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Old 08-13-2009, 06:42 PM
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Are there differnt brands that make dexcool ? If so what brand should I get ? I did a search on this but never found any specific brand names mentioned of what everyone likes. I'm doing a coolent flush soon and will be doing it about every two years so I feel alright about using dexcool. Also what major parts store carries it ? One last thing, how many gallons do I need to buy for our radiators when mixing 50/50 ? Sorry for all the questions just want to get this right. Thanks
Old 08-13-2009, 06:44 PM
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Originally Posted by RedHottG2
Are there differnt brands that make dexcool ? If so what brand should I get ? I did a search on this but never found any specific brand names mentioned of what everyone likes. I'm doing a coolent flush soon and will be doing it about every two years so I feel alright about using dexcool. Also what major parts store carries it ? One last thing, how many gallons do I need to buy for our radiators when mixing 50/50 ? Sorry for all the questions just want to get this right. Thanks
Id get either GM brand or prestone. I just changed mine in my car, and I used GM. But I have used prestone as well and its the same to me.
Old 08-13-2009, 07:16 PM
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I'm pretty sure gm has a class action lawsuit against the makers of dexcool bcs it has clogged up peoples cooling systems before. idk but i def stray away from dexcool
Old 08-14-2009, 01:53 PM
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I use Prestone. Its the least expensive of the two and you can find it at Walmart. I know I still have GM's Dexcool in there from the water pump replacement when I first got the car. No troubles here. But I should probably drain it some time soon, just as preventative maintanence. I haven't ever done it (other than the water pump) and I've owned the car for 6 years this December.
Old 08-14-2009, 08:40 PM
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I use Peak all make/model stuff because I can get it for free...
Old 08-15-2009, 05:54 PM
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replace dex-cool with green and mix with distilled water. distilled water has less minerals causing decreased effect on metals in cooling system. i believe dex-cool to be more corrosive to gaskets that green. i also dont believe that dex-cool lasts longer by any means. our shop (gm) uses prestone not sure why we dont use the gm dex-cool anymore could be because a lawsuit mentioned above but i havent heard anything about that.
Old 08-15-2009, 05:57 PM
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Sorry to hijack, but do you HAVE to run Dex-Cool? Is Prestone 50/50 ok?

Again, sorry!
Old 08-15-2009, 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted by lakefx7
replace dex-cool with green and mix with distilled water. distilled water has less minerals causing decreased effect on metals in cooling system. i believe dex-cool to be more corrosive to gaskets that green. i also dont believe that dex-cool lasts longer by any means. our shop (gm) uses prestone not sure why we dont use the gm dex-cool anymore could be because a lawsuit mentioned above but i havent heard anything about that.
the problem with dexcool is the owners of the cars. dexcool only corrodes things when mixed with plain water or green stuff. if you mix dex with distilled water, it will last 100k miles like its supposed to. the reason for the class action lawsuit is because joe down the street takes his 2000 GM vehicle with dex to valvoline to get the oil changed, and they notice the level in the radiator is a little low so they top it off with their finest green **** and thats where the problems begin.

unfortunately, not everyone knows this and that is where most of the problems with dexcool come from. my car has never had anything but 50/50 prestone dex put in it and distilled water if it gets a tad low, and my radiator as well as inside my engine look brand new.
Old 08-15-2009, 06:53 PM
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Originally Posted by bww3588
the problem with dexcool is the owners of the cars. dexcool only corrodes things when mixed with plain water or green stuff. if you mix dex with distilled water, it will last 100k miles like its supposed to. the reason for the class action lawsuit is because joe down the street takes his 2000 GM vehicle with dex to valvoline to get the oil changed, and they notice the level in the radiator is a little low so they top it off with their finest green **** and thats where the problems begin.

unfortunately, not everyone knows this and that is where most of the problems with dexcool come from. my car has never had anything but 50/50 prestone dex put in it and distilled water if it gets a tad low, and my radiator as well as inside my engine look brand new.
So how do you do a flush then and still use distilled water. Run it with the hose, then for the last couple min. pour in some distilled to flush?
Old 08-15-2009, 07:00 PM
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Originally Posted by LS14EVR
So how do you do a flush then and still use distilled water. Run it with the hose, then for the last couple min. pour in some distilled to flush?
i just drain it all out, starting with the radiator, then drain the block, then fill it up with distilled water getting all the air out, and drain all that out, the fill it up with the pre mixed 50/50 dex stuff from prestone.

or i suppose if you really wanted to flush it totally, you could buy a metric **** ton of distilled water and take the upper radiator hose off the radiator and just keep pouring it in the radiator and letting it pump out the upper hose. then when it all looks good, fill it up with 50/50 dex
Old 08-15-2009, 07:26 PM
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[QUOTE=bww3588;12076575]the problem with dexcool is the owners of the cars. dexcool only corrodes things when mixed with plain water or green stuff.QUOTE]

100% right on this, unfortunatley i learned the somewhat "hard way" and it messed up my waterpump. So i just got the ls2 waterpump and put it on. Been running fine since
Old 08-15-2009, 07:30 PM
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not saying the owners are stupid, just uneducated on this stuff. a system with green stuff in it will last forever with minimal corrosion with **** mixed in with it. but you had to change it every few years. i like dexcool, but i wont leave it in for 100k miles. i just never changed to green stuff becasue im a firm beleiver in dont mess with something that works.
Old 08-15-2009, 11:26 PM
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Originally Posted by bww3588
i just drain it all out, starting with the radiator, then drain the block, then fill it up with distilled water getting all the air out, and drain all that out, the fill it up with the pre mixed 50/50 dex stuff from prestone.

or i suppose if you really wanted to flush it totally, you could buy a metric **** ton of distilled water and take the upper radiator hose off the radiator and just keep pouring it in the radiator and letting it pump out the upper hose. then when it all looks good, fill it up with 50/50 dex
Gotcha. I just like the idea of removing the Tstat, and running the engine with a hose in the rad, for a while to flush. Then fill it up with new coolent and call it good.
Old 08-15-2009, 11:33 PM
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i replaced all mine with the normal green stuff. If you think about it, you might as well, because the absolute newest of these cars is still 7 years old. Chances are at one point in its life it has been exposed to the green stuff, so might as well change it over for practicality's sake. Everyone i have talked to says there isn't really a great advantage to dexcool.
Old 08-17-2009, 07:51 AM
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I replaced mine with green. I am not a big fan of Dex.
Old 08-17-2009, 08:17 AM
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Just bought a gallon of Dexcool yesterday to top off my radiator. ***** expensive @ $15 a gallon.
Old 08-17-2009, 01:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Dutchman427
I replaced mine with green. I am not a big fan of Dex.
any particular reason why?
Old 08-17-2009, 01:58 PM
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For all you guys who have switched to green, how exactly do you flush every last drop of the orange out? I don't believe you can. (Not without complete disassembly.) Then you add the green to it, be it as little amount as it may be that remains, and that is where your corrosion begins. As posted above, why do you need to mess with something that works? Stick with the orange. Change it regularly, and you won't have any issues.

Last edited by Mumbles; 08-17-2009 at 02:17 PM.
Old 08-17-2009, 02:08 PM
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Originally Posted by Mumbles
For all you guys who have switched to green, how exactly do you flush every last drop of the orange out? I don't believe you can. (Not without completely disassembly.) Then you add the green to it, be it as little amount as it may be that remains, and that is where your corrosion begins. As posted above, why do you need to mess with something that works? Stick with the orange. Change it regularly, and you won't have any issues.
This is the type of question that never seems to get answered.
Old 08-17-2009, 02:17 PM
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Originally Posted by SmaknaSS
This is the type of question that never seems to get answered.
I agree.

Also...the topic of Green vs. Orange is like talking politics. Everyone has their beliefs and will defend them to end, no matter what the other side has for evidence to the contrary. LOL. Oh well, to each his own.



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