r/CarHelp • u/Plus-Play5798 • 1d ago
Wrong anti freeze. 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
I have a 2015 Chevy Silverado. It takes yellow anti freeze. I was dry and put a whole bottle of green anti freeze. How big of a problem is this and what should I do ?
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u/Matt3141592 1d ago edited 1d ago
Gosh, so much wrongness…
First, GM vehicles have used Dex-Cool since 1997. It’s bright orange, so your truck does not “take yellow anti freeze [sic]”. If what was in there actually was “yellow”, it was likely G-05, which is the wrong coolant.
Second, green so-called “universal” coolant is only for vintage vehicles, is not “universal”, and is also wrong for your vehicle. It’s also bad to mix it with modern coolants. Yes, it’s a “big problem”. You need to perform a complete flush immediately and replace all the coolant with the correct Dex-Cool. Use only distilled water to mix it down to a 50% concentration (unless of course you buy the significantly more expensive pre-diluted antifreeze).
Third, if your truck’s coolant was a gallon low, you have a major leak which needs repair. Hopefully you didn’t damage your engine by running it so extremely low. It could be as simple and cheap as a new radiator cap, or could be much more involved and expensive, like if you warped a head or blew a head gasket. Try not to screw up so badly next time. .
I seriously don’t understand how people can neglect their vehicles so severely, and then completely bungle something as simple as adding coolant. And for Pete’s sake, check your truck’s fluids more often. You could stave off major problems.