DexCool gunking problem in 96 Jimmy

[JimmyDad]

My son's 96 Jimmy has some awful looking gunked up DexCool in it. It may also have a heater core leak -- water on the floor, passenger side. Has anyone tried the flush recommended in the GM TSB #99-06-02-012D. Wonder if it really cleans out all of the junk in the system. Should we flush it and then replace the core afterwards -- because believe I read somehwere that junk can remain in the system afterwards and mess up a brand new core pretty quickly. What the word on the debate: put in DexCool after the flush, or go with the green stuff? Thanks, folks.

[96 jimmy]

i would go ahead with the green stuff and it shouldn't matter if you flush it before or after as long as you take it somewhere to put a good pressure flush on it these guys who try and flush there vehicles with a water hose in the drive way are really wasting there time i have worked in a rad. shop for a while and i've seen what that red shit does over time its not worth the trouble.

[chcknugget]

It sounds like you have some extensive damage. Most likely a bunch of stuff needs replacing now. Just curious, have you ever had the coolant flushed and filled since you bought the vehicle? In my findings the factory coolant was the source of the problems. The orange stuff you buy at autozone now is not.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=263865

join the debate!
p.s. don't put the green in

[jquinn53e]

I have a 98 Jimmy. In 2001 I had the entire cooling system replaced (out of warranty). The dealer told me I had an intake manifold air leak and it caused my Dexcool to gunk the entire system. They flushed it for 3 hours and all worked. The next winter the same thing. They flushed again and replaced with regular red antifreeze. No problems since. Dexcool has none problems.

[imgone52]

My 98 Jimmy started out with a heater core plugged. At the same time they found the intake was leaking and found coolant in the oil. Everything was flushed, the intake gasket replaced and the coolant changed to the good green stuff. Two months later the engine ate at least one rod bearing and I now have a Jasper remanufactured replacement. The GM service manager I spoke with said that GM knows they have a problem with Dexcool and that the loss of the bearing is the result of oil contamination. Side note: There is a class action law suit, against GM and Texaco over Dexcool, in the works.

[chcknugget]

there are no problems with todays dexcool. The factory stuff was bad.

[hcary]

I had mine flushed at Jiffy Lube last weekend. I was noticing a little junk in the recovery tank. Come to find out my radiator cap wasn't holding any pressure!

I should have paid an extra $30 or $40 and had the dealer do the TSB flush, but Jiffy did a good job at $79 (after $10 discount).

[BlazerLT]

Replace the cap, flush the system, replace the heater core and fill up with fresh Dexcool.

I stress, replace the rad cap.