Coolant Flush - GM Engine Coolant Supplement ??

97 SW1 177,000 miles, 284,853 kilometers.

This car was due for a coolant flush. According to the owners manual, DEX-
COOL radiator fluid only needs to be serviced once every 5 years or
100,000 miles. The last coolant flush service was done by Saturn 5 or 6
years ago. This time I went to an independent shop, but I brought my
Owners Manual along. While I was in the shop waiting room, I read in the
Owners Manual on page 283, "Use GM Engine Coolant Supplement (sealer) (GM
Part No. 3634621 with any complete coolant change".

I never heard of this before. The independent shop guys never heard of it
either. I had the coolant flush performed at the independent shop. I got
home and checked the Chilton Manual and the Chilton Manual doesn't make
any reference to special "Engine Coolant Supplement (sealer)" in the
coolant flush procedure.

The Saturn dealer wanted USD $135.00 + to perform the coolant flush
procedure. The independent shop wanted a little over half of the amount
Saturn wanted for the same procedure. Do y'all think the "GM Engine
Coolant Supplement (sealer)" is really worth the extra $50 to $60.

Thanks for the help,
SW1

 

The coolant supplemental sealer are two tablets that need to be crushed into
a fine powder and then added to the coolant after a flush and change. They
can be purchased at a local Saturn dealer. If I recall they are between $5
and $10 for the two required.

As to using Dex Cool coolant, I stay away from this coolant and continue to
use the old ethylene glycol stuff that is sold at the Saturn dealer. This
requires changing every two years, but does less damage to the radiator,
water pump, etc.

Good luck!

Bob

 

Thanks for the information on the supplemental sealer. I'll
get those tablets next week. I hadn't heard of DEX COOL damaging
the radiator, water pump, etc. Another independent shop advised
me to use the green ethylene glycol fluid because they were seeing
damage to gaskets and seals from the DEX COOL. In ten years time,
I haven't had any issues with gaskets or seals or radiator or
water pump. Do you think I'm pressing my luck?

Thanks for the help,
SW1

 

I didn't know about these tablets or else I forgot about them. I
changed my coolant a couple of months ago. Can I still add these
tablets(crushed)after this amount of time?

 

A pack of 5 should be about $6 bucks and the entire pack is 'supposed'
to be added. Also note that 3634621 are a 6 pack of the larger tablets
for cast Iron engines and 12378254 are a 5 pack of smaller tablets for
aluminum engines though either would work. They're not necessary, just a
piece of mind...
Also you dont crush them up and add them to the Overflow Bottle or
Coolant Surge Tank. On Saturns you'll have to put them in the upper
radiator hose to get them correctly flowing into the system.

No STICK with Dexcool. The old 'green' slop is NOT for aluminum engines
or cooling systems. I've seen it eat away aluminum parts among other bad
things. It has no business in a modern cooling system...

You dont need a 'flush' if you drain and refill the cooling system with
shorter service interval. (like 4 years/80k miles) The main thing you
want to do is keep fresh corrosion inhibitors in circulation and keep
the pH levels in check. They make inexpensive test strips to to check pH
levels.

I can't believe anyone working in the Auto Service and Repair field has
not heard of GM Sealing Tablets. Hell even BMW Techs know of them and
use them.

Chilton wont make mention of jack squat.

Thats not why they charge 50-60 bucks more.

 

I disagree with much of what you posted, but do agree with you that
Chilton's and Hayne's manuals are of very limited value. GM's decision to
go with the chemistry in Dex-Cool when there were other alternatives was a
poor one. The need for any "supplemental sealing tablets" also indicts the
design and/or the head gasket materials used.

If you are expending the energy to drain and re-fill the coolant, and you
are only doing it once every 4 or 5 years, then going the extra step and
flushing the system takes just a small amount of additional time. Take a
good look at the color of the flush and then tell me with a straight face
that you'd leave that crap in there and just re-fill it.

Bob

 

Not sure what head gaskets have to do with this discussion. Head gaskets
and dexcool are two different things. Did head gaskets not fail before
dexcool??? Wet manifolds have always been problematic but that's also
well before dexcool was introduced...
I guess Saturn shouldn't have put Ginger Root in the cooling system from
the factory by your logic. Btw thats back when they were still using
GREEN coolant... Unfortionatly the ginger root wasn't able to seal the
severely eroded heater core pipe of a 94 SL2 that I recollect.

Depends on your definition of 'flush'. Garden hose or an expensive flush
machine. Both are more time consuming and one leaves behind unfiltered
water. Me, I just open the petcock and drain as much as I can into a
container. Then I come back and blow compressed air though the Upper
hose and neck to draw out most of the remainder.

Please discribe to me what 'color' you are refering to. The clear orange
gatorade like fluid that comes out of my cars? Shucks I thought that was
normal... I only flush cars that were poorly maintained or contaminated.
If there is no indication of that then one is wasting time and the
customers money.

 

Appreciate the tips on DEX COOL -> aluminum engines, and
coolant supplemental sealer -> upper radiator hose, and
shorter service interval -> fresh corrosion inhibitors/ph levels.

I probably need to look at another independent shop, one that's
heard of GM Sealing Tablets. Difficult to evaluate these shops
until you get burned, and then you know it's time to find
another independent shop that hopefully won't be worse than the
one you got burned at. I sure could use some kind of litmus
test to judge a shop. At 177,000 miles, even with regular 3,000
mile oil changes, my engine is a big question mark. Don't know
if it will last 250,000 miles.