Dex-Cool anti-freeze question
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 130
Likes: 2
From: Lee's Summit, MO
Dex-Cool anti-freeze question I have heard that Dex-Cool antifreeze can clog up your coolant system and eat away at gaskets. Our owners manual says that it is good for 150,000 miles. Anyone worried about this and has anyone went ahead and flushed it anyway. I'm thinking about changing it every 30,000 miles no matter what the manual says. What does everyone else think?? 
If it was junk, I dont think GM would use it or recommend that it be used as long as they say.
It doesnt cost much to drain it out and put in fresh fluid..so why not? It wont hurt it.
I changed mine when I did the cam swap, and it looked good (45,000 mi).
It doesnt cost much to drain it out and put in fresh fluid..so why not? It wont hurt it.
I changed mine when I did the cam swap, and it looked good (45,000 mi).
Dex Cool class action suits in many states If you do a search on Dex Cool you will find several lawyers looking for business. Check out this site:
http://www.imcool.com/articles/antif...le-Excerpt.pdf
You need the Adobe Acrobat reader (free) installed.
http://www.imcool.com/articles/antif...le-Excerpt.pdf
You need the Adobe Acrobat reader (free) installed.
TECH Resident
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 770
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From: Troy Al
If you keep the coolant level full, you will not have any issues with dexcool.
The problems have been when people have put 15k+ on a car with low coolant.
And the green stuff will eat on the Aluminum parts......
Keep your Dexcool
The problems have been when people have put 15k+ on a car with low coolant.
And the green stuff will eat on the Aluminum parts......
Keep your Dexcool
I ran dexcool for about 30,000 mi and then completey drained it all out and just ran redline water wetter and distled water with no dex cool at all...and it has been running fine no heating issues even in the hot,humid houston weather the royal purple ice works good to with just disttled water and no dexcool but before you use either product you have to had dexcool for at least so many miles not sure how many miles thow.Also i did have very little dexcool left in my system after i drained it just be on the safe side....just my .02
Actually, anytime you have aluminum parts you should use dexcool. The green antifreeze is corrosive even to iron parts but will really corrode the aluminum stuff. Dexcool is anti-corrosive and has a lubricant in it for the seals and such. The reason the green stuff has to be changed is in the chemical makeup. It loses its ability to absorb and discipate heat. Not to mention it reacts with the metal in the cooling system, therefore needing to be changed. Dexcool does not do that, so it doesn't need to be changed as often. I have never run dexcool more than around 70k at a time due to the mods on the car, but when I drained it then it was perfectly clean.
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Yup, Dexcool only clogs when its exposed to oxygen. Keep the cooling system full and it will be fine. I've seen engines with 200k on them with the original dexcool and it was still pretty clean.
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Teching In
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 18
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From: Colorado
From what I have read about Dex the problem of plugged radiators is found mostly in truck/ suv applications and that oxygen is the main culprit. So as stated earlier make sure your system has been burped and is completely full. I have heard differently about the corrosiveness of the green coolant. Someone has stated that Mercedes has always used green in their aluminum blocks and is completely safe in our blocks. I however do have Dex in my car.
TECH Addict
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,620
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From: Central, MA
The trucks have a real weird setup with the radiator and expansion tank. I'm not sure if the cars do too.
It seems real easy to get air trapped in the radiator, with little you can do to get it out. The coolant in the expansion tank looks like it's right at, or just below the top of the radiator.
It seems real easy to get air trapped in the radiator, with little you can do to get it out. The coolant in the expansion tank looks like it's right at, or just below the top of the radiator.
TECH Regular
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Atlanta, GA
Originally Posted by fast98
i have green in mine i flushed that crap. dex sucks. when u work at the dealer u see how much damage dex does. it eats everything and corrodes evrywhere.
I'm curious,,,, didn't engines that had aluminium in them {at least the heads or water pump} exist before DexCool???? I've been around the sport/hobby for around 20 years or so, I've not seen many engines that had malfunctioned because the water passage had corroded through {as a matter of fact,,, not a single one}. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, just that it's rare and most likely there was another reason for it,,,, worn out anti-freeze or straight water.
I had the the funny/gunky looking stuff in my system after only 15K miles {and no,,, my coolant wasn't low}. I didn't like the looks of the stuff so I drained and flushed my system untill it was straight water. Then I added the regular old green coolant. That was about two years ago and 30K miles later. Guess what? No brown crappy looking gunk yet. I do suppose that the inside of the water passages are about to eat through due to corrossion though.
DexCool may in fact be better in the long, loooonnng run {maybe, hasn't been out for eons like the green stuff so I'll hold judement for ten years or so} but I just plain don't like all the brown crap that was all in my coolant overflow and on the cooolant dip-stick. JMO and it may well be wrong. I'll find out in 10 years or so I reckon.
I had the the funny/gunky looking stuff in my system after only 15K miles {and no,,, my coolant wasn't low}. I didn't like the looks of the stuff so I drained and flushed my system untill it was straight water. Then I added the regular old green coolant. That was about two years ago and 30K miles later. Guess what? No brown crappy looking gunk yet. I do suppose that the inside of the water passages are about to eat through due to corrossion though.
DexCool may in fact be better in the long, loooonnng run {maybe, hasn't been out for eons like the green stuff so I'll hold judement for ten years or so} but I just plain don't like all the brown crap that was all in my coolant overflow and on the cooolant dip-stick. JMO and it may well be wrong. I'll find out in 10 years or so I reckon.
Launching!
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
From: NV
Originally Posted by Steve - Race Eng
If you do a search on Dex Cool you will find several lawyers looking for business. Check out this site:
http://www.imcool.com/articles/antif...le-Excerpt.pdf
You need the Adobe Acrobat reader (free) installed.
http://www.imcool.com/articles/antif...le-Excerpt.pdf
You need the Adobe Acrobat reader (free) installed.
Think we should clue these guys in on Evans Coolant?
All of us that are running the Darton wet sleeved strokers have been encouraged to use nothing but. Plus their WP & T'stat.
http://www.EvansCoolantAin'taSponsor.com
Google them under "Evans Coolant"
Peeps will spend 100 clams on a plastic lid, but would rather kill themselves than shell out 20 bux per gallon for Evans! LS1's use 4 gal. = $80.00
Seriously though, if more of the LS1 world was aware of all the benefits that Evans provides, especially in an all aluminum engine like the LS1/6, eventually the word would get passed around and people would throw rocks at Dexcool. (I.E. cannot possibly corrode any part of the system for up to half million miles or more, won't boil until 375*F. under Zero pressure, helps prevent detonation. . . The benefits go on and on. . .Outlaw Sprint Cars and the NASCAR boys are no strangers to this product, but they were using it way back when it was over a hondo per gallon. Now that they're mass producing it, the price has come WAY DOWN
Only difficult part of installing it, is evacuating of all other fluid in your cooling system (including block and heater core) NPG+ sees water as a contaminent, and has to be run pure & undiluted.
Maybe some folks will take the time to go read about this great product on their web site.
You would never go back to conventional anti-freeze. Last edited by ChevyGoldfinger; Jun 18, 2004 at 07:42 AM.
