Another quick coolant question - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

maroonponyina1LE · 08-20-2025, 01:30 AM

Hello,

We have a 2015 1LE with the LS3 motor. It has about 3,500 miles on it. No issues. I presume it will be best to flush the coolant, however, in the next 6-12 months to prevent corrosion, agree? I have no sacrificial zinc plug or anything like that. Stock components and fluid.

Thanks in advance for your replies!

el ess A · 08-20-2025, 06:59 AM

When was it done last? Did you buy it new or just pick it up or...??

I would base it off of the last time you changed the fluid, but it's probably best to change it soon if you don't know, so you'll have a baseline and know the coolant is fresh.

1JEWLDSSRS · 08-20-2025, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by el ess A

When was it done last? Did you buy it new or just pick it up or...??

I would base it off of the last time you changed the fluid, but it's probably best to change it soon if you don't know, so you'll have a baseline and know the coolant is fresh.

^^^^ This. If you're not sure, change it. Good insurance.

maroonponyina1LE · 08-21-2025, 01:42 AM

Thank you for the replies. I bought it new, so it has been very close to a full 10 years with no prior change/flush. (Hard to believe it has been that long.) Just not sure how long the coolant can go before causing corrosion, but agree it seems like extra risk to keep going with the original fluid. Thanks again!

TheBrightSide · 08-22-2025, 04:02 AM

Just change it, as it’s not expensive. Just don’t mix any orange Dexcool with universal coolant, as long term use can generate sludge, from an interaction between the two… Not that it’s a popular choice, but if you choose to run universal coolant, you will want to at the very least, fully drain the cooling system and flush it with some distilled water.

I bought my 2010 2SS manual coupe, with only 18k miles on the odo, in the summer of 2023. When I first changed the coolant, it was super acidic. I quite literally spilled some by accident on grass, and it killed the grass and left an empty patch for the past 2.5+ years now… LOL

But anyways, every time I’ve changed out something like the heater hoses, or the cooling thermostat, I usually just replace the coolant. Not worth trying to re-use, especially if your drain container might not be perfectly clean. Even just draining out my coolant 3 or 4 times in the past 2+ years of owning my most recent Camaro, there’s been black particles (possibly from rubber coolant hoses?), and even that doesn’t make me comfortable enough to re-use it, even having only ran it for 9-12k miles in between coolant changes.

08-20-2025, 01:30 AM	#1
maroonponyina1LE Drives: 2015 1LE Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 94	Another quick coolant question Hello, We have a 2015 1LE with the LS3 motor. It has about 3,500 miles on it. No issues. I presume it will be best to flush the coolant, however, in the next 6-12 months to prevent corrosion, agree? I have no sacrificial zinc plug or anything like that. Stock components and fluid. Thanks in advance for your replies!

08-20-2025, 06:59 AM	#2
el ess A Older Than Dirt Drives: 2010 & 2013 Camaros Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Aiken, SC Posts: 4,685	When was it done last? Did you buy it new or just pick it up or...?? I would base it off of the last time you changed the fluid, but it's probably best to change it soon if you don't know, so you'll have a baseline and know the coolant is fresh. __________________ 2010 2SS TE, 1 of 822/2013 Camaro ZL1 vert, 1 of 54

08-21-2025, 01:42 AM	#4
maroonponyina1LE Drives: 2015 1LE Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 94	Thank you for the replies. I bought it new, so it has been very close to a full 10 years with no prior change/flush. (Hard to believe it has been that long.) Just not sure how long the coolant can go before causing corrosion, but agree it seems like extra risk to keep going with the original fluid. Thanks again!

08-22-2025, 04:02 AM	#5
TheBrightSide Drives: 2010 Chevy Camaro 2SS coupe (MT) Join Date: Jan 2024 Location: Sacramento, CA - USA Posts: 371	Just change it, as it’s not expensive. Just don’t mix any orange Dexcool with universal coolant, as long term use can generate sludge, from an interaction between the two… Not that it’s a popular choice, but if you choose to run universal coolant, you will want to at the very least, fully drain the cooling system and flush it with some distilled water. I bought my 2010 2SS manual coupe, with only 18k miles on the odo, in the summer of 2023. When I first changed the coolant, it was super acidic. I quite literally spilled some by accident on grass, and it killed the grass and left an empty patch for the past 2.5+ years now… LOL But anyways, every time I’ve changed out something like the heater hoses, or the cooling thermostat, I usually just replace the coolant. Not worth trying to re-use, especially if your drain container might not be perfectly clean. Even just draining out my coolant 3 or 4 times in the past 2+ years of owning my most recent Camaro, there’s been black particles (possibly from rubber coolant hoses?), and even that doesn’t make me comfortable enough to re-use it, even having only ran it for 9-12k miles in between coolant changes.