I went to NAPA to buy GO5 Zerex and ...

[davvver]

I called all part stores in my city and they do not sell Zerex GO5. Apparently it isnt sold in Canada...

The nearest Volvo dealership is 8 hours away from me. Any reccommendations on what I should do to get a coolant flush?

[MacNoob]

Check Walmart and maybe other NAPAs. That's where I last bought mine.

[jblackburn]

Do you have a Ford/Mercedes/Toyota dealer anywhere nearby? These cars all use similar coolants.

Ford/Mercedes's is called G-05 coolant as well.

[kcodyjr]

Check out the Pentafrost on FCP. I got enough concentrate for 2 vehicles for $60.

[KEWROCK]

the clerk there energetically talked me out of it. I thought people on this forum agreed it's the best/original and should be used in the '93 850. So I didn't buy any until looking further into it. He said if I only want a phosphate-free antifreeze, NAPA has its own brand, but that's not the best thing to use, either, in the 850. Part of the reason was it's a long life coolant and leaving it in that long will cause harm to sensitive parts. He said, use the green stuff, Prestone (which by the way NAPA has on rebate special through October). So, my coolant right now is tap water and want to get some coolant in there soon. WHICH ONE SHOULD I USE?

Also, the NAPA guy did sell me some "15 minute flush/cleaner" which he said he has used for years. Is that a good thing to run in your cooling system? Or just flush it with water?

If you're still looking for Zerex Go5. I got it from Amazon.com cheaper than Prestone stuff at the auto parts stores. Free shipping and no sales tax(for most of the country). I think it was $12 for the uncut strength. I looked everywhere in the Queens/Long Island area for it. NOBODY carries it. I don't understand why, it's the only private brand coolant to meet Volvo and late model Ford Escape specs for full replacement. The back of the bottle has a chart that clearly states Volvo and Ford Escape. And I have both. Prestone is very vague on their claim. They say "can be MIXED with any brand or color" and they give you topping off instructions. But no mention of full flush and refill. To me that's misleading and dishonest, because it's NOT the proper replacement and they know it. But People see "any brand, any color" in big print, and think is the same stuff. Prestone makes no attempt to clarify the claim.

EDIT: Duh! I can't believe I answered a post from October. Well somebody else might find it helpful.

[urbex]

EDIT: Duh! I can't believe I answered a post from October. Well somebody else might find it helpful.

THANK YOU, as well as the other people that replied today. Had davvver not replied to it, I likely would never have seen this thread, and would have continued on with no clue that there were more than just the "Big 3" coolants - the old school green, new school long life, and Dex-Cool, nor would I have known that I was supposed to use something different in these Volvos. It's something I would never even thought to ask about.

That said, while picking up some other stuff at my local O'Reillys store (what used to be Checker, Schucks, Kragen, or Murrays in many locations), I found that they do stock the Zerex G05 coolant @$15.99/gallon, but my store didn't put it out on the shelves. Had to specifically ask for it.

[tjts1]

Going on 210k miles of the cheapest green coolant money can buy. I flush it out every 2 tears. Will let you know when it blows up

[urbex]

Going on 210k miles of the cheapest green coolant money can buy. I flush it out every 2 tears. Will let you know when it blows up

every 2 tears? Damn...given that my other car is a GM, I'd be flushing the coolant every 2 weeks!

[davvver]

LOL yeah its an old post but I always try to find the answer first before I post it or at least continue with one that is already here. Thanks for the advice I went to Walmart even though the Canadian website didnt show them having G05 and I couldnt find it. When i ask the girl working there she said they dont have it but she went to look anywhere and there on the bottom shelf was 4 jugs of 50/50 staring right at me (so I grabbed them).

Not one store in Timmins had them. I would have driving to Toronto (8 hrs) away to get a proper volvo flush!

BTW I had no idea either volvo needed specific stuff... my car has been getting the green stuff replaced every 2 years? Do i need to do anything else when changing it to Zerex aside from a flush?

[jblackburn]

Nah; I used green Prestone for a long time. When I changed the radiator/heater core, I figured I'd do it right this time.

Flush it out with distilled water first, then make the switch.

The difference between this and the "green stuff" is that it's a coolant with hybrid-organic additives with both silicate and organic acid corrosion inhibitors. I'm not going to dive into the chemistry behind it, or I'll look like a dork. Basically, it keeps deposits from building up on parts of your cooling system/engine block that the green stuff can't do once it loses all the silicates in its mixture after 1-2 years.

Other good news? You won't have to change this coolant as often.