Buying coolant for the viper

[Viper Fever]

Was just at the auto parts store and going to pick up
some Dex Cool Zerex . Question is it says for GM products
only.They have the one for Chrysler productsits G05 zerex
but it looks to have silicone.So which one do you get aaaahhhhh
Thanks for any info---------

 

[Steve-Indy]

The Zerex should work well...but, admittedly, I use the Mopar OEM fluids appropriate for the Generation..."Three year formula" (green) for our Gen I's and Gen II's...and "Five year formula" (orange) for the Gen III. Have heard (a million times) all of the pros and cons (plus myths) of the various choices, but the above fluids fit well into MY comfort zone for our cars (and their utilization)...noting that I could be accused of changing the coolant more than necessary, even though I hate the job.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Traditional green dye antifreeze is silicate technology. It coats the surfaces to provide the corrosion protection. The downside is the protection is therefore "used up" right away and fresh protection is not available. Also, after some time, the coating comes off, forms a jelly-cloud that is abrasive, and gets pumped around often leading to water pump seal leaks.

The first long life coolant was silicate free. The active ingredients stayed in the fluid until corrosion tried to begin, and then it would be attacked. Consequently the anti-corrosion protection lasted much longer and the side benefit was that there were no water pump issues. The water pump life was why GM uses it as factory fill.

Meanwhile, GM had some teething pains and underfilled lots of SUVs. DexCool got a bad name for a while, as other antifreeze marketers attacked it because it didn't perform the same in bench tests originally developed for silicate additives. There was also "concern" that the non-silicate version didn't protect "fast enough" and so hybrids were developed. They are often called "low silicates." A few years ago it seemed like there were 5 different colors but now some marketers are back to claiming that theirs works with all colors.

Since that time, of course, everyone has their own silicate free or low silicate version, even if they poo-pooed it before.

Steve, I'd suggest you upgrade to a long life version, perhaps the Mopar one since you buy it already. V.Fever, I have used DexCool in my '94 since I bought it in '98 (as well as every other car I've had.) Someone for sure will have their own "DexCool killed my car" story that I've discussed before, but certainly get any long life coolant you feel comfortable with and stay away from anything green.

By the way, here's how to demonstrate what happens with green coolants - buy a non-timer $8 coffee *** and pour the coolant in. Turn it on and in a day or two it will look like snow inside. You don't want this floating around inside the cooling system. Doesn't happen with long-life stuff.

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[ViperJoe]

Man Tom.......you even speak COOLANT geek too! "Tom F&L& C GoR"

 

[Steve-Indy]

Thanks for the advice, Tom...I don't doubt the wisdoom of your words.

However, I'm holding out til Dodge suggests/approves the fluid change/upgrade ..."which ain't likely to happen" given their silence on other evolutionary fluid upgrades. There was a plant insider who did mention to me that there was a reluctance on the part of D-C to officially recommend the HOAT (Mopar's 5 year orange stuff) coolant for Gen I's and II's SUPPOSEDLY for fear of water pump worries. Rumor, myth, mis-info, or whatever...who knows !!!!

By the way, on a truly scientific note, I like the color of the green-stuff more than the orange-stuff

 

[Jim Wilson]

When I bought my Toyota Tacoma back in 1995 it came with a red colored coolant. Within one year it had formed gunk that clogged most of the radiator cooling tubes. After flushing several times to clean it out, I went with the standard "green stuff" and haven't had a problem since.

 

[GTSPOWERED]

Question why is there not a filtering system in the coolant system?

 

[GT40DOC]

Tom,
Glad you said what you said, in that, I just changed my antifreeze and went with Dex-Cool. I have been changing all of my cars over to the long acting coolant because I think it is better, especially for alum. radiators, plus I am getting LAZY in my old age.

 

[AviP]

Tom,

I used Prestone 5/150 Extended Life (no silicate or phosphate) because that was the only choice available when I changed it. It is orange in color and claims compatibilty with Dex-Cool. Any comments?

 

[Viper Fever]

Thanks for the replys. I just want the best coolant that will
last the best and won't hurt the engine over time.When I saw that the Dex
cool says just for GM vehicles stopped me in my tracks.Thanks guys

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Jim- experiences like yours deserve a technically responsible answer. In GM SUVs and Saturns, they underfilled a system that didn't have a radiator cap on the radiator (like Vipers) from the factory. Who would know? The huge amount of air, parts of the cooling system that would complete dry out upon engine off, high temperatures, etc, etc, would lead to gasket deterioration and oxidation no matter what coolant was used. Folks with similar experiences have filed lawsuits and made it a big deal, as it should be. However, to date, the coolant chemistry has never been found at fault.

GTSPowered- in over the road trucks there are. Given the poor attention in passenger cars, if it caught anything, it would lead to overheating. It's probably better to pump a slurry than overheat.

GT40DOC, it is very good for aluminum. Yates Racing and Ford did some testing a long time ago.

AviP, The DEX-COOL spec is a GM requirement that includes 1) 5 yr/150,000 mile life, 2) no silicates, 3) lots of other normal anti-freeze performance requirements. By meeting those, a marketer gets the honor of paying GM for a license to put the DEX-COOL symbol on the front. If all the tests are passed and you don't want to pay for the license, you would say "meets requirements." It's all good.

Interestingly, like my recent "how long does gasoline last" reply, it is important to keep air out of the cooling system, not just to prevent overheating, but to not "use up" the protection afforded by the coolant chemistry fighting the degradation caused by oxygen introduced via the air.