![]() These issues have caused problems even in cast-iron engines such as the 4.3-liter V6 and in the 4.3 and 5.7 V8s in GMs rear-drive sedans. GM thought it bought some time with the extended-life Dex-Cool it began using in its 1996 cars, but it's been discovering that neglect leads to low coolant levels and low antifreeze concentrations. Volkswagen (whose cooling systems on its rear-drive vans were among the nearly impossible to drain) has never even had a specified drain interval-just an annual inspection. The vehicle manufacturers recognized this problem years ago, but no one had any great solutions. Although the public buys most of the antifreeze today, more cooling systems than not are totally neglected. Problem is, most rads hold as little as 25% of total system capacity, so that doesn't help much, particularly on today's cars, which need great anticorrosion protection for their aluminum engines and heat exchangers. Or the radiator may get a 50/50 mix-or maybe just water. Maybe it's a couple of gallons of pure antifreeze, but today the kind that's used is critical. That someone is the public, which may drain the radiator every couple of years and pour in.well, who knows what or how much. Something or someone obviously is not making sense. And historically, replacing it has been considered so simple that three-quarters of the stuff is being sold to do-it-yourselfers. The "it" we're talking about, of course, is antifreeze/coolant. And finally, it's impossible to keep it all in because it leaks out or escapes in other ways. Deciding what to put in often is a puzzle, and when you finally do make a choice, you can hardly get it all in. It's impossible to get it all out, and when you remove as much as you can, it can be a problem to dispose of.
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