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A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL®coolant will:
Give freezing protection down
to−34°F (−37°C).
Give boiling protection up to
265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and
corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine
temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages
work as they should.
Notice:Using coolant other than
DEX-COOL
®can cause premature
engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine
coolant may require changing
sooner, at the rst maintenance
service after each 30,000 miles
(50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs rst. Any
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Always
use DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free)
coolant in the vehicle.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean,
drinkable water and one-half
DEX-COOL
®coolant which will not
damage aluminum parts. If you
use this coolant mixture, you do not
need to add anything else.
{CAUTION
Adding only plain water to
the cooling system can be
dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as
alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will.
The vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper
coolant mixture. With plain
water or the wrong mixture,
the engine could get too hot
but would not get the overheat
warning. The engine could
catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50
mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.Notice:If an improper coolant
mixture is used, the engine could
overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Too much water in the mixture
can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and
other parts.
Notice:If you use extra
inhibitors and/or additives in
your vehicle’s cooling system,
you could damage your vehicle.
Use only the proper mixture of
the engine coolant listed in
this manual for the cooling
system. See Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants in the
Maintenance and Limited
Warranty and Owner Assistance
Information manual.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-13
ProCarManuals.com
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If you get the engine coolant
temperature warning with no sign of
steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. If your air conditioner is on,
turn it off.
2. In heavy traffic, let the engine
idle in N (NEUTRAL) while
stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull
off the road, shift to P (PARK)
or N (NEUTRAL) and let
the engine idle.
3. Turn on your heater to full hot at
the highest fan speed and open
the windows as necessary.If you no longer have the overheat
warning, you can drive. Just to
be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning does not
come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues and you
have not stopped, pull over, stop,
and park your vehicle right away.
If there is still no sign of steam,
you can idle the engine for
three minutes while you are parked.
If you still have the warning, turn
off the engine and get everyone out
of the vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood
but to get service help right away.Cooling System
When you decide it is safe to lift the
hood, this is what you see:
A. Coolant Reservoir
B. Coolant Reservoir Pressure Cap
C. Engine Cooling Fans
(Out of view)
9-16 Vehicle Service and Care
ProCarManuals.com
Page 207 of 304

{CAUTION
An electric engine cooling fan
under the hood can start up
even when the engine is not
running and can cause injury.
Keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from any underhood
electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant
reservoir is boiling, do not do
anything else until it cools down.
The vehicle should be parked on a
level surface.
The coolant level should be at or
above the KALT/COLD mark on the
coolant reservoir. If it is not, you
may have a leak at the coolant
reservoir pressure cap or in
the radiator hoses, heater hoses,
radiator, water pump, or somewhere
else in the cooling system.
{CAUTION
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there
is a leak. If you run the engine,
it could lose all coolant.
That could cause an engine
re, and you could be burned.
Get any leak xed before you
drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak,
with the engine on, check to see
if the electric engine cooling fans are
running. If the engine is overheating,
both fans should be running.
If they are not, your vehicle needs
service.Notice:Engine damage from
running the engine without
coolant is not covered by the
warranty.
Notice:Using coolant other
than DEX-COOL
®can cause
premature engine, heater core,
or radiator corrosion. In addition,
the engine coolant could require
changing sooner, at 30,000 miles
(50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs rst. Any
repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Always
use DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free)
coolant in the vehicle.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-17
ProCarManuals.com
Page 208 of 304