Thread: I need antifreeze help quick!

I wasn't thinking when I changed my thermostat today and put green universal antifreeze in. Don't ask why I didn't think it was a bad idea. Is universal really universal? I had dexcool in it before I changed it. I realize that I only changed half of the liquid when I drained the radiator. Is it a problem or did I basically just change the color of the liquid. I just need to know that it is not going to mess up my car.

Well you can't mix dexcool and green/yellow universal coolant, it will sludge up and become nasty.

Ok so now what do I do? I have to drive 200 miles tomorrow. Will it sludge up before then?

Flush it. Refill with green.

In 200 miles not likely, but can turn a nasty color from getting mixed in.

How much did you put in?

If you had time now, you can trying doing a quick coolant flush and refill with dexcool.

How do you flush it? What's the best way to do that?

I pull the upper rad hose with the engine warm and the thermostat open and just run a garden hose in there until clear water comes out of the thermostat housing. Then drive it for a little bit and do it again. Then pull the lower hose and then refill with coolant.

Sooooo dex or universal in the refill

green in the refill

Originally Posted by dsmuts

I pull the upper rad hose with the engine warm and the thermostat open and just run a garden hose in there until clear water comes out of the thermostat housing. Then drive it for a little bit and do it again. Then pull the lower hose and then refill with coolant.

doing this with the t stat out is much faster, only so much comes out when the t stat opens, when the cold hose water get to the t stat, it shuts again, so it s like 1/2 gallon spurts.

How many gal does the car hold total?

a bout 3.

flush it till clear water comes out the upper hose, then take the hose out, aka turn the water off. then run the car till water stops coming out of the upper hose, turn off the engine, then hook it all back up, hose, t stat, and dump 1 gallon of full strength coolant in the rad, top it off with water, run it fill it, bleed it.