Antifreeze?
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 97
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From: Baxter Minnesota
There are no problems with changing over. In my shop I have always recommended another premium brand-I am not a fan of dexcool. I have seen too many problems with other GM vehicles with dexcool. I am sure if you research you will read som of the horror stories. All of my Vettes have been changed.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Corpus Christi Tx.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
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From: Not on either liberal coast.
Use "search this forum" in C5 Tech using keywords "Dexcool" and read past discussions. This gets discussed a bunch. It's your car to do with as you please.
I prefer to use DEXCOOL in my cars. If you don't like DEXCOOL for whatever reasons, use one of the other major brands of extended life antifreeze products.
This one discussion popped up in my mind when I read this topic title...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=dexcool
I prefer to use DEXCOOL in my cars. If you don't like DEXCOOL for whatever reasons, use one of the other major brands of extended life antifreeze products.
This one discussion popped up in my mind when I read this topic title...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=dexcool
Guest
Posts: n/a
Use "search this forum" in C5 Tech using keywords "Dexcool" and read past discussions. This gets discussed a bunch. It's your car to do with as you please.
I prefer to use DEXCOOL in my cars. If you don't like DEXCOOL for whatever reasons, use one of the other major brands of extended life antifreeze products.
This one discussion popped up in my mind when I read this topic title...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=dexcool
I prefer to use DEXCOOL in my cars. If you don't like DEXCOOL for whatever reasons, use one of the other major brands of extended life antifreeze products.
This one discussion popped up in my mind when I read this topic title...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=dexcool
The General says Dexcool.
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From: Ideals are peaceful...History is violent...St.Charles, MO.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'12 thru'22
Dexcool here for 5 years no problems.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
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From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
While some people think that Dexcool is not a good coolant, GM did install it in all of their vehicles so something has to be OK with it. IMHO, if you follow the vehicle maintenance recommendation for cooling system service, you should not have any problems with Dexcool.
Changing from Dex to the green (ethlyene glycol) coolant can work but you really have to flush out all of the Dexcool. Mix the two coolant types together and you can wind up with a brownish sludge-like material that will clog the cooling tubes in the radiator and the heater core.
I would definitely stay away from the so-called "universal" coolants. Use Dex if that's what came in the car originally and the green stuff if that was the factory fill.
Changing from Dex to the green (ethlyene glycol) coolant can work but you really have to flush out all of the Dexcool. Mix the two coolant types together and you can wind up with a brownish sludge-like material that will clog the cooling tubes in the radiator and the heater core.
I would definitely stay away from the so-called "universal" coolants. Use Dex if that's what came in the car originally and the green stuff if that was the factory fill.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
Not only is it in my Vette from the factory, but I have converted all my old GM vehicles over from the green "crap" to Dexcool. I have inspected the blocks and radiators with a boroscope and Dexcool keeps them cleaner and cools better (less surface tension). No issues in 10 years but I also maintain it. If you go to IMCool web site and read the technical papers written by GM and Texaco you will find most issues from the 90's stemmed from either low coolant or a defective cap.
As a side story, we used the Sierra coolant as a fuel substitute in some aluminum fuel tanks at work for a number of years. After several years the tanks started leaking. The Sierra didn't protect the aluminum, it corroded and the tanks all leaked.
As a side story, we used the Sierra coolant as a fuel substitute in some aluminum fuel tanks at work for a number of years. After several years the tanks started leaking. The Sierra didn't protect the aluminum, it corroded and the tanks all leaked.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 807
Likes: 21
From: Los Altos CA
Changed my 7 year old Dexcool a month ago. The old coolant was crystal clear and I saw no signs of any sludge. I for one see no problems with Dexcool and intend to continue to use it. It is possible that people with
other problems are simpy blaming Dexcool.
other problems are simpy blaming Dexcool.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 208
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From: Joliet ILLINOIS
This is the problem with dexcool. It eats gaskets on some cars. I personaly had to change the intake gasket on my 2002 pontiac grand am gt.........And also if you do a search online you find that there are many class action lawsuits against gm right now for this very problem....There is a list of engines and cars out there that it had effects on. But I did not see the vette on the list....The class action lawsuit is getting ready to be settled so I doubt it is operator error on the owners of the cars that had these problems including myself.... I think the number of cars is up to like 300000...Poor GM with car sales at there all time low I dont think they needed this.
Last edited by JOEY P; Dec 8, 2007 at 10:13 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
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From: Not on either liberal coast.
This is the problem with dexcool. It eats gaskets on some cars. I personaly had to change the intake gasket on my 2002 pontiac grand am gt.........And also if you do a search online you find that there are many class action lawsuits against gm right now for this very problem....There is a list of engines and cars out there that it had effects on. But I did not see the vette on the list....The class action lawsuit is getting ready to be settled so I doubt it is operator error on the owners of the cars that had these problems including myself.... I think the number of cars is up to like 300000...Poor GM with car sales at there all time low I dont think they needed this.
I've never had a gasket eaten. I've seen a few water pump gaskets that appear degraded, but I sure couldn't definitively state it was from DEXCOOL. Since many gaskets are now rubber seals, it might be a thing of the past in more modern engines, anyway.
DEXCOOl got its bad reputation when GM used the supplemental tablets for some reason (LT1/LT4 motors in the '90s). The tablets turned to sludge when the coolant system was exposed to air or poorly maintained. The tablets have been discontinued.
Last edited by hotwheels57; Dec 8, 2007 at 05:25 PM.
Pro Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 397
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From: San Antonio, Texas
This is the problem with dexcool. It eats gaskets on some cars. I personaly had to change the intake gasket on my 2002 pontiac grand am gt.........And also if you do a search online you find that there are many class action lawsuits against gm right now for this very problem....There is a list of engines and cars out there that it had effects on. But I did not see the vette on the list....The class action lawsuit is getting ready to be settled so I doubt it is operator error on the owners of the cars that had these problems including myself.... I think the number of cars is up to like 300000...Poor GM with car sales at there all time low I dont think they needed this.
doesn't have anything to do with the coolant used its because of the plastic being heated and cooled all the time and becoming brittle. i have replaced tons of the 3100 and 3400 intake gaskets for that reason. also 5.7L trucks with the plastic intake gaskets.
it does seem from my stand point as i do work on cars everyday at a chevy dealer that GM changed something in Dex-cool as we don't have any problems now that we used to have with the stuff. all the cars my family owns run dex-cool and no problems ever, still looks clean and never had a reason to flush it out.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 208
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From: Joliet ILLINOIS
doesn't have anything to do with the coolant used its because of the plastic being heated and cooled all the time and becoming brittle. i have replaced tons of the 3100 and 3400 intake gaskets for that reason. also 5.7L trucks with the plastic intake gaskets.
it does seem from my stand point as i do work on cars everyday at a chevy dealer that GM changed something in Dex-cool as we don't have any problems now that we used to have with the stuff. all the cars my family owns run dex-cool and no problems ever, still looks clean and never had a reason to flush it out.
it does seem from my stand point as i do work on cars everyday at a chevy dealer that GM changed something in Dex-cool as we don't have any problems now that we used to have with the stuff. all the cars my family owns run dex-cool and no problems ever, still looks clean and never had a reason to flush it out.