Engine Coolant - which is correct

[fax1]

From the 2010 Infiniti EX35 Owners Manual:
When adding or replacing coolant, be sure to
use only a Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or equivalent with
the proper mixture ratio shown in the following
chart. The life expectancy of the factory fill
coolant is 105,000 miles (168,000 km) or
7 years.
From the 2010 Infiniti EX35 Service & Maintenance Guide:
60,000 MILES OR 48 MONTHS
❑ Replace engine coolant

My 2010 EX has the Blue Coolant.

[AWGD8]

My 2008 EX35 has a green coolant. I was told that the blue are already premixed with water, whereas the green needs to mix with water.

I think 2010 started to use the blue one. I am not 100% sure.

[CustomLowz]

I think calling the dealer would be the best bet. Or even wait until your engine is cooled down, and pop the rad cap off and look at what coolant your current vehicle has. Then just purchase the same

[CDNicecube]

From the 2010 Infiniti EX35 Owners Manual:
When adding or replacing coolant, be sure to
use only a Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or equivalent with
the proper mixture ratio shown in the following
chart. The life expectancy of the factory fill
coolant is 105,000 miles (168,000 km) or
7 years.
From the 2010 Infiniti EX35 Service & Maintenance Guide:
60,000 MILES OR 48 MONTHS
❑ Replace engine coolant

My 2010 EX has the Blue Coolant.

We are getting two different advice... Which one is correct? The owner manual says 105000 miles / 7 years, but then the service manual says 60,000 miles/4 years? I did not notice this. Is this latter one for severe schedule?

[NJGuy]

The 2010 factory service manual gives a recommended coolant replacement interval of 60K miles/4 years and then 30K miles/2 years thereafter for both Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 maintenance. The FSM also says to use the "Genuine Nissan Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant or equivalent".

However, for the coolant replacement the FSM also notes "* Maintenance items and intervals with “*” are recommended by INFINITI for reliable vehicle operation. The owner need not perform such maintenance in order to maintain the emission warranty or manufacturer recall liability. Other maintenance items and intervals are
required."

Here's my take on the issue:
1. I've found that Infiniti's recommendations for maintenance items have been a bit vague when compared to some other automakers. I've only had Hondas prior to my EX, and in comparison they seem more exact with their recommended maintenance.
2. Infiniti kind of leaves things open ended when they say to use the "Genuine Nissan Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant or equivalent". What exactly would be equivalent? While it's usually best to stick with the OEM formula, I'm sure that there are aftermarket products that would work fine. However, I don't know how long they would offer protection for. So to be safe, a 30K/2 year change interval for an aftermarket fluid seems conservative enough to me.
3. Maybe I'm a bit biased, but I think if you ask the dealership, they'll respond, "60K is correct. Would you like to schedule an appointment? $$ $$"
4. Which is the right answer for the coolant change interval? I say both. I believe that if Infiniti had stated at some point that the coolant is good for 7 years/105K, then it is. But it also might not be a bad idea to replace it a bit earlier as well if you really want to care for the car, keep it a long time, and fend off potential problems down the road. I guess it comes down to your personal preference and risk tolerance. I think it's up to you as the owner and I'd say to go with what you feel more comfortable with.

I apologize if I've muddied things up some more and made your decision a bit more complicated .

[EXceptional]

Is there a thread for doing a Coolant swap on a EX35?

[mikey1951]

I use Dexcool 50% dist h2o on 2008

[NJGuy]

You are a brave soul. I thought that Dexcool had deservedly earned the nickname "Deathcool". My parents had a GM vehicle that developed a major issue (because, you know, GM from the '90s). Their mechanic fixed the problem (probably the lower intake manifold gasket) and changed the system over to standard green coolant.

Actually, using Dexcool nowadays very likely won't result in the destruction of plastics and other materials in a car's cooling system. I think I've seen some guys running it in makes other than GM models, maybe in a Honda or some motorcycle application, without any issues.

If I had to choose an aftermarket antifreeze/coolant though, I think I'd go with either Zerex Asian Vehicle Antifreeze/Coolant or Peak Global Lifetime antifreeze & coolant. But since coolant changes are quite infrequent, I don't have any issue paying extra for the OEM Nissan stuff.