Then you would have at least 1 jug that you can do the mix with.

 

Just as a side note, I went a bit nuts and bought a double filter kit to put on the water supply in the garage to filter most of the minerals out so I could do the flush without spending a fortune on distilled water. I wished I had the money and space for one of those reverse osmosis water systems like we have at work for the temperature/humidity chambers. With that you can make tap water to distilled water quality.

[RyanbabZ71]

without spending a fortune on distilled water

 

a gallon of distilled water here was 99 cents. I could have gotten it cheaper (free) by going to my old high school (chem teacher makes it)

[seadoons]

Although I did suggest the use of the Havoline pre-mixed stuff...I agree with the previous post that it is a rip-off...you are only getting half the amount of coolant. If I remember correctly, the pre-mixed stuff was actually a little bit more than the 100% stuff that you have to mix!

[Blue Line Dave]

If the pre-mixed stuff is made in Mexico stay away.Would you drink the water in Mexico? I do belive there was something about this issue a few years back.Mix your self, 50/50 with distilled or R.O. water.

[MN Z-71]

There is no need to buy pre-mixed coolant or to mix it before you dump it in. And there is nothing magical about having exactly 50/50 mix. If its 52/48 it wont matter, if its 55/45 it wont matter and vice versa. Buy two jugs of coolant, two jugs of distilled water. Dump one of each in there. And then dump in approximately equal amounts of water and coolant until its full. It will mix itself when it circulates through the engine.

 

Some of you guys make things much harder than they need to be.

[dukbludvl]

Is the Havoline GM-approved stuff you got at Wal-Mart the same pink stuff that came in there from the factory?

 

also, at how many miles are you changing yours? I currenlty have 65K on mine, and I know it says you can wait til 100K, but I don't want to wait that long... when do you guys change yours?

 

Also, does anyone out there have DIY instructions? I've never changed coolant before, but I want to do it myself and I don't want to ruin anything...

[asepgrad98]

Also, does anyone out there have DIY instructions?

Park the vehicle on a level surface.

 

Step 2

Follow the steps below in order to remove the surge tank fill cap:

Slowly rotate the cap counterclockwise.

Stop rotating and allow the hissing to stop.

After all hissing stops, continue turning counterclockwise in order to remove the cap.

 

Open the radiator drain cock.

Allow the system to drain completely.

Inspect the engine coolant for the following:

Discolored - follow the flush procedure below.

Normal in appearance - continue with the next step.

 

Notice

When adding coolant, use DEX-COOL® coolant. If silicated coolant is added to the system, premature engine, heater core or radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the engine coolant will require change sooner-at 50 000 km (30,000 mi) or 24 months.

 

 

The following notice applies only to the 4.8 L, 5.3 L, and 6.0 L engines.

 

Notice

DO NOT use cooling system seal tabs, or similar compounds, unless otherwise instructed. The use of cooling system seal tabs, or similar compounds, may restrict coolant flow through the passages of the cooling system or the engine components. Restricted coolant flow may cause engine overheating and/or damage to the cooling system or the engine components/assembly.

 

 

Close the radiator drain cock.

Fill the system through the surge tank opening.

Pre-mix a 50 to 60 percent solution of DEX-COOL® and clean, drinkable water.

Slowly add the pre-mixed solution to the surge tank until the level is slightly above the surge tank split line.

Start the engine.

Idle the engine for 1 minute.

Loosely install the surge tank cap. Do not allow the system to build up pressure.

Cycle the engine from idle to 3000 RPM in 30 second intervals until the engine coolant reaches 99°C (210°F) and the thermostat opens.

Shut off the engine.

Refer to step 2 in order to remove the surge tank cap.

Start the engine.

Idle the engine for 1 minute. Fill the surge tank to 1/2 inch above the COLD FULL mark on the surge tank.

Install the radiator surge tank cap.

Cycle the RPM. Idle the engine to 3000 in 30 second intervals until the engine coolant reaches 99°C (210°F).

Shut off the engine.

Top off the coolant, as necessary, to 1/2 inch above FULL COLD mark on the surge tank.

Rinse away any excess coolant from the engine and the compartment.

Inspect the concentration of the coolant.