LoudmouthWS6

iTrader: (3)

I went to buy some dex cool and they told me that is bad for aluminum and that it eats away at it. He said the green coolant is better and that i should go with that. Also did gm stop using dex cool? This is the first ive heard of either.

im thinking this might be an O'Reilly's part guy acting like he knows something

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Of course not.

If it was I would have bought a wrecker company with 50 tow trucks and I'd be a multi-millionaire today.


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LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Also....parts people at auto parts stores.....for the most part.....are the dumbest, most ignorant idiots in the world when it comes to automotive knowledge. They're usually high school kids, hippies and people who couldn't get hired at WalMart.

Websites like this are where you find accurate information.

Dexcool has been in my 1998 T/A for 11+ years, everything is crystal clean...and my block has not been eaten away

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LoudmouthWS6

iTrader: (3)

thanks

thats what i thought

eseibel67

iTrader: (10)

I'm sure you haven't had the SAME Dexcool in your TA for 11 years.

OP: Although Dexcool is long life, you do have to flush and change it or it eventually turns into slime.

JeaneZ28

iTrader: (3)

I resent that comment. I used to work at an autoparts store and I would never say something like that.

bore.me

iTrader: (15)

I've pulled apart a saturn engine that overheated with dex-cool inside and the stuff turns solid and generally f*'s up the engine. i'm not saying it overheated because of dex-cool, but it isn't pretty when it does. Get some green coolant or a bottle of WaterWetter (cheaper, cools faster).

4WOFURY

iTrader: (2)

From what I've read, Dex-cool is the stuff that's safe for aluminum, and the green will eat away at it... Just throwing that out there..

eseibel67

iTrader: (10)

When I was in high school, I worked the counter at an auto parts chain store. I was dumb as a stump. If I couldn't find it easily in the mirco fiche, the guy was out of luck. I had lots of potential customers walk away in frustration.

Hey... I was trying.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

My original Dex was in my car from 1998 to 2002 when my new engine went in. It was perfectly clean. I think I may have taken my radiator cap off like twice when it was stock for those 4 years.

Not if the coolant system is sealed properly, it'll last for 10 years. The most common way a cooling system gets compromised is a worn out radiator cap. Otherwise, they last for years and years.

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eseibel67

iTrader: (10)

LS6427: Yes, I've heard that air is what damages Dexcool. My question is this:

Why doesn't the cycle of coolant flowing in and out of the overflow reservoir damage the Dexcool? I believe the screw cap on the reservoir is vented.

JeaneZ28

iTrader: (3)

I guess since I was one of the youngest managers in the chain history that doesn't show how smart everyone else was.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

When people make statements like the one I made, I would think that people would realize it doesn't apply to 100% of every employee at auto parts stores everywhere. There's obviously knowledgable people in some of them.

I go to 3 different auto parts stores, I swear on my life....all but maybe 2-3 people are the most hilarious, dumb, losers that all I can do is let them check me out. And I count my change every time before I walk away.

Just the facts man.....


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Spartan7

iTrader: (7)

Mixing other color coolant with Dex-cool will also turn it to sludge.

Saturn5

http://www.dexcoolsettlement.com/

GM is paying damages to settle a class action lawsuit against them for problems related to Dexcool.

Draw your own conclusions.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Its a rather weak case if Dexcool is still on the shelves and still being used by GM.


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JeaneZ28

iTrader: (3)

My friends car has been running dex cool for 13 years and has over 200,000 miles. Iron block though.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

This doesn't apply to our engine type and doesn't involve the issues being discussed here, so its not really relevant unless someone knows about similar failures in aluminum V8's.

Here are some good materials and collected information on DexCool:
http://taligentx.com/passat/info/flu...fe_Coolant.pdf
http://www.getahelmet.com/jeeps/maint/dexcool/

One thing to note is that DexCool is has a finite shelf life and looses its stability over time. (It will not last the advertised 100K miles if it ages too much.)

slow

iTrader: (7)

no problem with dexcool here, 11 years, and 100K+

Although, since 2002, I've drained the radiator, and refilled it every 2 years.

Ryan

fleetmgr

This has no meaning at all within the realm of whether or not Dexcool is good or bad. It's a case of GM deciding that it's cheaper to pay a settlement than it is to take the case to trial with the accompanying years worth of legal fees. Happens all the time in business at their level. Believe me, they paid very close attention to what happened to McDonalds over a cup of hot coffee, and a jury's attitude toward deep corporate pockets.