Coolant Types: 97 SL-2

Okay, I've read this stuff for years, but never bought any nor gave it much
thought.

I think I understand there's two kinds of antifreeze for S-Series. Ethylene
glycol (green) and Dexcool (orange) which is some tweaked version** of
ethylene glycol. (**contains a mixture of ethylene glycol inhibited with
2-ethyl hexanoic acid, sebacic acid and tolyltriazole. It contains no
benzoate, nitrite, nitrate, silicate, or phosphate.)

So my 97 SL-2 has the pink sticker on the reservoir and I'm thinking I need
to buy the Dexcool product (like Prestone's Extended Life 5/150). Would
that be correct?

The reason I need to add antifreeze is that every now and then the Saturn
throws-up after I park and shut down the engine. When the low coolant
indicators flash after a couple times of throwing-up, I add plain water (a
16 oz bottle of drinking water). I've done this two or three times and I
need to get the antifreeze to water ratio back to about 50/50.

Here's a link I just skimmed:
http://www.amalgatech.com/technical/dexcool.htm

 

Yup. That's right, Jonnie. The pink dot was orange before it faded.

Same thing on my two 97 SL2s. (I've sold them, but to family members, so I
see them around.)

I've found the best thing to do is to buy a gallon of Dexcool and a gallon
of distilled water. Wait until the wife is out shopping or something like
it. Then, throw both the coolant and the water into one of her huge cooking
pots. Mix well, pour it back into the two bottles and lable accordingly.
Then, when I need some of the coolant, I simply use the pre-mixed stuff.

Oh, I wash the pot REAL GOOD before she gets back. She's not noticed yet...

 

Kirk:

Good point on the distilled water..

Clean bottled water like Jonnie mentioned it better than tap water,
distilled water is better again. Of course, some bottled water is
distilled.

On using your wifes pot....you are a brave, brave man, my friend!! ;-) I
hope you continue to get away with it. I'd miss your advise on this ng if
she killed you.

Cheers!

Glomis

yet...

 

I've found the best thing to do is to buy a gallon of Dexcool and a gallon

You actually put the stuff in a pot? Jesus......

Don't you think it would be much easier to just use an old 1 ga jug you're
bound to have kicking around? Fill it up with half water half antifreeze and
shake real well......

 

Great - thanks Kirk. The person at Autozone told me the colors didn't mean
anything... I thanked him and left.

I'm going to top it off a couple of times with the strait stuff and do the
premix trick afterwards, however I won't be using any containers related to
food preparation. I've been exposed to way too many chems already. My
brother used to hijack my Mom's pots and pans too - she was not a happy
camper (her anger and yelling could melt roof shingles!)... (wink)

 

From what I read in the owner's manual, putting green coolant into a system
designed for dexcool eats up the hoses.

I always keep a bottle of 50% coolant around for refill. I pour half the
gallon into another empty gallon bottle and top each one off with good 'ol
new york city tap water. Fairly low mineral content so shouldn't be a
problem.

More important question, why does it overflow at all? Have you drained and
backflushed the cooling system? Sediment may be impeding convection cooling
flow after the engine shuts down. At least, that's the least costly
scenario.

Oppie

_________________
| Okay, I've read this stuff for years, but never bought any nor gave it
much
| thought.
|
| I think I understand there's two kinds of antifreeze for S-Series.
Ethylene
| glycol (green) and Dexcool (orange) which is some tweaked version** of
| ethylene glycol. (**contains a mixture of ethylene glycol inhibited with
| 2-ethyl hexanoic acid, sebacic acid and tolyltriazole. It contains no
| benzoate, nitrite, nitrate, silicate, or phosphate.)
|
| So my 97 SL-2 has the pink sticker on the reservoir and I'm thinking I
need
| to buy the Dexcool product (like Prestone's Extended Life 5/150). Would
| that be correct?
|
| The reason I need to add antifreeze is that every now and then the Saturn
| throws-up after I park and shut down the engine. When the low coolant
| indicators flash after a couple times of throwing-up, I add plain water (a
| 16 oz bottle of drinking water). I've done this two or three times and I
| need to get the antifreeze to water ratio back to about 50/50.
|
| Here's a link I just skimmed:
| http://www.amalgatech.com/technical/dexcool.htm
|
|

 

....and I read if you mix the two, you have to drain/flush and are stuck
using the ethylene glycol from there on out (unless you can get every last
drop out and then in theory you could go back to dexcool).

I don't know why it's doing this. I thought maybe the low-coolant sensor is
off (out of whack) and I'm putting too much water back into the reservoir to
make the light go off. Anyway, it's infrequent and the amount is small.
I've had the coolant changed a couple of times (don't know if they did a
flush or just drained and refilled). The car has 88k on it, is getting
tired and for most of its life I've run the heck out of it. (smile)