Antifreeze...

[Mad Myche]

So I have this new to me 99, and I know it has some variation of a non-green antifreeze in it with 192K on the ticker.
Yes, I am going to get it flushed.
Yes, I am going to replace with some other coolant flavor. I understand the problems with Dex-Cool
Yes, I am going to drain the clean water flush out of it and use distilled

Should I use one of the super-flush chemical products? Or will standard water flushing do the trick?

Are there any other long-life coolants that are OK?
Any recommended additives to improve the heat transfer of the AF/Water mixture?

[J Wikoff]

If you take off the radiator cap and the thermostat, and there's no orangy brown crap to be seen, a standard flush will be fine. If there's goop, you're gonna need a really good flush.

Prestone Mixes with any is a popular choice.

[00Beast]

Any "Mixes with any color" coolant will be fine, name brand or no.

Yes, use a flushing solution.

I had a bottle of Royal Purple "Purple Ice" lying around, and poured half of it in the radiator. Hasn't helped or hurt anything that I've seen.

[SSEiMan01]

I had a bottle of Royal Purple "Purple Ice" lying around, and poured half of it in the radiator. Hasn't helped or hurt anything that I've seen.

At one time I had some purple ice in my car, at one changing of the ten billion coolant elbows, it was flushed out. I haven't noticed a change.

[underpressure03]

If you're wanting to use a proven coolant system additive, I recommend Redline Water Wetter.
http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=74&pcid=10
Edit* Not saying the Royal Purple product isn't effective, I just haven't had any experience with it. I've had great results with this product though I have to say, in all honesty, I doubt you need it for your application.

[Mad Myche]

Maybe I'll hold off on the additives, I can hardly get the temp gauge above 120* at the moment. On the Cherokee I had, it was actually converted to Dex which dropped the actual head temperature 20*

And I suppose I should look into swapping gaskets, as I have neither a clue when/if system was flushed nor what gaskets are in it

[jedwards83]

Any of the long-life antifreeze blends will work.

I try to use the Dex-cool labeled stuff, since it doesn't contain silicates. A lot of the "mixes with any" antifreezes are a hybrid type which combines organic acids and silicates, the latter being what extended-life antifreezes were designed to replace.

Early on, GM's choice of 2-EHA for the organic acid in their long life antifreeze caused early gasket wear, as the acid would attack nylon and most plastics. This is where the horror stories originate.

I don't know if GM branded Dexcool uses 2-EHA any longer, but all of the Dexcool labeled antifreeze available from parts stores use Carboxylate, an organic acid that Chrysler and VW helped pioneer. This additive is safe to use and won't harm plastics, so don't be afraid of using the stuff labeled "Dex-Cool". You can check the manufacturers' MSDS if you're unsure which additive they use.

[redzmonte]

look in your radiator, if its gummy and brown and nasty may want to pull the radiator and have it cleaned. radiator shops can clean them... basically boil them clean if i understand correctly.

S