What is the proper coolant for a 2005 Nissan Frontier (4.0)? "What does the manual say?" I can hear the collective groaning. Well, it says nothing but to use "approved" Nissan coolant "or equivalent". No specs whatsoever. What came out was green.
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- Thread starter Nayov
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Wow you get the prize for the best ever thread title!
Have you replaced the radiator yet? if not, do it now before it destroys your transmission (unless it's a manual).
Zerex Asian, or the dark green Nissan Long Life, or even Toyota red LLC, or if you can flush it thoroughly, Peak Global. My brother has been procrastinating on changing coolant on his '02 Altima 2.5-but his Nissan Long Life still looks good at 12 years & roughly 95K.
Originally Posted By: Zaedock
Have you replaced the radiator yet? if not, do it now before it destroys your transmission (unless it's a manual).
I did the "by-pass mod" once it was out of warranty. Now, at a pitiful 28,000 miles, it leaks at the bottom seam. So I am replacing the junk OEM USA made Calsonic with a junk Chinese made Denso ($107) but I will reconnect the transmission cooler lines and keep my fingers crossed.
Have you replaced the radiator yet? if not, do it now before it destroys your transmission (unless it's a manual).
I did the "by-pass mod" once it was out of warranty. Now, at a pitiful 28,000 miles, it leaks at the bottom seam. So I am replacing the junk OEM USA made Calsonic with a junk Chinese made Denso ($107) but I will reconnect the transmission cooler lines and keep my fingers crossed.
Originally Posted By: Nayov
What is the proper coolant for a 2005 Nissan Frontier (4.0)? "What does the manual say?" I can hear the collective groaning. Well, it says nothing but to use "approved" Nissan coolant "or equivalent". No specs whatsoever. What came out was green.
Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, etc all use some version of a HOAT (hybrid organic acid technology) that is silicate free and borate free. It uses phosphate instead of silicate. It also contains no 2-EHA, which is used in - for example - Dexcool as the Asians believe it comprises elastomers and gaskets.
The only common aftermarket product is Zerex Asian Vehicle Antifreeze. However, it is a 50/50 premix with demineralized water, so using it for a full flush and fill is something of a problem.
Since they are basically all the same, you can buy any of the current Asian OEM coolants by price alone and use it in the Nissan.
What is the proper coolant for a 2005 Nissan Frontier (4.0)? "What does the manual say?" I can hear the collective groaning. Well, it says nothing but to use "approved" Nissan coolant "or equivalent". No specs whatsoever. What came out was green.
Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, etc all use some version of a HOAT (hybrid organic acid technology) that is silicate free and borate free. It uses phosphate instead of silicate. It also contains no 2-EHA, which is used in - for example - Dexcool as the Asians believe it comprises elastomers and gaskets.
The only common aftermarket product is Zerex Asian Vehicle Antifreeze. However, it is a 50/50 premix with demineralized water, so using it for a full flush and fill is something of a problem.
Since they are basically all the same, you can buy any of the current Asian OEM coolants by price alone and use it in the Nissan.
I go to the nearest dealer of Japanese cars and buy their green stuff.
I remember many years ago, we had 2 water pumps fail on a Mitsubishi and Honda, because dad (and everyone else in the family) thought that green coolants were all the same.
I remember many years ago, we had 2 water pumps fail on a Mitsubishi and Honda, because dad (and everyone else in the family) thought that green coolants were all the same.
Originally Posted By: TrevorS
Wow you get the prize for the best ever thread title!
Agreed. 100 points for effort.
Wow you get the prize for the best ever thread title!
Agreed. 100 points for effort.
You feel that:
"Cooling System Fluids & Additives - Nissan"
Would be a good thread title?
Or that the thread title "Nissan" works when viewed in the sub forum?
The context makes it slightly less worse, in no way does it redeem it!
"Cooling System Fluids & Additives - Nissan"
Would be a good thread title?
Or that the thread title "Nissan" works when viewed in the sub forum?
The context makes it slightly less worse, in no way does it redeem it!
Nissan has only used two types of coolant in the past decade, so it is a pretty useful thread subject. Given the age of the vehicle, the originally specified fluid would be Nissan green. Nissan blue would be an appropriate replacement if the green isn't available.
Well, I'm not going to use a boutique coolant from Nissan or any other source, that's for sure and I don't want to do a color change which would require a thorough flushing session first. I guess since "green is green" I'll use Supertech or Peak from Walmart and be done with it.
Well, green isn't green, as it were, especially if you don't want to do a thorough flushing. Your green will be Nissan green, and that's not exactly a boutique coolant. You can tell absolutely nothing about the chemistry of a coolant by the color.
Prestone all makes is green. So is Zerex conventional green, and Celsius, and plenty of diesel coolants. And they're not all the same as Nissan green. If you want to venture away from OEM stuff, I wouldn't go much further than the Zerex Asian.
Prestone all makes is green. So is Zerex conventional green, and Celsius, and plenty of diesel coolants. And they're not all the same as Nissan green. If you want to venture away from OEM stuff, I wouldn't go much further than the Zerex Asian.
Originally Posted By: Nayov
... I guess since "green is green" I'll use Supertech or Peak from Walmart and be done with it.
As mentioned, when it comes to AF, color is a very unreliable indicator of coolant type and chemistry. Your ST or Peak LL/EL from WM are universal OAT AF's containing 2eha. If your Nissan's gaskets, orings and hoses are compatible with 2eha, that may work just fine. On the other hand.......? Not all green AF is the same.
Don't look for your owners manual to give you much information regarding AF spec, most don't. Your Nissan green was most likely most similar to Toyota Long Life (red). But also as mentioned both Nissan (now blue) and Toyota (now pink) have been superseded and gone to a more extended life coolant designed for longer service interval. Unlike the previous AF's which came as full strength, these are only available as a premix. That being the case, it makes it more difficult to do a complete system flush, but the newer premix AF's should be compatible with your green if it's Nissan. Zerex Asian Formula premix would be the same as the newer asian oems, but if color bother you, it is red-ish in color.
I'll throw out one other option to the asian PHOAT premixes. Peak Global Lifetime is a universal OAT coolant that does not contain 2eha, so it has none of the gasket concerns of the other universals. It is available in full strength from some Napa's and is more of a golden color AF. It's what I'm currently using in my Tacoma, replacing LL red. Just a thought.
... I guess since "green is green" I'll use Supertech or Peak from Walmart and be done with it.
As mentioned, when it comes to AF, color is a very unreliable indicator of coolant type and chemistry. Your ST or Peak LL/EL from WM are universal OAT AF's containing 2eha. If your Nissan's gaskets, orings and hoses are compatible with 2eha, that may work just fine. On the other hand.......? Not all green AF is the same.
Don't look for your owners manual to give you much information regarding AF spec, most don't. Your Nissan green was most likely most similar to Toyota Long Life (red). But also as mentioned both Nissan (now blue) and Toyota (now pink) have been superseded and gone to a more extended life coolant designed for longer service interval. Unlike the previous AF's which came as full strength, these are only available as a premix. That being the case, it makes it more difficult to do a complete system flush, but the newer premix AF's should be compatible with your green if it's Nissan. Zerex Asian Formula premix would be the same as the newer asian oems, but if color bother you, it is red-ish in color.
I'll throw out one other option to the asian PHOAT premixes. Peak Global Lifetime is a universal OAT coolant that does not contain 2eha, so it has none of the gasket concerns of the other universals. It is available in full strength from some Napa's and is more of a golden color AF. It's what I'm currently using in my Tacoma, replacing LL red. Just a thought.
Originally Posted By: Nayov
Originally Posted By: Zaedock
Have you replaced the radiator yet? if not, do it now before it destroys your transmission (unless it's a manual).
I did the "by-pass mod" once it was out of warranty. Now, at a pitiful 28,000 miles, it leaks at the bottom seam. So I am replacing the junk OEM USA made Calsonic with a junk Chinese made Denso ($107) but I will reconnect the transmission cooler lines and keep my fingers crossed.
Be aware, they extended the warranty on this problem to 80K miles with a pro-rate setup to 100K. You may want to look into that before paying for a rad yourself. I have an '05 Xterra and did one last check for cross contamination at the 79,8xx mile mark and sure enough saw some tranny fluid floating in the coolant reservoir but had no drivability issues at all. Ended up with a new transmission and radiator.
Originally Posted By: Zaedock
Have you replaced the radiator yet? if not, do it now before it destroys your transmission (unless it's a manual).
I did the "by-pass mod" once it was out of warranty. Now, at a pitiful 28,000 miles, it leaks at the bottom seam. So I am replacing the junk OEM USA made Calsonic with a junk Chinese made Denso ($107) but I will reconnect the transmission cooler lines and keep my fingers crossed.
Be aware, they extended the warranty on this problem to 80K miles with a pro-rate setup to 100K. You may want to look into that before paying for a rad yourself. I have an '05 Xterra and did one last check for cross contamination at the 79,8xx mile mark and sure enough saw some tranny fluid floating in the coolant reservoir but had no drivability issues at all. Ended up with a new transmission and radiator.
Originally Posted By: sayjac
But also as mentioned both Nissan (now blue) and Toyota (now pink) have been superseded and gone to a more extended life coolant designed for longer service interval. Unlike the previous AF's which came as full strength, these are only available as a premix.
I don't think it's available in the States, but the Nissan dealers here have a blue concentrate, available in one litre jugs, and at a bit of a high price. They do still, fortunately, sell the older green concentrate for those who want it. One litre jugs for antifreeze are a major nuisance.
But also as mentioned both Nissan (now blue) and Toyota (now pink) have been superseded and gone to a more extended life coolant designed for longer service interval. Unlike the previous AF's which came as full strength, these are only available as a premix.
I don't think it's available in the States, but the Nissan dealers here have a blue concentrate, available in one litre jugs, and at a bit of a high price. They do still, fortunately, sell the older green concentrate for those who want it. One litre jugs for antifreeze are a major nuisance.
Originally Posted By: Garak
Well, green isn't green, as it were...
Agreed. My dealership, which is normally quite good, found this out after using bulk "green" for a few years.
They ended up crusting up a bunch of radiators because of the chemistry difference, including mine, which was then owned by a friend who had purchased from me.
They are back to OEM fluids now.
Well, green isn't green, as it were...
Agreed. My dealership, which is normally quite good, found this out after using bulk "green" for a few years.
They ended up crusting up a bunch of radiators because of the chemistry difference, including mine, which was then owned by a friend who had purchased from me.
They are back to OEM fluids now.
I've been using Peak Global Lifetime in the wifes Quest in place of the Nissan green now for a few years with no issues.
Don't think I would use Prestone all makes, its a dex clone.
I would use the Oem Nissan green, Xerex asian, or Peak Global.
Don't think I would use Prestone all makes, its a dex clone.
I would use the Oem Nissan green, Xerex asian, or Peak Global.
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