Results 1 to 20 of 34
Thread: A big warning about Dex-Cool
-
12-13-2005, 11:02 PM #1
A big warning about Dex-Cool
As I am currently dealing with some coolant issues, I have been told by my mechanic a very stern warning about keeping Dex-Cool out of my car. He told me there is a corrolation between Dex-Cool and GM's known head-gasket problem with their V6's. Supposively, Dex-Cool's additives break down within a year or two and actually CORRODE your cooling system, damaging water pumps, head-gaskets, radiators, ect.
Don't believe me? There is a 15-year lawsuit going on against GM for using Dex-Cool. there is actually a website on thisHTML Code:www.dexcoolcase.com
Just some free advice that may save you thousands...
-
12-14-2005, 02:14 AM #2
If you flush your system out, then can you switch to the regular anti-freeze or is it harmful in some way to use regular coolant in any motor with Dex-cool?
-
12-14-2005, 09:00 AM #399PontTAGuestOriginally Posted by myk02k
-
12-14-2005, 11:35 AM #4
- Join Date
- Nov 2005
- Location
- Knoxville,Tn
- Age
- 48
- Posts
- 139
Black- 1999 Pontiac Firebird
I think that the newer "Universal" Coolant can be used in ANY vehicle. I think Prestones is Green, Zerex's is Green, and Peak's G5 International is Gold. I use Peak instead of DexCool. I switched a few years ago because Dex Cool was breaking down on me after 2 years.
-
12-14-2005, 12:05 PM #5WS6BIRDGuest
I have seen dex-cool cause gaskets to fail and I have also seen a equal number of gaskets fail with green coolant in them. Gm has been putting dex-cool in vehicles since about 97 and if the coolant was the problem why did they not stop using it? If you treat dex-cool just like green and flush cooling system every 1 or 2 years you will have no problem. I will say the 5 year 150,000 mile thing is total b.s. just my 2 cents
-
12-14-2005, 02:23 PM #6
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Location
- Texas Department of Corrections
- Posts
- 18,128
- Retired Outlaw Sum Bitch
A BIG WARNING about not maintaining ones coolant! Regardless of brand!
Every year at a minimum .....flush and fill with fresh....no problems....put a shot of Royal Purple in there...Royal Ice Makes your nutts feel fuzzy....
-
12-14-2005, 05:16 PM #7
- Join Date
- Aug 2003
- Location
- Honolulu HI
- Age
- 41
- Posts
- 2,486
Pewter- all bore 370 Trans Am
Originally Posted by WS6BIRD
-
12-15-2005, 08:01 AM #8
Ex had this problem on her Grand Am and Alero, stupid girl for listening to dealer service intervals
-
12-17-2005, 06:53 PM #9redzGuest
Thank you for the warning.
I have used this but now have gone with ZEREX-05. Popular mechanics or pop science magazine? had an article a few years ago about this new zerex($15/gal). They said they really don't know how long this stuff is good for. They have long term studies in fleet vehicles with 300K plus miles on the coolant with virtually no protection breakdown/corrosion buildup, etc. The main thing is to get away from any anti-freeze with silicates(ethelyne glycol) in it. Better to use propylene glycol. Jury is still out on 'water wetter' as far as I am concerned. Remember don't let rover drink it
-
12-17-2005, 11:33 PM #10
the main purpose of water being added into the system is because water is the best liquid substance that absorbs heat...it decreases the boiling and freezing point, but a 50/50 mixture is a perfect balance of heat absorbant and keeping the mixture liquid....that is unless you live in antarctica (an f-body in that much snow might as well sit there for novelty purposes if u think about it).
-
12-18-2005, 02:52 AM #11
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Location
- L.I. N.Y.
- Posts
- 12
hugger orange, silver- 1999ss 2000z-28
i work in antarctica. we use a 60/40 mix 60% coolant 40% water. we use catepillar e.l.c.(extended life coolant)ethelyne glycol. it is red in color. we also use block heaters to keep everything from freezing.in the winter time it can get to be -50* at times or even colder and i do not see the antifreeze freeze, even if it wasn't plugged in. we use this coolant in everything we run down here. we use a ford truck and van fleet. 5.4liter, 1999,2000,2002 vehicles. the only problems i see in a period of time is the block heater goes bad.and these vehicles are pretty much at idle 7/8 of the time to stay warm,if your working outside. these vehicles are WORKED HARD every day.
-
12-18-2005, 09:06 AM #12
I bought my car in aug. 2001, and never changed out the factory installed dex-cool untill 3 weeks ago when I did my cam swap. After draining the radiator fluid, I looked at it in the bucket. There was no trace at all of debris in it and it was still bright orange. My friends that were helping me said the coolant looked brand new. I refilled w/ dex-cool and will never use anything else, cause I have had no problems at all, and my car has been driven hard for the 56,000 miles it has on it.
-
12-18-2005, 09:23 AM #1399PontTAGuestOriginally Posted by 01mmmz28
-
12-18-2005, 01:10 PM #14
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Location
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Posts
- 171
Red- 2000 SS
I like dex-cool. Never had a problem with it and even swapped out the cars I had w/green coolant to dex-cool.
Cooling system maintenance is an absolute must, but too many folks simply don't do anything as simple as checking the coolant level. The folks I've run into that have problems w/dex-cool would have problems no matter what coolant they have because they are too freakin' STUPID to check the level. When it's low, the coolant that remains has to work harder to dissipate heat - wearing it out faster.
Just for the heck of it, we ran the stock dex-cool in the wife's then-new 98 Olds Intrigue. At 100k miles, we flushed it. It looked brand new and tested brand new. However, we (ok, I) checked it regulary and added when necessary. No problems.
-
12-18-2005, 01:14 PM #15
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Location
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Posts
- 171
Red- 2000 SS
Originally Posted by redz
-
12-18-2005, 03:13 PM #16
better safe than sorry...apparently i have a small leak somewhere, found out just a month ago and my overflow tank looked like someone filled it with plaster; not one drop of red-orange stuff in there. definitely not looking brand-new or even the same substance...
Last edited by myk02k; 12-18-2005 at 03:16 PM.
-
12-18-2005, 04:39 PM #17seriousblackGuest
Thank you my friend! I will research it
-
12-19-2005, 07:39 AM #1899PontTAGuestOriginally Posted by myk02k
-
12-19-2005, 09:52 AM #19
- Join Date
- Sep 2005
- Location
- Los Angeles
- Age
- 72
- Posts
- 46
Black- 2002 Pontiac T/A Firehawk
I have used Dex-Cool in all of my vehicles since '96.I switched 2 earlier vehicle over to it('91 454-SS pickup at 68,000 miles which I still have at 121,000 miles, a '95 Eldorado that I sold in 2000). I currently have a '99 STS with 70,000, my pickup and a 2002 Firehawk with 20,000 miles. I use Redline water wetter in all of them twice a year.
I have had cooling system problems on the truck(2 radiators,2 water pumps) but I don't attribute it to the use of this coolant. All cars are meticulously maintained and there is no corrosion.2002 T/A Firehawk,M6,Black,IROC Spoiler,Chrome wheels,base suspension and diff.SLP CAI,Y-pipe,SFC,STB,Lightweight steel flywheel,SLP pulley,descreened MAF,B&M Ripper,steel 3/4 shift fork,SLP rear LCA,4:10 gears,T/A girdle with stud kit,HPP3.
-
12-19-2005, 11:43 AM #20
Another way to avoid cooling issues is to use distilled water (not purified or filtered). Distilled water has no "local" elements in it, unlike your tap water which my have sodium, lead, iodine, calcium, fluoride and other nasties. You can get distilled water at almost any grocery store for 1 a gal or less. Real good cheap insurance.
Thread Information
Users Browsing this Thread
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Similar Threads
-
So cool. But will get ya in trouble.Cool Program
By Hi-Po in forum Almost Anything GoesReplies: 18Last Post: 03-27-2009, 12:01 PM -
WARNING: Not for the squeemish Skateboarding is cool!
By ss~zoso~ss in forum Multimedia SectionReplies: 2Last Post: 03-07-2007, 10:19 PM
Bookmarks