gm dex cool
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Pittsburghkid
Displacement Replacement.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2009
- Messages
- 1,774
I don't run it and i just drained my engine of all fluids. I just refilled it with distilled water and antifreeze. I can't speak for everyone but i've heard people say if it didn't come with it don't put it in. I also read this.
GM Owners Still Steaming Over Dex-Cool
GM Owners Still Steaming Over Dex-Cool
I would not it's junk.
Ive ran it but havent seen the problems stated on that site. GM should have recalled all early 3800 S2 engines to replace their engineering flaws that led to coolant leaking into and out of the engine. The intake design is poor and will develop coolant leaks over time. Ive replaced the plenum on my daily driver twice because of leakage. The engine in my daily driver currently has 260k on it and still has the equivalent of dex-cool in it. I dont feel the dex cool is corroding the system. I would have seen it when servicing it over the years. Still has the original radiator and i have no problems. Mis-diagnosis is often the culprit and the tech will blame one thing to cover another. Ive seen it many times. Ive never seen dex cool eat through engine parts. I have seen hot ex gases burn through plenums many times. Ive seen this get mis-diagnosed as a bad head gasket. One thing i know for sure is that if you truly have a head gasket problem with a GM 3800 engine you had or have much bigger problems since that is very uncharacteristic of those engines.
79TurboCutlass
Corn Eater
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2007
- Messages
- 511
I run Dex-Cool in mine with the old 350 Olds build and have run it in the LC2 conversion. It's been in for 4 or 5 years now. No problems. I'm changing to a different radiator soon and will put fresh Dex-Cool back in.
novaderrik
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2004
- Messages
- 8,076
Dex Cool is fine- right up until the radiator cap goes bad or the level gets low and air is allowed into the system. then it isn't so fine any more.. the old green stuff might not cool any better, but at least it doesn't turn to crystalized sludge when you get air in the system for whatever reason.
The biggest issue I've seen with Dex cool is people are to stupid to keep an eye on their mileage or how many years it's been since they flushed the system. This causes most of the corrosion issues, not the coolant exclusively. Brian is right about the design of the gaskets on the 3800 Series II and it also includes the 3100 and 3400. A plastic intake or gasket just doesn't hold up that well. It's common practice to see a GM car with a 60 degree V6 come in and find the intake gaskest leaking.
This also is an issue with the "universal" coolant in Chrysler vehicles. People don't flush the system and it eats the head gaskets. How many of you have seen a late model Dodge pick up leaking and it isn't condensation from the A/C system? For some strange reason they leak on the passenger side head at the rear. The gasket gets eaten after the coolant becomes corrosive because the cooling system hasn't been services at regular intervals.
This also is an issue with the "universal" coolant in Chrysler vehicles. People don't flush the system and it eats the head gaskets. How many of you have seen a late model Dodge pick up leaking and it isn't condensation from the A/C system? For some strange reason they leak on the passenger side head at the rear. The gasket gets eaten after the coolant becomes corrosive because the cooling system hasn't been services at regular intervals.
Ive heard of this before. Im convinced this may be a grounding issue where the current eats through the gasket sealing surface or some kind of electrolytic action that destroys part of the gasket.
it's just a six
Member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2005
- Messages
- 537
That stuff is garbage.
There are law suites pending I believe w/the use of Dexcol.
Type it in on a search engine like google.
I bought a new 97 Silverado, it had 29,000 miles on it & the fliud looked like mud. This is the 100,000 mile coolant, I know for sure my coolant system could not make it to 100,000 miles w/that coolant.
It has corroded intake fittings,on my truck & on others friends truck,same crap.
Then I hear of people running it w/no problems.
IMO,stay away from it,the old green Prestone is fine.
There are law suites pending I believe w/the use of Dexcol.
Type it in on a search engine like google.
I bought a new 97 Silverado, it had 29,000 miles on it & the fliud looked like mud. This is the 100,000 mile coolant, I know for sure my coolant system could not make it to 100,000 miles w/that coolant.
It has corroded intake fittings,on my truck & on others friends truck,same crap.
Then I hear of people running it w/no problems.
IMO,stay away from it,the old green Prestone is fine.
You're absolutely right Brian. The local PD has a dog catcher truck that went through 3 radiators in 4 months before I had to do the head gaskets. PITA!! It also has to do with the local government. Idiots are willing to save a few pennies now and then end up with a 2K bill because they were to cheap to do a friging flush.
TABuickMike
Michael Tomaszewski Jr
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2009
- Messages
- 89
I remember popping out the cap to the overflow tank/reservoir in the 05 GTO and it just being a redish maroon goo 
That was fun to clean out of the engine and radiator 
That was fun to clean out of the engine and radiator 99 Silverado 158,000 Miles, Used dex cool exclusively, No sludge
03 Pontiac GTP 80,000 Miles Used Dex cool exclusively, No sludge.
Like the 10,000 Mile oil and the 100,000 Mile Platinum spark plugs. 100,000 Mile coolant is a myth. You have to keep an eye on it and change it when needed.
Charlie, Ever tried these things. Seems like the way to avoid acide corrosion of the coolant systems.
On another note I pulled the radiator out of the regal with the engine change. 7 years old and fed a steady diet of RMI-25. Clean as a whistle.
03 Pontiac GTP 80,000 Miles Used Dex cool exclusively, No sludge.
Like the 10,000 Mile oil and the 100,000 Mile Platinum spark plugs. 100,000 Mile coolant is a myth. You have to keep an eye on it and change it when needed.
Charlie, Ever tried these things. Seems like the way to avoid acide corrosion of the coolant systems.
On another note I pulled the radiator out of the regal with the engine change. 7 years old and fed a steady diet of RMI-25. Clean as a whistle.
Preaching to the choir Al. Maintaining the cooling system is just as important as changing the oil.
redhotrod
Turbo Happy
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2002
- Messages
- 392
So alright guys, I see a favored green antifreeze, problem is, it seems hard to find locally, other than in the autozone and carquest brand, which brand still has green that is good enough to put in your precious rides? Prestone and zerex seems to have gone yellow and they seem to have the long protection that mixes with any color coolant, but doesn't that turn things ugly colors, not that I would mix yellow with green, which should theoreticly give you blue coolant than, right?
I run whatever traditional antifreeze I can get, be it Autozone or Prestone and have yet to have a problem.
I did have a 1995 Cavalier I bought from a police DWI auction once that had brown muddy coolant in it. One of the hoses leaked and it left a brown rust stain all over the cement that never did come out.
Ended up replacing it with the green stuff, though now I guess it came factory with Dex Clog in it. I won't use Dex Clog. Heard too many horror stories about it.
I did have a 1995 Cavalier I bought from a police DWI auction once that had brown muddy coolant in it. One of the hoses leaked and it left a brown rust stain all over the cement that never did come out.
Ended up replacing it with the green stuff, though now I guess it came factory with Dex Clog in it. I won't use Dex Clog. Heard too many horror stories about it.
