I want to flush the coolant on our 2002 S 60 and was wondering what type of coolant to use. It looks like what is in now is the Dex-cool type (orange)that is often used in GM cars. Personally I don't believe in the long-term coolant idea because I like to change it out every 2 years.

I believe that virtually all good modern antifreeze is made for aluminum rads., etc. So I don't see why I couldn't use the green fluid.

I also don't believe in the dealer only parts in areas like antifreeze. Heck even the Volvo dealer 3309 trans fluid is re-badged Mobil 3309. You can buy a case of Mobil 3309 for $78 (includes delivery) and you could only buy 4 quarts at the dealer for the same fluid.

We've only had the car for half a year and I looked in the coolant reservoir and to my eyes, it looks unhealthy. Yesterday when my wife started the car we got the PO 128 code, perhaps it was a fluke but it got me to check out the coolant.

Once the weather gets warmer a new thermostat and CTS will be in order.

What is the consensus on the forum about the antifreeze?

 

Ideally you should be using a HOAT type antifreeze. (Hybrid organic).
Selecting by color is getting more difficult as many anti freeze products are specified as being multi vehicle and also long life.
They also claim to be backward compatible which may not always be true.

A popular HOAT type used by many forum members is 'Zerex' G-05.
Pentosin (Pentofrost NF) is another I recall.
I currently have 'Nulon Long life' - Green which is a Volvo compatible HOAT. in my system but we dont have harsh winter temperatures here in NZ.

 

I don't recommend the Dexcol as it was problematic, in some conditions it creates deposits - such as when it's more than 50% water in the mixture.

The matter with the coolant is the duration (or flush interval). If you choose to go with the Volvo stuff, you can keep it for say 4 years. If you go with the green stuff such as Prestone (the propylene glycol formula) you need to flush it after two years.

Not all coolants are made for aluminum. You need to look for propylene glycol in their description.

Also, when flushing the coolant, it's important to flush 100% of the old one, so as not to mix different types of coolants. To do a complete flush is not that straight forward. There is a drain plug in the rear of the block engine, but even with that plug and the one on the radiator opened, the is still a quantity of coolant inside the block that won't drain. The easiest is to use pressurized air or to have strong lungs.

 

Never been a fan of Dex but since our Caddie had it in from the first, I went with it. Drive the car 175,000 miles on it and no problems.

My Jag I've always used the good old green stuff, flushed every two years and it went 200,000 miles. Ring gear broke or bendix and the flexplate is frozen....tired of the car and selling it.

I thought all antifreeze was propylene glycol? Years ago I used to look at the label for aluminium use but stopped because I thought all the known brands had switched. Maybe I better start reading labels again?

I've always used the water as a flush method and then refill with a 50/50 pre-mix. After done with the water I add a gallon of antifreeze and flush that out. I know there are people that will gasp at the possibilities of mineral buildup from regular water hitting the areas but I drive my cars a lot of miles and never have problems.

Perhaps Zerex G-05 would work, if I can find it. The hybrid brands.....not sure where to find it. I went to IPD and couldn't find any antifreeze on their site.

Probably the most important aspect of the antifreeze situation is to have a maintenance schedule to flush it. I bet the majority of people don't even know you should flush it. There is an even greater majority that don't flush brake fluids. On a maintenance schedule, I flush it all brake, power steering, coolant, etc.

I just had to research it and Hemmings had an article to read.

http://www.hemmings.com/hmn/stories/...feature20.html

"Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT)
This coolant is usually dyed yellow but comes in other colors like green, pink, blue, red and orange, which leads to a lot of confusion. One way to know for sure if you are getting HOAT will be by the packaging. Manufacturers often refer to this antifreeze as "global" and will indicate on the bottle that it meets or exceeds the specification "G-05" for most European cars and G-11 or G-12 for Volkswagen and Audi. Hybrid antifreeze has added silicates for aluminum protection and is advertised as having a five-year change interval. Normally, HOAT coolants are specified for vehicles newer than 2002, specifically Mercedes, Volvo, Ford, VW, Audi, Chrysler, BMW and Saab."

NAPA charts

http://www.hugginsnet.com/ptcruiser/...lantchart2.jpg

http://www.hugginsnet.com/ptcruiser/...lantchart1.jpg

The only difference in shown on the charts is that g-05 has silicates and nitrates. Nitrates --- isn't that in sausage?

 

on my 2002 S60 T5 and others Volvos I used the ZEREX G-05 which met the OEM specifications for Volvo.