NDFORSPD

Hey guys, was just skimmin thru a few threads and have a question about dex-cool and how good it is overall? I have been told from several 3800 sites to GET RID of it ASAP!!! and fully flush out and replace with prestone or like coolants. I am trying to stay as STOCK as possible(with the exception of the motor oil), but i dont wanna hurt the longevity of the motor. I hear dex-cool causes corrosion and sludges up badly and can cause block damage(but this is ALL hearsay, without anything to back it up either way). I would far rather flush the fluid every 3 yrs and stick with the dex, lol the 7yr service life is def a lil long(lol, like spark plug service life ) What are you guys running and WHY?

THE_SUPRA

my mothers caddy is laiden with coolant leaks and every mechanic i have ever heard has said that dex-cool is to blame.

GET RID OF IT!!!!!!!! besides its probibly time for a flush and fill any way...

ChocoTaco369

dexcool's kind of a pain. it sludges up when it comes in contact with oxygen. it SAYS it's good for 5 years/150,000 miles, but that's not accurate in the real world. you should change it out every 2 years or so just like the green coolant. my dexcool was 5 years old i assume. i bought a 2001 car last year, so it should have been right around the change interval. i flushed the system and my water pump started leaking because the damn dexcool ate the seals. i got a new water pump, flushed the system 4 or 5 times and went to the green coolant about a month ago.

if your dexcool is stock and is 5 years old or more, you may find yourself replacing your water pump. there is only ONE advantage to dexcool, and that is that it is actually less corrosive than the green antifreeze and is therefore on paper a superior choice for an aluminum block. if you want to switch to green, you HAVE to change your antifreeze every 2 years or 25,000 miles or else the block may begin corroding. the dexcool has less of a chance of corroding the block, but it also SEEMS to have a greater chance of gunking up, eating through seals/hoses and damaging the water pump and such. if you're the type of person that regularly maintains their car, consider switching to green, but only if you're 100% sure you have ALL the dexcool out of there. flush the system several times, don't just do it once. remember, even if you get it all out of the radiator, it's still in the engine block and heater core. my buddy's brother is a mechanic and he tries to switch everyone with dexcool over to the green antifreeze. he got me to do it. time will tell if it was a good decision.

NDFORSPD

I am gonna go thru my service recs, but I did do a major service(which incl a flush) 2 summers ago this yr, So i think I'll at least do another flush this year again. the car WAS being driven a lot in the first 4 yrs of its life 7500mi/yr, now it gets about 1500mi/yr so id assume that flushes should prob. become a bi-yearly deal just to keep it fresh and non sludgy, the car sits a fair amount. I def. want to keep the stocker w/p for as long as possible. I guess for the long haul the dex may be the way to go? my resevoir needs to be cleaned again for sure(bit gungy on the sides)

ChocoTaco369

i really can't answer that question for you. every car behaves differently. i can tell you that green antifreeze has a much better track record in cars and is far less problematic. maybe if your car is a keeper and you perform regular service on it, you should switch. just know that most people run dexcool without a problem, but still a much higher margin of people have a problem with it than green. it's a tough choice. just FWIW, if you ever get a whole new engine, DEFINITELY start green from the get-go. green is by far the superior coolant as it's far less problematic and is age-old and time-tested. the only thing you'd have to worry about is mixing the dexcool and green. if you can put that fear behind you and you flush everything properly, there should be no problem. there's risks no matter what you do.

THE_SUPRA

why not just change it? i dont think, even the most avid collector is nit pickey enough about not having factory coolant in the car...

adillhoff

Not many of you will believe this, but I swap heads and cams more often then I change my oil. Of course I change coolant every time I swap. One of my heads is cracked, so here comes another h/c swap and haven't changed my oil since.. It has only been 5,000 miles.

miamifan3413

iTrader: (1)

The reason for the corrosion is called electrolysis.....if the coolant isn't changed often enough it starts to get an electrical charge which causes the metal to breakdown.....either coolant is sufficient, changing it at proper intervals is the key to longevity of your cooling system

Kalgorn

iTrader: (6)

Any write-ups on flushing coolant? I know for a fact that mine needs to be done and I should switch to green. The fill cap is all gunked up from the orange.

oakleyman

there is plently of things floating around on the internet. do a quick search. But to be honest if i was trying to get all the old **** out and new in i would prob go to a shop in which the machine vacuums out almost all of it then replaces it with the new. Def help out if you know someone who owns a shop. I know its pretty expensive considering there are others ways to do it yourself but IMO do not get as much out!

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

The problem isn't with the dexcool, the problem is with the recommended change interval. 150K is way too long.

Dexcool won't cause you any problems so long as you keep it changed often and don't let the system run low on coolant. As stated above, when significant amounts of air come in contact with it, that's when you'll see the sludge.

Just how often it should be changed depends on usage. In my daily drivers, I usually have the system completely flushed every 2-3 years.

To address the question asked above in regards to a change interval for cars that sit a lot, both my Camaro and Trans Am are/were driven about 1500 miles per year. Here is what I do with them: Every spring I drain whatever I can out of the radiator and refill with fresh coolant (usually about a gallon). I know this is only part of the capacity of the cooling system, but by doing it annually (every 1000-1500 miles) I'm always introducing fresh coolant to the system. With such limited driving, this seems to work fine. I have yet to ever have a coolant leak or sludge build-up in either car with this method.

2001somws.6

iTrader: (1)

Been useing dex-cool the hole time. I just changed it at 35k and been runing fine no leaks or sluge.

N3V3RL8T

iTrader: (2)

I will never use dex-cool or the conventional green stuf. As a mechanic I would recomend "extended life" antifreeze. extended life (napa brand) will mix with red or green coolant without any problems and it is 5 years or 150000 miles . At the three shops ive worked at, thats all they use unless the customer wants something different.

LS1Silverado05

iTrader: (41)

I just got a class action lawsuit form in the mail today for GM/Dex-Cool Vs the New Car Buyer....apparently GM is being taken to the table for numerous gasket leaks, and replacements among other problems. The suit in this case appears to be on V6s like the 3.Xs and the 4.3 .. I dont know much about it, but none of it sounded good.

NHRAMAN

iTrader: (1)

I am keeping DEXCOOL in mine...never a problem.

Riptide

Having worked on cars for years and seeing what Dexcool does in S10's and Blazers, I was a bit leary about the pink stuff that came in my 99 Z. I found floaties in the coolant of my Z @ 12,000 miles. Shortly after, I flushed the system and switched to the green stuff while doing a thermostat swap. That was 8 years and nearly 60,000 miles ago, and still no worries.

My line of thinking is... I'd rather replace the coolant every couple of years than have to replace the heater core and everything else in the cooling system at 100k.

NDFORSPD

I didnt realize there was another thread like this goin on in another section. is there a different type of dex-cool of aluminum blocks and another for iron blocks?