Zerex Pre-Mix, black jug- what type?

[UncleS2]

Today in a Big Lots store I saw some Zerex pre-mixed antifreeze, $5/gal. I've looked on the Zerex website & can't find any information about it.

The jug is black, as is most of the label. Even the label on back is mostly black with light or white letters, difficult to read. It says "Heavy Duty", but says nothing about DexCool or G-05 anywhere on it. The tiny ingredient list on back lists ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, some kind of phosphate(s), and (sodium?)silicates. On the front I think it said something about low silicates. At the Zerex website, they claim their current conventional/traditional antifreeze has low silicates.

From those ingredients my guess is that the mysterious black jug Zerex pre-mix is traditional antifreeze- but I'm not sure. It's probably a discontinued type, or at least a discontinued package. sorry my memory can't be more specific.

Does anyone know for sure what this stuff is? At $5/gal, it seemed a decent value.

 

[Ray H]

The ingredients list verifies it's a reduced silicate conventional formula. (not older green-snot-o'-death) "Heavy-Duty" suggests it may be intended for use in large diesel engines in which periodically recharging the additive package is an acceptable means to economize in lieu of periodic total changeouts. If it's reasonably fresh, it'd be good to go for 24 mos./30,000 mile changeouts in cars and light trucks. Some might push it further - I'm not one of 'em.

 

[Buford T. Justice]

It's the old type green that has been pre-mixed with distilled water (50/50). Zerex's green doesn't go overboard on the silicates.

 

[jmacmaster]

Its not worth buying. Why would you want to pay $2.50 for 2 quarts of water?

 

[UncleS2]

Jmac, being "thrifty" myself, I tend to agree. Plus I want full-strength to compensate for the water left in the system when flushing. But it's lower priced than other premixes I've seen locally.

Of course, locally the lowest price for distilled water is $.64/gal + tax- gotta count those pennies!

In fact, antifreeze seems fairly high around here. Best price I've seen on the full-strength stuff is $6.88/gal for WallyWorld's "one size fits all" near-DexClone- and I don't want to use that, good though it may be. Next best price is the $8/gal *total* for good ole blue-jug Peak conventional at Jim's Auto Parts right here in town. For conventional antifreeze, Peak, Zerex, & house brands may be the only ones left.

Biggest surprise for me so far- trying to find G-05! That's what convinced me to stick with conventional, at least this time around. Finally saw Zerex gold-jug G-05 at Pep Boys yesterday- for $11.99/gal!

Mebbe for fall '07 I'll give it an uber-flush & switch over. Mebbe.

 

[Buford T. Justice]

You can get G-05 in yellow color at any Ford dealership for about $11/jug. You can also get it in red/orange color at any Dodge dealership. A lot of Farm & Home Supply stores carry Zerex as well.