radiator flush

**supercampeones4** · 09-10-2009, 05:17 PM

i have a 2000 ws6 and i wanted to know how often should you change the radiator fluid, when i first bought the car 3 yrs. ago i changed it within 1 month, but now it has been 3 yrs, can anyone tell me when it is time to change it again?

**Blue28** · 09-10-2009, 05:55 PM

I believe the owners manual says 6yrs, but IMO that's too long!
I would go ahead and do it since it's been 3yrs.

**rbob93** · 09-10-2009, 06:46 PM

I change mine every spring.....Cheap insurance, I change the belts at the same time

**pajeff02** · 09-10-2009, 06:48 PM

Depending upon how many miles you put on it, changing the coolant every 2-3 years is cheap insurance. I did a complete cooling system service on our car back in March. Replaced the hoses and thermostat, cleaned the overflow, flushed the system and dumped in new Dexcool. Swapping out the heater hose assembly was fun... hours of fun.

I recommend also dropping the block drains when you do it. There is quite a bit of coolant left in the block, even after pulling the thermostat housing. Driver side is a 17mm allen head above and behind the alternator. Passenger side is probably metric, but a 5/16" allen head fit nice and tight, and it is located above the starter.

***SMWS6TA*** · 09-10-2009, 07:44 PM

Did mine last week end, I would change the thermostat since you are draining everything else. Don't forget to let the car warm up after you first top it off, need the stat to open so you can fill the radiator to proper levels or you will have one hugh air bubble.

**pajeff02** · 09-11-2009, 04:56 AM

Originally Posted by SMWS6TA

Did mine last week end, I would change the thermostat since you are draining everything else. Don't forget to let the car warm up after you first top it off, need the stat to open so you can fill the radiator to proper levels or you will have one hugh air bubble.

+1 I slowly filled our system over the course of an hour or so while I was working on other items. The system airlocked on the first try and I had to shut down. Rock or jounce the vehicle a bit and squeeze your upper and lower hoses to try and work the air out as you fill it.

**TA98** · 09-11-2009, 12:04 PM

im flushing out the entire system this weekend if my hoses get here but im definitly not putting in Dex Cool

**rbob93** · 09-11-2009, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by T/A98

im flushing out the entire system this weekend if my hoses get here but im definitly not putting in Dex Cool

Don't know why, but my system is as clean as the day it left the factory.

**TA98** · 09-11-2009, 12:42 PM

mine looks horrible. the stuff is all gunked up inside it has little particles floating around inside it.

**Z28_Driver** · 09-11-2009, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by T/A98

im flushing out the entire system this weekend if my hoses get here but im definitly not putting in Dex Cool

Why not Dex Cool? I have heard some bad things about it. Eats head gaskets, they say.
Anybody else hear the same?
I need to flush mine soon and want to know what to use.

**pajeff02** · 09-11-2009, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by Z28_Driver

Why not Dex Cool? I have heard some bad things about it. Eats head gaskets, they say.
Anybody else hear the same?
I need to flush mine soon and want to know what to use.

Not a good question to post. Half the board will tell you it's crap, the other half will say they swear by it. The only thing both sides will agree on is that you should not mix Dexcool with non-Dexcool.

Personally, I went with Dexcool in our car. It had 71,500 on it when we bought the car and as far as I know the coolant had never been changed. Everything was nice and clean, and the drained coolant looked good. I scoped out the block from both the thermostat mounting pad and through the left block drain and it looked like new inside. I will only run it 2-3 years before my next flush though.

**Z28_Driver** · 09-11-2009, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

Not a good question to post. Half the board will tell you it's crap, the other half will say they swear by it. The only thing both sides will agree on is that you should not mix Dexcool with non-Dexcool.

Personally, I went with Dexcool in our car. It had 71,500 on it when we bought the car and as far as I know the coolant had never been changed. Everything was nice and clean, and the drained coolant looked good. I scoped out the block from both the thermostat mounting pad and through the left block drain and it looked like new inside. I will only run it 2-3 years before my next flush though.

I didn't know there was a big debate. I had a fuel pump installed on another GM vehicle I own and the mechanic mentioned that my coolant was low and should be changed. He told me he doesn't like to use Dex Cool because it eats head gaskets. That is the first time I had heard anything of the sort.
I know there are all kinds of opinions on here. I was looking for data.

**pajeff02** · 09-11-2009, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by Z28_Driver

I didn't know there was a big debate. I had a fuel pump installed on another GM vehicle I own and the mechanic mentioned that my coolant was low and should be changed. He told me he doesn't like to use Dex Cool because it eats head gaskets. That is the first time I had heard anything of the sort.
I know there are all kinds of opinions on here. I was looking for data.

I read up on it quite a bit before I decided to go with Dexcool. As best I recall, it appeared that any actual problems stemmed from when it was first introduced. It was very similar to the bad rep synthetic oil first had due to its initial lack of seal swelling agents.

**TA98** · 09-11-2009, 08:01 PM

Ive heard the head gasket thing and witnessed it on two gm vechiles. Malibu v6 with 60,000 and a Suburban with a 6.0 and some oldsmobile. Im not sure if it was the coolant but all three vechiles had dex cool in them.

**Z28_Driver** · 09-13-2009, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

I read up on it quite a bit before I decided to go with Dexcool. As best I recall, it appeared that any actual problems stemmed from when it was first introduced. It was very similar to the bad rep synthetic oil first had due to its initial lack of seal swelling agents.

I searched the treads to look for the debate after your initial reaction. I see what you mean.
The biggest problem I found was the issue of the 2 mixing.
I think the best solution is to keep the Dex Cool in the cars that have it and the green stuff in the old cars.

**KMdef9** · 09-13-2009, 01:50 PM

I have personaly seen 2 vehicles w/dex cool blow head gaskets and inturn blew the intake gasket as well. My neighbor is a white collar at GM and suggested to flush the dex cool asap when he saw I bought the TA. I had an ex-girlfirends uncle, a blue collar worker for GM, also suggesting that I flush out the dex cool. If employees are suggesting it, I would take that into much more consideration. I properly flushed it within the first few days of owning it.

If your going to flush it out, you may as well change it to regular antifreeze that doesn't have people arguing over problems it has or hasn't caused.