Dexcool or Green?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,078
Likes: 19
From: Cumming, GA
Dexcool or Green?
I did a search but found it hard to get exactly what I was looking for regarding this topic.
Question is:
My entire coolant system is free and clear of Dexcool. Should I go back to Dexcool or switch over to the green stuff?
I ask not b/c of the suit against GM and Dexcool, but because I have 26k miles on the Dexcool that was in the car and the coolant tank is caked with a muddly like substance as well as the tank cap.
I would prefer to not have this muddy substance as a worry on my list for down the road therefore I ask about the green stuff. Is anyone out there running green coolant in their C5/C6?
Are there any negative effects of doing so?
Question is:
My entire coolant system is free and clear of Dexcool. Should I go back to Dexcool or switch over to the green stuff?
I ask not b/c of the suit against GM and Dexcool, but because I have 26k miles on the Dexcool that was in the car and the coolant tank is caked with a muddly like substance as well as the tank cap.
I would prefer to not have this muddy substance as a worry on my list for down the road therefore I ask about the green stuff. Is anyone out there running green coolant in their C5/C6?
Are there any negative effects of doing so?
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
From: holland pa
imho, dexcool is the absolute worst thing GM has ever produced this crap gums up everything and becomes almost gel-like!! i had a 1996 olds aurora and this stuff ruined the northstar V-8, i flushed it completely out of my 2003 malibu and replaced it with prestone green, no issues to date and the malibu has 135K on it. now, there may be fans of dex-cool out there but i am only giving you my opinion and experiences with this stuff. in my mind, get rid of it!!
.....................................chr is
.....................................chr is
Drifting
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,621
Likes: 2
From: Petal Ms
St. Jude Donor '08-'11
Is your system completely clear of the dexcool, or is it just all ran out?
I have the "green stuff" in mine and it does fine. I had no traces of dexcool in my motor (brand new), and I flushed it very very well out of my heater core and radiator.
I have the "green stuff" in mine and it does fine. I had no traces of dexcool in my motor (brand new), and I flushed it very very well out of my heater core and radiator.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,078
Likes: 19
From: Cumming, GA
thanks for the quick replies and please keep them coming especially with personal experiences. 
To answer your question Rice, my system is completely drained. At this point I can go either way safely.
To answer your question Rice, my system is completely drained. At this point I can go either way safely.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
From: dallas tx
This is very interesting. I learned something new today. I always thought the dexcool is better because it will last 100k.
Can someone post a procedure to draing the complete system?
how does it hurt the motor if there's a small mixture of both?
Can someone post a procedure to draing the complete system?
how does it hurt the motor if there's a small mixture of both?
Pro
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 672
Likes: 1
From: Sapulpa Oklahoma
I think if I replace/flush mine I'll go with the "yellow" Prestone that works with either. At least that way, if any Orange is still in there it will not cause any issues. The second time around it should be pure yellow.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,096
Likes: 1
From: Chesapeake Va
http://www.getahelmet.com/jeeps/maint/dexcool/
Interesting article that says the sludging occurs when the fluid is allowed to run low.
Interesting article that says the sludging occurs when the fluid is allowed to run low.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,078
Likes: 19
From: Cumming, GA
http://www.getahelmet.com/jeeps/maint/dexcool/
Interesting article that says the sludging occurs when the fluid is allowed to run low.
Interesting article that says the sludging occurs when the fluid is allowed to run low.
Funny you just sent this because I was just thinking that over the past couple of weeks I noticed that my resevoir tank would have some overflow after each drive. I found this odd as I had not added any fluid recently and it suddenly just started dripping fluid out of the overflow tube.
SO.....this is just speculation, but my thinking is maybe I was having some sort of clog and didnt realize it? Why else would it suddenly begin to overflow? Idle and drive temps were all normal and nothing was changed with regard to the cooling system. Again, this is just speculation but I think may be feasible considering how muddy my tank was.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,078
Likes: 19
From: Cumming, GA
Now another thought is reducing the amount of actual coolant all together.
I searched and found many C5/C6 track guys run 4 - 5 bottle of water wetter and pure water with no issues. I did read that they would go back to the 50/50 mix during the winter to avoid freezing, but even with just WW and pure water they had no ill effects and actually dropped coolant temps a few points.
Any thoughts on this?
I am thinking of maybe running 70% gallon water, 5 bottles of WW, and 10-15% green/Dex coolant?
Thoughts?
I searched and found many C5/C6 track guys run 4 - 5 bottle of water wetter and pure water with no issues. I did read that they would go back to the 50/50 mix during the winter to avoid freezing, but even with just WW and pure water they had no ill effects and actually dropped coolant temps a few points.
Any thoughts on this?
I am thinking of maybe running 70% gallon water, 5 bottles of WW, and 10-15% green/Dex coolant?
Thoughts?
Racer
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 465
Likes: 0
From: Webster New York
I believe the coolant helps prevent corrosion. I use a 75 water to 25 coolant mix with a couple bottles of water wetter
Now another thought is reducing the amount of actual coolant all together.
I searched and found many C5/C6 track guys run 4 - 5 bottle of water wetter and pure water with no issues. I did read that they would go back to the 50/50 mix during the winter to avoid freezing, but even with just WW and pure water they had no ill effects and actually dropped coolant temps a few points.
Any thoughts on this?
I am thinking of maybe running 70% gallon water, 5 bottles of WW, and 10-15% green/Dex coolant?
Thoughts?
I searched and found many C5/C6 track guys run 4 - 5 bottle of water wetter and pure water with no issues. I did read that they would go back to the 50/50 mix during the winter to avoid freezing, but even with just WW and pure water they had no ill effects and actually dropped coolant temps a few points.
Any thoughts on this?
I am thinking of maybe running 70% gallon water, 5 bottles of WW, and 10-15% green/Dex coolant?
Thoughts?
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
no system is, or should be considered maintenance free. if that happens, you will get sludge. visible sludge is better than the invisible, negative effects of sludge sticking to internal, invisible parts of your cooling system. thus, dexcool.
you can argue all you want that this is a bad fluid, but this is what comes with your car and a lot more engineering went into it than you might think. as long as you and your cooling system are maintained, dexcool is excellent.
just as ymmv, your outcomes may, too, based on what you do and when you do it. I note you did notice a low fluid prior to the sludge.
you can argue all you want that this is a bad fluid, but this is what comes with your car and a lot more engineering went into it than you might think. as long as you and your cooling system are maintained, dexcool is excellent.
just as ymmv, your outcomes may, too, based on what you do and when you do it. I note you did notice a low fluid prior to the sludge.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,078
Likes: 19
From: Cumming, GA
no system is, or should be considered maintenance free. if that happens, you will get sludge. visible sludge is better than the invisible, negative effects of sludge sticking to internal, invisible parts of your cooling system. thus, dexcool.
you can argue all you want that this is a bad fluid, but this is what comes with your car and a lot more engineering went into it than you might think. as long as you and your cooling system are maintained, dexcool is excellent.
just as ymmv, your outcomes may, too, based on what you do and when you do it. I note you did notice a low fluid prior to the sludge.
you can argue all you want that this is a bad fluid, but this is what comes with your car and a lot more engineering went into it than you might think. as long as you and your cooling system are maintained, dexcool is excellent.
just as ymmv, your outcomes may, too, based on what you do and when you do it. I note you did notice a low fluid prior to the sludge.
1) this is 150k advertised coolant and it is basically "mud" at 26k miles. Not acceptable and not due to my negligence.
2) this same fluid comes in every other GM product so I wouldnt say there is a high level of engineering behind it specific to a Corvette. Wonder if the ZR1 comes with it too.
3) the fluid was not low. I stated that I noticed "overflow" from the coolant tank suddenly. All of my vehicles are kept in the best of shape physically and mechanically. The sludge build up was not due to a low coolant level trust me.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,566
Likes: 2
From: Goleta CA
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
Now another thought is reducing the amount of actual coolant all together.
I searched and found many C5/C6 track guys run 4 - 5 bottle of water wetter and pure water with no issues. I did read that they would go back to the 50/50 mix during the winter to avoid freezing, but even with just WW and pure water they had no ill effects and actually dropped coolant temps a few points.
Any thoughts on this?
I am thinking of maybe running 70% gallon water, 5 bottles of WW, and 10-15% green/Dex coolant?
Thoughts?
I searched and found many C5/C6 track guys run 4 - 5 bottle of water wetter and pure water with no issues. I did read that they would go back to the 50/50 mix during the winter to avoid freezing, but even with just WW and pure water they had no ill effects and actually dropped coolant temps a few points.
Any thoughts on this?
I am thinking of maybe running 70% gallon water, 5 bottles of WW, and 10-15% green/Dex coolant?
Thoughts?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 849
Likes: 2
From: Southern Florida
imho, dexcool is the absolute worst thing GM has ever produced this crap gums up everything and becomes almost gel-like!! i had a 1996 olds aurora and this stuff ruined the northstar V-8, i flushed it completely out of my 2003 malibu and replaced it with prestone green, no issues to date and the malibu has 135K on it. now, there may be fans of dex-cool out there but i am only giving you my opinion and experiences with this stuff. in my mind, get rid of it!!
.....................................chr is
.....................................chr is
no system is, or should be considered maintenance free. if that happens, you will get sludge. visible sludge is better than the invisible, negative effects of sludge sticking to internal, invisible parts of your cooling system. thus, dexcool.
you can argue all you want that this is a bad fluid, but this is what comes with your car and a lot more engineering went into it than you might think. as long as you and your cooling system are maintained, dexcool is excellent.
just as ymmv, your outcomes may, too, based on what you do and when you do it. I note you did notice a low fluid prior to the sludge.
you can argue all you want that this is a bad fluid, but this is what comes with your car and a lot more engineering went into it than you might think. as long as you and your cooling system are maintained, dexcool is excellent.
just as ymmv, your outcomes may, too, based on what you do and when you do it. I note you did notice a low fluid prior to the sludge.
Just because the Dexcool is 5yr/150k doesn't mean you can ignore it assuming everything is going to be fine.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 486
Likes: 2
From: The Villages FL
LEAVINU, With regard to Dexcool sludging,I suspect that a contaminant of some sort has reacted with the coolant corosion inhibitor package in your cooling system. This could have occurred as a result of you engine being hot tested prior to it being installed in your car. There were two reasons tha GM went to Dexcool dispite the extra cost. It greatly reduced the amount of waste coolant being disposed of to the environment 24K vs 150K mile service changes and the life of water pump shaft seals more than doubled. If you start with green silicated coolant in a new engine its water passages will become coated with the silicate corosion inhibitor. In the future, putting Dexcool into that engine will be a waste of money. The silicates now in that engine will prevent the corrosion package in Dexcool from properly doing its job. Dexcool forms a chemical bond with the aluminum to prevent corosion. You can use either green or pink coolant but stay with what you start with. Bill S.
