DEXCOOL

[2002 Caddy]

I for one have never had an issue with Dexcool, but I replace my coolant on a preventive maintenance schedule as if it was old school green stuff. And I'm also religious to keep the mixture 50/50.

I've read all of the horror stories and I'm nervous but so far no cooling issues.

I think one of the main issue with Dexcool is that people take the "long life" marketing to mean "lasts forever". This stuff only lasts twice as long as the green stuff and you're supposed to replace the green stuff every other year. If you are on your 5th year on the orange thats too long in my book.

If anything Decol encourages people to neglect their coolant... With all alloy or mixed metal motors this is a receipt for disaster regardless of what color the coolant is.

[member12]

Originally Posted by 2002 Caddy

I for one have never had an issue with Dexcool, but I replace my coolant on a preventive maintenance schedule as if it was old school green stuff. And I'm also religious to keep the mixture 50/50.

I've read all of the horror stories and I'm nervous but so far no cooling issues.

I think one of the main issue with Dexcool is that people take the "long life" marketing to mean "lasts forever". This stuff only lasts twice as long as the green stuff and you're supposed to replace the green stuff every other year. If you are on your 5th year on the orange thats too long in my book.

If anything Decol encourages people to neglect their coolant... With all alloy or mixed metal motors this is a receipt for disaster regardless of what color the coolant is.

I am pretty certain that it's suppose to last 100,000 miles under normal conditions between flushes.

I think that is in my owner's manual somewhere...but maybe it's not all GM products.

[2002 Caddy]

Originally Posted by member12

I am pretty certain that it's suppose to last 100,000 miles under normal conditions between flushes.

That is exactly my point and the main problem with dexcool.

We hear it all the time on some of the Caddy forums I'm a member of:

I have a 10 year old car with about 50,000 miles and my radiator is leaking, my heater core is plugged or my head gaskets are toast, etc etc...

Have I changed my coolant?

Of course not, Dexcool is good for 100,000+ miles

Here is what the owners manual says

The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with DEX-COOL® engine coolant. This coolant is designed to remain in your vehicle for five years or 150,000 miles (240 000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add only DEX-COOL® extended life coolant.

I draw your attention to the part about five years and the "comes first part"

The MOST critical part of coolant maintenance is TIME not distance. The longer the coolant is in contact with the aluminum and iron parts the more "sour" it gets and the more damage will occur...

My advice, If you have a cast iron block (e.g. 3.8L) change dexcool at 4 years. If you have an aluminum block (LS1, Northstar, etc) 3 years is all that I would go.

Don't believe me? Google "Northstar and Headgaskets" and read the carnage that results when you fail to follow the Dexcool servicing as GM recommends. Coolant is cheap and easy to change, head gaskets, radiators, water pumps, heater cores are neither cheap nor easy.

[ockgator]

MACS 2001: GM and Texaco “Bare All” about DEX-COOL®

[Opusnbill7]

Finally went ahead and flushed it and put in fresh dexcool (dealer was running a special on the flush/fill that I couldn't turn down). It was starting to look a little suspect (at 30K/3 yrs--maybe 4 since it was actually built). Looks a lot better now. I think the rule that I would go by from everything I've read is that any coolant you want to use (that meets the proper specs) is probably ok, but periodic changes of coolant are definitely important, regardless of how many miles it's "recommended" to be able to take. If it's starting to look suspect, don't be cheap and just get it taken care of (or you'll pay more later). :-P

[rbarrios]

I changed out the thermostat in my 2003 Trailblazer with an inline 6. Mileage at this point was 111,000 miles.
At 47,000 miles, the water pump was replaced. Some dexcool was drained. and refilled at that time.
I see no sign of gunk... I can still see the design of the styrofoam casting-

[GMfan1111]

yep thats dexcool for yah montguy. I belive GM issued either a recall or service bulletin for dexcool. The stuff is basically garbage because of its frequent habit of hardening and its knack for corroding radiators. Also Dexcool cannot be mixed with tap water (its not pretty). however most of the hardening problems come from people that do not mix the dexcool right. If you want to save some money and a ton of hassle do not use dexcool

[solman98]

Originally Posted by GMfan1111

yep thats dexcool for yah montguy. I belive GM issued either a recall or service bulletin for dexcool. The stuff is basically garbage because of its frequent habit of hardening and its knack for corroding radiators. Also Dexcool cannot be mixed with tap water (its not pretty). however most of the hardening problems come from people that do not mix the dexcool right. If you want to save some money and a ton of hassle do not use dexcool

Been using Dex and mixing with tap since 1996. No sludge or gunk and no engine problems from the cooling system. I will continue to do so. Most problems from dex is from a non sealed system. Dex does not like air too much. If your system is not set as it should be, you will have problems. But that is not from dex, if from a badly maintained system.

[GMfan1111]

I said in my post that while DEX does have a tendency to harden and react badly with just about anything mixed with it most of these incidents are from idiots that don't mix it right or outside contamination of the dexcool. I use another brand of coolant besides dexcool because i don't want to take a chance with the DEX reacting.

[Triple-X08]

when i do a flush, i use either 1 of 2 types of stuff, Pro-tec makes a nice radiator flush, get a flush and conditioner, and prestone makes nice flush,

i normally do normal flushes with pro-tec and do back flushes with the prestone stuff.

dex-cool vehicles get dex-cool put back in them, pre-mixed 50-50 mixture.
we get it in bulk. 200 gallons at a time.