Today, 90 percent of the coolant was blown quickly out of the system while I was driving (in the middle of a blizzard) due to a hose failure. The only coolant close to me was green universal antifreeze, but the engine takes dexcool. Is my water pump going to fail soon? What actions do I need to take now? The truck has just under 350k miles and it’s on original engine/ water pump if that matters.

  • taschnewitz@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    If your water pump fails soon, it won’t be the universal coolant’s fault. I’m surprised you got 350k miles out of the pump.

    At the very least, drain, flush, and refill with either Dexcool or universal coolant. Dexcool doesn’t mix well with ethylene glycol-based coolants, which can lead to gelling.

    I would highly recommend replacing the rest of your radiator hoses and heater core hoses, since they could also pop soon, and coolant isn’t getting any cheaper.

    Optionally, while you have your coolant drained and are replacing hoses, you could replace your water pump, too.