Generation III External Engine LS1 | LS6 | Bolt-Ons | Intakes | Exhaust | Ignition | Accessories
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Antifreeze

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 20, 2009 | 11:05 PM
  #1  
Animal323's Avatar
Thread Starter
On The Tree
 
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 133
Likes: 0
Default Antifreeze

I looked at the other sections on the forum don't no were to post it so im putting it were i no everyone will see it. I no i have to use dexcool but ive been reading alot that it blows the head gasket and its not good. Have you guys had a problem? If so what do you recommend? Manual says to use it silicate free but im not gunna use something thats bad for the car.
Reply
Old May 20, 2009 | 11:51 PM
  #2  
CayenneRedV6's Avatar
TECH Regular
iTrader: (8)
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 430
Likes: 0
From: Upstate, SC
Default

I hate dexcool personally. So I flushed the coolant system and used the green stuff. I run the same temps I did before.
Reply
Old May 20, 2009 | 11:55 PM
  #3  
CayenneRedV6's Avatar
TECH Regular
iTrader: (8)
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 430
Likes: 0
From: Upstate, SC
Default

But I have always heard that it can be harmful and eat gaskets. I don't know if it's true or not. Plus when it goes bad it capes up and turns to sludge.
Reply
Old May 21, 2009 | 10:19 AM
  #4  
jam01's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 734
Likes: 0
From: south jersey. again
Default

i have never had a problem with dexcool. i am due for a flush soon along with new hoses and such. you are supposed to use distilled water with it and im pretty sure along with the green stuff.im pretty sure the dexcool is supposed to be aluminum friendly, radiator block heads not really sure if that is the case tho. good luck
Reply
Old May 21, 2009 | 09:32 PM
  #5  
Animal323's Avatar
Thread Starter
On The Tree
 
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 133
Likes: 0
Default

Whats the green stuff? I checked my coolant it looks like tan sludge thats why i was asking about the dexcool
Reply
Old May 21, 2009 | 10:47 PM
  #6  
jam01's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 734
Likes: 0
From: south jersey. again
Default

Originally Posted by Animal323
Whats the green stuff? I checked my coolant it looks like tan sludge thats why i was asking about the dexcool
the stuff they used before dexcool. when dexcool first came out in the 90's, we were told to only use it with distilled water. i do not know if anything has changed, except the fact some people dont like it.
Reply
Old May 22, 2009 | 12:59 AM
  #7  
CayenneRedV6's Avatar
TECH Regular
iTrader: (8)
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 430
Likes: 0
From: Upstate, SC
Default

Originally Posted by Animal323
Whats the green stuff? I checked my coolant it looks like tan sludge thats why i was asking about the dexcool
The green stuff is what every other car besides GM's uses. And if your coolant looks like sludge you need to have it flushed.
Reply
Old May 22, 2009 | 01:22 AM
  #8  
Mumbles's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,470
Likes: 4
From: SouthEastern Iowa
Default

Does anyone have a legitimate reason not to like Dexcool? Give me a "for example."
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
story-5

Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

 
story-9

10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

 Verdad Gallardo
Old May 22, 2009 | 01:32 AM
  #9  
Breathing Fire's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 531
Likes: 0
From: Pocatello Idaho
Default

Have it flushed with dex. It is more resistant to turning acidic than green. Not that green is bad by any means. Never use non distilled water it messes up the ph balance. I use green only because it is cheaper and I never go more than 25-30k between flushes anyway so I don't spend it on dex. I'm a freak about my fluids always being clean and fresh. All the car companies use dex now anyway it is just pink instead so they can charge more when you need a flush.
Reply
Old May 22, 2009 | 01:43 AM
  #10  
SMOKNSS's Avatar
11 Second Club
15 Year Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 879
Likes: 0
From: Alabama
Default

I always flush the systems I own/work on regularly and replace with green. The first LSXs we put together and the other GM vehicles that we have worked on start getting this crusty like stuff built up inside the coolant passages in the gaskets. I dont know if it is due to mixing with no distilled water or something of that nature but all systems I have owned are flushed/changed at proper intervals. Never had that problem with green, so I just always switch to green.
Reply
Old May 22, 2009 | 09:02 AM
  #11  
jam01's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 734
Likes: 0
From: south jersey. again
Default

this is more of a question than a solution, and i might help in costs. does boiling water constitute distilled. or is there more to it, i hate spending money on things i dont have too. i have just moved to florida and i havent gotten my moonshine still yet.
Reply
Old May 22, 2009 | 09:34 AM
  #12  
bigboykilroy's Avatar
11 Second Club
iTrader: (48)
 
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 730
Likes: 4
From: Aurora, Ohio
Default

they say not to use the green is the ls because it reacts with the aluminum
Reply
Old May 22, 2009 | 09:37 PM
  #13  
Unertl42's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (63)
 
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,041
Likes: 0
From: IA
Default

Distilled water is pure water with no impurities. It's made by boiling water and the steam (pure water) condenses in a different clean container.
Reply
Old May 22, 2009 | 10:27 PM
  #14  
01WS6er's Avatar
Launching!
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
From: alabama
Default

I drain the dex crap out of all my GM vehicles. All my vehicles run the Blue BMW coolant. I get it free since I am a BMW tech. If it works for magnesium and aluminum in BMW's it will sure as hell work on my GM cars.
Reply
Old May 23, 2009 | 01:45 PM
  #15  
Animal323's Avatar
Thread Starter
On The Tree
 
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 133
Likes: 0
Default

http://www.hardwareandtools.com/invt/u743138 i was thinking this it says add no water or the normal prestone bottle and ws6er the bimmer stuff works never messed anything up for you got paid yesterday almost bout the prestone ten min ago just wanna confirm real quick the guy said it takes 3 one gallon bottles if that sounds rite to you guys.
Reply
Old May 23, 2009 | 02:03 PM
  #16  
red fury's Avatar
11 Second Club
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 836
Likes: 3
From: Arnaudville, LA
Default

I am just running distilled water and a bottle of RedLine Water weater. I just left a small amount of dex in the block that was left over after I did my H/C. Temps are very stable. We don't have hard winters down here in La.
Reply
Old May 23, 2009 | 07:20 PM
  #17  
integraxtc's Avatar
TECH Resident
iTrader: (11)
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 790
Likes: 0
From: Chicago, northside
Default

Originally Posted by Animal323
http://www.hardwareandtools.com/invt/u743138 i was thinking this it says add no water or the normal prestone bottle and ws6er the bimmer stuff works never messed anything up for you got paid yesterday almost bout the prestone ten min ago just wanna confirm real quick the guy said it takes 3 one gallon bottles if that sounds rite to you guys.
WTF!

Punctuation

USE IT

Reply
Old May 23, 2009 | 10:13 PM
  #18  
01WS6er's Avatar
Launching!
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
From: alabama
Default

Never had any problems with any of my vehicle. I have it in my 02 2500hd 6.0l, my bros 01 5.2 tahoe (has 200k on it now) My 02 BMW 02 325 of course, 01 WS6 25k, 94 s15 w/4.3 145k, 01 sonoma 2.2l 210k, My 78 camaro with built sb about 5k, and anything else that I do coolant on.

Warranty pays for a gallon every time we do thermostats and I only have to use maybe 2 cups. Not to mention when we do coolant flushes, we mix it 50/50 and most cars only hold 1 gallon total.
Reply
Old May 25, 2009 | 09:43 PM
  #19  
Firefighterformula's Avatar
Staging Lane
 
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Appomattox, VA
Default

Originally Posted by Mumbles
Does anyone have a legitimate reason not to like Dexcool? Give me a "for example."

FOR EXAMPLE...

My girlfriend's 2000 Blazer started belching this nasty, orange "goo" out of the overflow pipe from the reservoir. I took it back home to investigate. I still am not sure what happened, but EVERYTHING in the cooling system had a coating of the stuff on it. It looked kind of like that aerosol insulation you can buy...but it's consistency was a bit more fluid. Hard to explain. Did some research online and saw that there was actually a CLASS ACTION SUIT against GM due to things like this. Apparently people would take their vehicles to the stealership and would require $800-$1000 in repairs. Fried gaskets, water pumps, clogged radiators, and everything in between. It took FOREVER to get this **** out of the cooling system and I will NEVER put it back in anything else I own.

Just make sure if you do decide to switch, that you get ALL of the DEX-COOL out before you add the green stuff. I've heard that it precipitates Silicon if mixed. Not sure if it's true or not, but better safe than sorry I guess.

Just Google it!

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...m_dexcool.html

http://www.aftermarketnews.com/Item/...r_dexcool.aspx

http://www.dexcoolsettlement.com/

I know you can't believe everything you read, but I have personally experienced this crap happening, and judging by what others claim to have experienced, I think I may have been lucky.

$.02

EDIT: The aforementioned Blazer probably had 40-60,000 miles on the coolant. I know this is too long to go before a flush, but is hardly the 150,000 miles that DEX-COOL is touted to last.
Reply
Old May 25, 2009 | 10:06 PM
  #20  
jam01's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 734
Likes: 0
From: south jersey. again
Default

Originally Posted by Firefighterformula
FOR EXAMPLE...

My girlfriend's 2000 Blazer started belching this nasty, orange "goo" out of the overflow pipe from the reservoir. I took it back home to investigate. I still am not sure what happened, but EVERYTHING in the cooling system had a coating of the stuff on it. It looked kind of like that aerosol insulation you can buy...but it's consistency was a bit more fluid. Hard to explain. Did some research online and saw that there was actually a CLASS ACTION SUIT against GM due to things like this. Apparently people would take their vehicles to the stealership and would require $800-$1000 in repairs. Fried gaskets, water pumps, clogged radiators, and everything in between. It took FOREVER to get this **** out of the cooling system and I will NEVER put it back in anything else I own.

Just make sure if you do decide to switch, that you get ALL of the DEX-COOL out before you add the green stuff. I've heard that it precipitates Silicon if mixed. Not sure if it's true or not, but better safe than sorry I guess.

Just Google it!

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...m_dexcool.html

http://www.aftermarketnews.com/Item/...r_dexcool.aspx

http://www.dexcoolsettlement.com/

I know you can't believe everything you read, but I have personally experienced this crap happening, and judging by what others claim to have experienced, I think I may have been lucky.

$.02

EDIT: The aforementioned Blazer probably had 40-60,000 miles on the coolant. I know this is too long to go before a flush, but is hardly the 150,000 miles that DEX-COOL is touted to last.
having worked for several dealerships in the past, i have seen lots of problems over the years blamed on the manufacture. i dont know you or your girlfriend but did she add tap water to her radiator, or something else. i dont doubt what you say happened, buti have seen some people try to say they didnt due anything wrong to cause that engine blow up. then you tear down the engine oopps. please dont take this the wrong way, but my car still has its dexcool from 2 yrs ago no problems yet. did she buy this car new or used?
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:44 PM.

story-0
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-2
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-5
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-6
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE
story-7
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

Slideshow: A heavily reworked 1972 K5 Blazer swaps its off-road roots for a low-slung street-focused build with modern V8 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-09 18:08:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There are thousands of used Camaros on the market but we think you should avoid these 10

By | 2026-02-17 17:09:30


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

Slideshows: Which one of these myths do you believe?

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-28 18:10:11


VIEW MORE