cooling problems

**knoll5150** · 05-22-2008, 07:19 AM

Have a strange issue, that I hope someone can help me with: Last year I changed the coolant on my car at a Penzoil shop. I had them switch from the Dexcool to the regular green antifreeze to save a few bucks (it was actually $30 cheaper at this place!). They said it would be fine, as long as you don't mix the two different coolants, and realize you'll have to change the green stuff more often. The car ran fine last year, however this spring about a month after taking my SS out of storage, I've noticed on three seperate occasions, after parking the car, I here a strange bubblng noise (almost sounds like an old coffee pot perculating!) coming from the engine, and a second later coolant comes bubbling through the reservoir cap (the black cap where you fill coolant through, not the metal cap over the radiator)! It bubbles up about 12 oz. of fluid, then stops. The weird thing is, this happens randomly (sometimes after long drives, sometimes after short city driving) so most shops can't fix it unless they see the issue. I did get the oil changed a while back this spring, and maybe the guys there put too much coolant in. There are no other leaks on this car, and the engine temperature never goes above the normal 200 degrees. Any ideas?

**mrz28m6** · 05-22-2008, 05:30 PM

had the same problem and found out it was the radiator clogged.

**vetteemt** · 05-23-2008, 08:29 AM

When Dexcool and the green stuff mix they well create a clayish goo that well clog everything up, thermostat, radiator etc.. If you don’t flush the dexcool out really really well like run tons of water though the whole system before adding any green stuff you well get clogging. If you just simple drain the system of dexcool and then add the green stuff it can and will clog stuff up. I’m going to vote the system did not get flushed well and all the goo probably settled in the bottom of your radiator over the winter.

Also its been my experience that it never ends up paying to switch from the dexcool. You might save some money at first but spend more trying to fix it.