Hello all. Have a 2004 Buick Park Ave with a 3.8 non super charged. I just got the car few weeks ago. The P.O. said he changed the antifreeze and i tested it. Three balls floating and 2 was in the middle. I dont like way it looks and looks too watery to me and not sure of color. Been told needs to be orange and dex cool. Some orther say dex cool is bad for parts of the motor. I am so confused. Help and thanks. I want to have a shop do this and flush. Plan to use pre mix
2004 Buick what to use
- Thread starter moparguy
- Start date
While the original coolant was indeed DexCool, there are modern silicate-free alternatives if you're not comfortable with the orange stuff.
One of my favorites is the Prestone All-Vehicle universal, which is $12.13 a gallon at Wal-Mart.
I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but pre-mix is for suckers. While I understand such a concoction might be OK for top-offs, there's no reason to buy it for a flush and fill. A gallon of the aforementioned Prestone in pre-mixed costs $9.98 at Wal-Mart. The concentrate is $12.13. On your way to the checkout counter, grab an 89-cent gallon of distilled water. Mix 50-50. Now you have two gallons for the tidy sum of $13.02. The pre-mix in comparison is a total rip-off.
I'm always reminded of the story of a Proctor & Gamble executive, who, in the 1960s was charged with increasing lagging shampoo sales. After weeks of calculations and brainstorming, he suggested simply changing the label directions from "lather and rinse" to "lather, rinse, repeat." This simple six-letter word, which remains on most shampoo bottles to this day, effectively doubled sales while costing the company almost nothing. While none of us truly know if this little anecdote is 100% true, it does illustrate peoples' tendency to fall for BS.
BTW, if you're going to have a shop do the work - unless you insist on bringing your own coolant - the shop will use their own bulk coolant. As long as it meets the GM specs you'll be fine. Your total capacity is 13.0 quarts.
One of my favorites is the Prestone All-Vehicle universal, which is $12.13 a gallon at Wal-Mart.
I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but pre-mix is for suckers. While I understand such a concoction might be OK for top-offs, there's no reason to buy it for a flush and fill. A gallon of the aforementioned Prestone in pre-mixed costs $9.98 at Wal-Mart. The concentrate is $12.13. On your way to the checkout counter, grab an 89-cent gallon of distilled water. Mix 50-50. Now you have two gallons for the tidy sum of $13.02. The pre-mix in comparison is a total rip-off.
I'm always reminded of the story of a Proctor & Gamble executive, who, in the 1960s was charged with increasing lagging shampoo sales. After weeks of calculations and brainstorming, he suggested simply changing the label directions from "lather and rinse" to "lather, rinse, repeat." This simple six-letter word, which remains on most shampoo bottles to this day, effectively doubled sales while costing the company almost nothing. While none of us truly know if this little anecdote is 100% true, it does illustrate peoples' tendency to fall for BS.
BTW, if you're going to have a shop do the work - unless you insist on bringing your own coolant - the shop will use their own bulk coolant. As long as it meets the GM specs you'll be fine. Your total capacity is 13.0 quarts.
Any dexcool will work. I would use prestone all makes all models
This engine and a couple of others should not use dexcool if they were built before 06 and still have their original lower intake gaskets and the original upper plastic plenum. GM introduced the latest revision of the aluminum frame gaskets in IIRC 08. The upper plenum had an issue with the egr chimney burning through the plastic. There are aftermarket plenums with a steel lined insert and reduced chimney to prevent this.
On the ones I have done over the years I used JD Coolguard II available also as premix online or any JD dealer, it works perfectly in mixed metal engines.
You also need to replace the coolant elbows with metal ones. I always replace the thermostat with an OE one at the same time and thoroughly flush it out once the thermostat and lower/heater hoses are removed hose. This has proven to be a bullet proof repair that last a very long time, the longest one I did was over 17 years ago and went to the junkyard with no cooling system issues since the repair.
These are the parts.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=12988553&cc=1423730&pt=5424&jsn=595
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=924720&cc=1423730&pt=5536&jsn=546
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=79768&cc=1423730&pt=2200&jsn=577
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=79815&cc=1423730&pt=2136&jsn=487
https://shop.deere.com/us/product/T...-50)-Coolant,-3-78-Liter-(1-Gallon)/p/TY26575
On the ones I have done over the years I used JD Coolguard II available also as premix online or any JD dealer, it works perfectly in mixed metal engines.
You also need to replace the coolant elbows with metal ones. I always replace the thermostat with an OE one at the same time and thoroughly flush it out once the thermostat and lower/heater hoses are removed hose. This has proven to be a bullet proof repair that last a very long time, the longest one I did was over 17 years ago and went to the junkyard with no cooling system issues since the repair.
These are the parts.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=12988553&cc=1423730&pt=5424&jsn=595
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=924720&cc=1423730&pt=5536&jsn=546
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=79768&cc=1423730&pt=2200&jsn=577
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=79815&cc=1423730&pt=2136&jsn=487
https://shop.deere.com/us/product/T...-50)-Coolant,-3-78-Liter-(1-Gallon)/p/TY26575
Switched-out the DEXCool for Peak 10X some time ago and it's been great. I have a 2001 Buick LeSabre with the 3800 series. Also did a complete replacement of gaskets (upper & lower) plus hoses and elbows. Didn't like the "Dex" that was in there. The Peak 10X has been working great.
Thanks guys. Talked to a shop for a guesstimate. I will provide all and he said about $100.00 including a flush till clear water. He said something about antifreeze that add water to and i said distilled and he said no. I thought use distilled water. I rather use premix kind . So what type of fluah stuff would you recommend
This is 100% something you can DIY and save the 100 bucks. Keep in mind that unless the mechanic removes the block drain plugs (the 3800's drains are relatively easy to pull), there will be a quart or two of water left inside the engine block. You should account for this when refilling so as to keep your coolant concentration at 50-50 or slightly greater. All the more reason to not use pre-mixed.
And I don't know what the person you spoke with was talking about. You always dilute concentrated antifreeze with distilled water (demineralized and some deionized are OK as well...distilled is usually cheaper and easier to find).
I'll bet you can find a great You Tube video on how to do this job for the Buick. It's not the least bit difficult.
And I don't know what the person you spoke with was talking about. You always dilute concentrated antifreeze with distilled water (demineralized and some deionized are OK as well...distilled is usually cheaper and easier to find).
I'll bet you can find a great You Tube video on how to do this job for the Buick. It's not the least bit difficult.
I have used Peak 10x in all of my 3800 vehicles and it hasn't given me any issues at all in the past 9 years or so. But it has to be the 10x to not contain the chemical (2-EHA) that causes the problems in the cooling systems. Not saying this is the only option, but I believe this is the only one that states on the bottle that it contains NO 2-EHA.
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