Best AF/coolant to use in Nissans?

[BrianL]

I have a 2000 Nissan Frontier. I changed the coolant last year (@ 40K) and put in the Prestone Long Life "All Makes" stuff. Was this a bad idea?
Also it came with green AF from the factory. Is all Nissan AF including their LL green?
How did they determine which cars came with LL and which didn't?

Do I need to be using an OAT AF? When did Nissan start using OAT?


Also it's time to do a coolant flush on my 1987 Nissan 300ZX. Last time I did a flush (several years ago), I used some yellow long life, Zerex I think. I have a gallon of Prestone I bought before they changed to the "All Makes" formula. Is it OK to use?
And if I use it, will I be OK topping it off later with the current Prestone (All Makes)?
If it has silicates in it, would it say so? Here are pictures of the front and back.

 

[Buford T. Justice]

I personally don't trust the Prestone claims. After all, Japanese car companies want coolant with phosphates in it. Ford and Chrysler wants coolant with silicates in it.

Look in your owner's manual on what coolant you are suppose to use then go to a Nissan dealership and buy it from the parts department. It might seem like it is expensive, but it is worth the peace of mind knowing you used the right stuff.

 

[BrianL]

It won't let me change the title now, but I should have called it something like "Is it OK to use non-Nissan coolant?".

I know Nissan is the best but was hoping to avoid it. I've already put Prestone in the Frontier, so unless it's going to cause problems, I'll probably leave it.
And the 300ZX has had non-Nissan AF in it for at least 15 years so I definately won't be buying Nissan AF for it.

 

[04SpecV]

I just put the Prestone long life in my SpecV. What problems could arise? The only vehicle I ever had coolant issues with was my v6 Chevy...

 

[jmacmaster]

BrianL:

I suggest that you go back over the past 3-4 months' worth of threads in this coolants forum and educate yourself by reading the relevant threads, of which there's been some good ones. A lot of us believe that as long as you flush out all of the current coolant, you can use either DEX-COOL or one of its clones; G-05; or the old, traditional, green-colored etheylene glycool in any vehicle made by any manufacturer. The posts in the threads will tell you why, and you'll learn the pros and cons of each of the three main types.

 

[Ray H]

BrianL, leave the dexclone (that's really what the Prestone "all makes" is) in two years and then change it out to what you prefer. If, like me, you discover it empties tinted but clear and scale-free, you'll realize you worried over nothing. I used DEX-COOL (the genuine stuff) in my '96 Honda for over three years without any problems. I'm currently nearly 20 months into SuperTech's Prestone-made dexclone in my '03 Hyundai V6 without problems, too. Just keep an eye on the radiator level when cold, weekly, and keep the puke tank's liquid leveled where it should be.

 

[BrianL]

Ray H:
So what caused all the reported problems with Dex-Cool? When I used that back when I did my flush last year, I didn't realize I was using Dex-Cool, not until reading your posts here (before I created the original post in this thread).

jmac:
I had read quite a bit before posting, & that's what made me ask what I asked.

 

[Ray H]

DEX-COOL (and presumably the dexclones) don't tolerate air in the system well at all. GM built boat-loads of othewise competently engineered motors that ended up as internal leakers anywhere from 40,000 - 80,000 miles and resulted in air in the cooling systems. Add my step-daughter's Impala with the 3.8L V6 to GM's list of victims. The good news? She lives in Phoenix, so, "not my problem" is the operative mode, here... Add the notion of "Why bother?" regarding routine fluid level checks, and the inevitable results boiled down (no pun intended) to severe corrosion, spun bearings, and a very expensive repair bill for fixing ruined engines - when they could be fixed.

 

[edwardh1]

my nissan dealer uses off brand green stuff in all out of warranty cars. a second nissan dealer said anything is ok

my mom's buicks dex coll ate the intake manifold/gasket and the dealer cost to replace them was $1500 at 40k miles out of warranty

 

[Ray H]

DEX-COOL(tm) didn't eat your mother's Buick's intake manifold gasket. That was just a line GM and its dealers fed the public to avoid responsibilty. Those gaskets were poorly engineered for the job required of them. The problem was a plastic manifold (low rate of heat expansion) mated to aluminum heads (high rate of heat expansion) in a V-type configuration. The heads literally "tried" to "pop" the intake manifold up and off. That didn't actually happen, but the pressure at working temperature did gradually and assuredly result in gasket failure. Allegedly the current gasket design has put the problem behind the cars' owners, but only time will tell for certain. Where DEX-COOL(tm) fails is in the event air enters the system. DEX-COOL(tm) dumps - literally, with nasty muck buildup throughout the cooling system. Once the gasket leaks, coolant exits and when the engine cools down, air enters - an unremittingly vicious cycle.

[ June 30, 2006, 02:18 PM: Message edited by: Ray H ]

 

[Ray H]

 

[Al]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ray H:
DEX-COOL(tm) didn't eat your mother's Buick's intake manifold gasket. That was just a line GM and its dealers fed the public to avoid responsibilty.

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The earlier 3.1's didn't have plastic and they leaked just as much. But I agree DexCool wasn't the problem. In fact DexCool came to be 'because' of the problem. That's my understanding anyway.

Do yourself a favor and stay with either the Nissan LongLife or the regular.