Dex-Cool

i was wondering if Dex-cool is the only type of coolant i should be putting in my cavalier or is it just a recommondation??

What year is the Cavalier?

its a 97 z22, ive heard mixed things about dex cool and using the regular green type.

GM started using DexCool in their cooling systems in 1996. It is the recommended coolant for your cooling system. It is different than the old green antifreeze which is ethylene glycol based. DexCool is an Organic Acid Technology based (OAT) coolant and has a different protection package for your engine/cooling system and is better equipped to work in these modern engines. Properly maintained there should be no issues with it. Reports of gasket problems , sludging can be traced to other causes like poor/incorrect gasket materials and air infiltrating the cooling system like with a faulty radiator cap. It is not a good idea to mix the green antifreeze with DexCool. I've owned many vehicles that had DexCool in them and kept it in the cooling system and besides only having one issue with an intake gasket leak on a 3.4 (very common problem and GM issued a revised gasket for this,)otherwise it's been trouble free. I change out my coolant every 2 to 3 years and between 30,000 to 40,000 miles much like the old green antifreeze. It has been said that changing the coolant before the time frame of 5 years /150,000 miles can lessen any issues one might experience with the coolant.