DEX-COOL vs GREEN

I have always been told if your system requires dex then you have to use it. I was told if i didnt the greens stuff would ruin my motor. My dad blew a hose on my 98 intrigue (it has the 3.8) and he refilled it with green. He is an old school mechanic and not very framillar with the new cooling systems and stuff like that but nor am I. I have since drained it and refilled it with that expensive dexcool and i bled the system. Somtimes the low coolant light comes on and goes off but the coolant is fine. Also since i got the car it makes this water bubbling sound when i first take off it sounds like water rolling or a fish tank bubbler. I had a 99 intrigue with the 3.8 that did the same thing but it thought it could fly then the insurance company liked it SO much that they took it. Thanks to anyone that can help or that has any ideas.

Is there any difference between dex and green?

Oh yes there is. The green coolant we all used so many years ago, and some still do is an ethylene glycol based coolant, whereas the Dex Cool is an OAT ( Organic Acid Technology) coolant. Each coolant has it's own specific packages that resist rust and corrosion. Dex Cool was formulated for newer engines from the mid '90s on which required a different additive package than the standard ethylene glycol based coolant offered. There was a time a few short years ago when it was thought you could mix the two coolants or replace the dex Cool with the "green stuff". But now that is not recommended as problems could develop.There are a few things to keep in mind about using Dex Cool to get the most performance from the product. First, when mixed in the cooling system a 50/50 mix is recommended. I know with the green stuff you could play with it a little bit and some said the best freeze protection was reached with a mix around 65/35. Air infiltrating the cooling system can cause major sludging with the Dex Cool. It is recommended when flushing and replacing the coolant with fresh, you also replace the radiator cap as it has been discovered that a source air leakage has been attributed to faulty or old radiator caps. Also check the hoses and clamps ands bleed your cooling system if necessary. Some manufacturers( especially GM) used to tout Dex Cool as a long term maintenance free product. Long change intervals of 5 years / 150,000 miles were recommended. Now it is advisable to flush and refill with fresh coolant on a much shorter basis, such as 2 to 3 years and around 35 to 40,000 miles, ( similar to the old "green stuff" recommendations.)This ensures a fresher coolant with optimum protection for your engine , lessening the chances of sludging and contamination. I hope I didn't discourage or scare you about using Dex Cool. Handled and maintained properly, it can protect your cooling system and engine the way it was meant to with very few issues.

Weel that helps a little. When i flush it, do i use just regular water or is there and additive to use. I have used Prestones flush but that was for green stuff.

I personally have used just water to flush my radiator and cooling system. I used to use the radiator flushes that were commercially available, but with the Dex Cool, I didn't want to take the risk of leaving a little bit of cleaner in the cooling system only to contaminate the new coolant later on. There might be some flushes available now that can be safely used with Dex Cool, and I'll be honest in saying I haven't kept up with what is now available.I would think that companies , like Prestone, would have a product that you could use with the Dex Cool. Maybe the stuff we all used in the past with the green coolant can be used as well, or it might have been reformulated to use with all coolants.The best thing to do is to look in your local auto parts stores to see what is available. The trick is to get out as much of the old coolant as possible. this is where some garages and specialty radiator shops have an advantage over DIYers and "shade tree mechanics" in that they have the equipment to power flush your system to rid it of any traces of old coolant. If you do use an aftermarket cleaner, make sure you also try to get rid of as much of it in your system when you flush it out. I've known a few people who end up flushing their systems 4 or 5 times to ensure they get it all out. It is also recommended to use distilled water with the new coolant when you refill your system, and to continually check it over the course of the next few days to make sure the level remains constant and all the air has escaped from your cooling system.