Dexcool

[Keith Tedford]

Is there a problem with using this product. I've heard a few stories. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[moparts]

Don't know of any real problems.....it came about due to more aluminum in newer engines.....supposed to be longer life that green antifreeze....less corrosive to aluminum parts than green antifreeze.....sure does smell bad on a heater core leak.....cannot...repeat...cannot be mixed with green antifreeze...green antifreeze label reads good for a mininum of 1 year....dexcool reads good for 5 years 150,000 miles....dexcool also has a wider tempature protection range.

[Jeff H]

Just search the web. There are a lot of horror stories thanks to people who have vehicles with Dexcool and didn't maintain them properly. From what I read, if any air gets into the system, it will cause serious buildup problems. I'd stick with the normal antifreeze.

[Norm reynolds]

Stick with the old type of antifreeze Dexcool WILL eat up head gaskets I have seen it many many times I drained out it of all my newer cars After 30.000 miles you can see tell tell signs of antifreeze leak where the heads meets the block also around every hose connection you will see orange crust I rather change the green every few years after I changed to the green antifreeze I cleaned the block down and after 10.000 miles there are no tell- tell signs of a leak I have been doing this for years and never had a problem

[COPOL89]

i also agree i have seen cases where once its overheated it turns to jello

[Mr Yenko]

Keith a good friend of mine works with Prestone, in the lab. They have discovered that it destroys the seals inside the motor, there for causeing internal leaks and external. If you buy a NEW Car or Truck and tell them that you want to remove the Dexcool from your new car or truck they will VOID the warranty. Prestone has tried explaning this to the companies that have developed this product but refuse to do anything about it, so Prestone decided if you can't beat them join them.It is sad but true. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] "MOF"

[elcamino]

I have had several vehicles with Dexcool and not had one problem. My buddy has 125,000 miles on his 1996 Chevy Z71 truck and just changed the coolant this last week. He only did it because he plows snow with the truck and figured his luck would run out sooner or later with the original hoses, I saw the old coolant sittig a pan in his shop, looked very good.

My 1999 K2500 Suburban went over 100,000 miles in 4 yrs and the coolant looked as good as new. The system was never touched.

I think a lot of the problems with Dexcool it the owners. I know one guy who added the green stuff to his car because he said the Dexcool was too expensive. As far as I know nothing has happened yet but he would not tell my anyway.

Kind of funny about the Prestone guy bad-mouthing a Texaco product. I never believe those stories, sounds to much like bashing a competitor who may have a better selling product.

Trouble with many things is when people see "good for 150,000 miles" then tend to never check things and then when something happens, they want to blame something or somebody but not their actions or inactions.

[bbdon]

I have been reading a lot about this subject too, since we have an S-10. My understanding about the Dexcool is that the chemical reaction that creates corrosion protection with this coolant is dependent on high temperatures to work. So in a show car that does not get warmed up much, you don't want Dexcool. It won't provide any corrosion protection at all on a trailer queen. I think that some of the sludge problems that people have been having were traced to incompatible stop leak, which may have actually been put in by GM at the factory. The advantage of the Dexcool is that it lasts longer, and reduces water pump wear. I don't think that those are important factors for a valuable low mileage musclecar.

[NCGuy68]

Whether you run ethylene gylcol or Dexcool DON'T mix the two! It will turn to jelly. Saw a example of this a couple weeks back and it wasn't a pretty picture.

On the other hand, my 2000 SS came with Dexcool. Its now over 4 years old and looks/smells as fresh as day one.

[elcamino]

Another thing I found in some GM TSB is that Dexcool is not back-wards compatible. Meaning if the vehicle never came with it, don't use it because it may react to the metals in the engine or the cooling system.

I know I have the TSB somewhere here but cannot find it right now. It listed what cars and truck came filled with it and those that did not and recommended against using it in those that did not.

So it would seem not the coolant to use in a classic car.