dex-cool bad?

victimizati0n · #1 08-14-2006, 09:39 AM

My dad was driving, on a long trip, and in the middle of the trip, the Low coolant light came on.

the car didnt overheat or anything. and he said the level was a little low in the overflow.

I took a look at it when he got back, and inside the bottle, it looked like oil was in there, and was all bubbly.

this IS the dexcool going bad problem, right?

if we completly flush it out, will everything be ok? I heard of this stuff messing up the intake manifold.

What do you guys think we should do?

Thans

MT-2500 · #2 08-14-2006, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by victimizati0n

My dad was driving, on a long trip, and in the middle of the trip, the Low coolant light came on.

the car didnt overheat or anything. and he said the level was a little low in the overflow.

I took a look at it when he got back, and inside the bottle, it looked like oil was in there, and was all bubbly.

this IS the dexcool going bad problem, right?

if we completly flush it out, will everything be ok? I heard of this stuff messing up the intake manifold.

What do you guys think we should do?

Thans

Run a search on it.
And you will proably find alll kinds of bull about it.
But bottom line it bowls down to people do not service there coolant systems.
Service and flush ever 3 years or 50K and you will have vno coolant system problems.
It is not the coolant it is the service it gets.
MT

'97ventureowner · #3 08-14-2006, 12:38 PM

GM made the mistake when they started using DexCool to reccomend a 5 year/ 150,000 service interval. That since has been rescinded and a good rul of thumb is 3 yr 50K miles. When changing out the coolant, it is also a good idea to flush the system before refilling it. Also check your radiator cap and replace if defective. Another problem with the DexCool was air infiltration into the cooling system and causing it to sludge up create other problems. It was found that sometimes air can enter the cooling system through a defective or poorly working radiator cap. They don't cost a lot of money to replace and can be like an insurance policy for better peace of mind. In the future it is imperative to monitor the level of the coolant to make sure it remains at the level it is supposed to be at. If you find yourself having to replace coolant on a regular basis, then have the system checked for leaks. Another tell-tale sign is a dark "mayonnaise" type gunk on the underside of your oil filler cap. That is a sign that coolant could be mixing with your oil.

richtazz · #4 08-14-2006, 03:15 PM

I agree with the above as far as the change interval. But it is my opinion that there is no reason to spend twice as much on DexCool when it has no real world advantages over green antifreeze. Since you're flushing the system anyway, change to the Prestone in the yellow bottle and be done with it. I (as well as other trustworthy people) have done it with no ill effects.

victimizati0n · #5 08-14-2006, 07:21 PM

thanks, but i had a friend who somehow got oil into their coolant, but the oil was fine.

which is why i was concearned about that.

Is there a write up on how to flush the entire system? I know on some engines you can take the knock sensor out and flush it that way, ect.

How much coolant does it take? and do they make a 50/50 dexcool?

Im NOT using the green stuff, as my friend is a mechanic, and got cars in all of the time replacing water pumps from people who put the green in, because they got all corroded

BNaylor · #6 08-15-2006, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by victimizati0n

Im NOT using the green stuff, as my friend is a mechanic, and got cars in all of the time replacing water pumps from people who put the green in, because they got all corroded

The Prestone Extended Life (yellow bottle) mentioned earlier by Richtazz is green but is not the old style green coolant/antifreeze. It is 100% Dexcool compatible and based on the same Organic Acid Technology (OAT). It does not damage the radiator, water pump, aluminum parts or the intake gaskets. A lot of us flushed out our cooling systems and use it now. I have no problems with it.

victimizati0n · #7 08-15-2006, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnaylor

The Prestone Extended Life (yellow bottle) mentioned earlier by Richtazz is green but is not the old style green coolant/antifreeze. It is 100% Dexcool compatible and based on the same Organic Acid Technology (OAT). It does not damage the radiator, water pump, aluminum parts or the intake gaskets. A lot of us flushed out our cooling systems and use it now. I have no problems with it.

thanks, my dad is picking up some right now

victimizati0n · #8 08-16-2006, 05:49 PM

hey guys, we flushed the old stuff out today, and it wasnt that bad.

it was only sludgy in the overflow, and on the cap... below the layer of "sludge" was regular, fine dexcool.

Right now we have the flush stuff in, and it says to use the car for 3-6 hours before draining, and filling back up with the antifreeze.

I guess we caught it at a good time where it wasnt that bad.

tractorboy · #9 08-18-2006, 08:50 AM

Quote:

It is not the coolant it is the service it gets

So true. There are a lot of ppl who will not look under the hood. I was told by a mechanic who is on a nationally syndicated television show that with Dex-cool you do not want any air in the system, the dex-cool will go caustic sooner, so take the rad cap off and check also if flushing follow factory procedures to remove air after filling.

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