Dave, If your car has traditional glycol antifreeze, then this is what you should replace it with. The newer "orange" antifreeze found in mopars, gm's etc. Will do Damage to older systems. Seems the materials used, especially on the radiators and heaters to attach the hose fittings gets eroded by a mild acid contained in the newer extended life antifreeze. I have seen 3 cars to date where the change was made, and shortly afterward there were leaks, at the most unlikey places.

My own advise to those I help service and keep running, if it's Glycol, stay with it and do the 2 yr/30K replacement. It's worth the preventative maintanence in the long run.:-)

(1) I've often read that phosphates and other chemicals (dont remembrer their names) found in regular antifreize are bad for aluminum engines and radiators.

Newer long duration stuff dont have those chemicals and are usually recommended for that reason amongst others. What's the score on this?

(2) On my 96 Brighton, the cooling system was filled with the green stuff when I bought it used and I replaced it with the orange stuff 3 years ago.

Not a leak anywhere since that time*.

Just my experience.

Maybe there's another factor involved in those leaking cooling system.

 

* I've removed the radiator a short time ago to replace the timing belt and i could see no unusual corrosion where the hoses connect to the radiator. Moreover, but I'm not absolutely sure about that, i think I remember the oultet and/or the inlet hose fitting(s) of the radiator was (were) plastic.

Well, it does make a difference. No doubt the cars leave the factory with components and chemicals that don't produce problems.

 

However, once the car has been out of warranty for a while, you could run into problems since history gets patchy. Electrolytic corrosion of either the engine or radiator are most likely. Hoses usually just break down due to age.

 

Find out which coolant additive the handbook recommends, and take note of whether the radiator is the original or not. (Cu vs Al)