Dex-Coolant revisited
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Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Fort Worth Texas
Dex-Coolant revisited
I know it has been dealt with occasionally on the forum, but I received in the mail a notice about GM being sued over the Dex-Coolant. Some friends have encouraged me to remove the Dex-Coolant while GM service department discourages such action. Any new thinking or suggestions? I have about 60,000 miles on my Vette and have had the coolant replaced once by a dealer, just for safety sake.
Large Impressive Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 65,811
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Read my post here. When a man who is a technical representive for a company who makes the additives for most of the various OEM extended life coolants reaffirms my belief that ELC is garbage, I tend to hold onto that opinion..... Get that crap out of there.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 891
Likes: 18
From: Dayton Ohio
When I worked at a garage, I replaced many water pumps, intake gaskets, and head gaskets on GM products due to strange corrosion and erosion enabled by the Dex-Cool antifreeze. 75,000 miles seems to be the magic number where problems start. If you have had it changed out every so often you may be ok because I believe it is a breakdown of the corrosion inhibitors that is the problem.
It is my opinion that the service reps and anyone in GM will recommend that you continue to use it in order to avoid admitting that there is a problem.
I would not put the factory GM stuff in any of my cars.
It is my opinion that the service reps and anyone in GM will recommend that you continue to use it in order to avoid admitting that there is a problem.
I would not put the factory GM stuff in any of my cars.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 4,147
Likes: 452
From: Port St. Lucie West Florida
Do a google search on "dexcool".
My Vette mechanic (strictly corvettes) said he encounted many problems from customers using dexcool.I changed to green (95 vette)after he told me.I did an extensive flush to ensure everything was out of the system.I have also read from other vette owners that if you change dexcool every year you would not have any problems.
My Vette mechanic (strictly corvettes) said he encounted many problems from customers using dexcool.I changed to green (95 vette)after he told me.I did an extensive flush to ensure everything was out of the system.I have also read from other vette owners that if you change dexcool every year you would not have any problems.
Last edited by enventr; Feb 17, 2007 at 11:54 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 3,651
Likes: 5
From: Atlantis
Cruise-In I Veteran
if you change dexcool every year you would not have any problems
AFAIK it was also engineered to reduce galvanic action between disimilar metals such as iron blocks and aluminum heads and even the head gasket.
However it seems to CAUSE more problems than it solves, in the long run.
If you're going to change it every year you may as well put the green stuff in there. THen you won't have to worry about cooling system 'brown death' or 'sludge'.
Dex-Cool was designed for folks that do no maintenence and it works GREAT for those peeps.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,141
Likes: 7
From: Metairie Louisiana
When I worked at a garage, I replaced many water pumps, intake gaskets, and head gaskets on GM products due to strange corrosion and erosion enabled by the Dex-Cool antifreeze. 75,000 miles seems to be the magic number where problems start. If you have had it changed out every so often you may be ok because I believe it is a breakdown of the corrosion inhibitors that is the problem.
It is my opinion that the service reps and anyone in GM will recommend that you continue to use it in order to avoid admitting that there is a problem.
I would not put the factory GM stuff in any of my cars.
It is my opinion that the service reps and anyone in GM will recommend that you continue to use it in order to avoid admitting that there is a problem.
I would not put the factory GM stuff in any of my cars.
I have heard too many mechanics complain about Dexcool breaking parts to ever trust it. I have also experienced the orange sludge transformation myself. When I put in my new radiator and flushed a couple of weeks ago I went with Prestone 50/50 anycolor. It is green like the old stuff but claims to be able to mix with anything. My car will never see Dexcool again.
