SSC

Just got back form a trip to both wallmarts here bought 20 gallons of Prestone extended life antifreeze cheaper then regular green Prestone anitifreeze. I got it for $4.68 a gallon for unmixed, mixed was six somthing a gallon . I just thought I would share since the Supertech generic green AF is is $4.48.

OMINOUS_87

Hmmmm......

No thanks, I wouldnt touch Dexcool with a 10 ft pole.

2 gallons of Prestone green can be had at Costco for less than 10$.

ede

if it was free i wouldn't use it

92blue

iTrader: (1)

Can you elaborate a little as to why its bad?

88Camaro350

Lots of people are having lots of trouble from dexcool. If the level gets low it will corrode the system bad. I personally know someone with a 99 s10 and he has had to change almost everything. Radiator was rusted through, water pump, and 2 or 3 freeze plugs rusted through....

Gooooooooood stuff.... I think I'll stick with the green stuff.

dankhound

Another thing to remember is to never mix the two. If you do it will eventually turn into a solid.

Tom 400 CFI

MIS-INFORMATION WARNING!!

The above statement is untrue. You can mix the two, but it will take away the EL properties of the Dexcool, requiring an anual change.

Basically the stuff gets a bad rap from people that don't fully under stand it, or DID have a bad expirience from improper use, but can't explain why (don't make a connection between the improper use and the problem).

FYI, I use it in all my vehicles, including both my snowmobiles and my Dirtbike.

As the vehicel fleet manager at a ski resort, I made the decision to use ELC in all the vehicles 6 years ago;
* 12 Cummins powered snowcats,
* 17 trucks (Fords and Chevs)
* Cat loader (which came stock with ELC)

We have had ZERO problems on all the above vehicles over the last 6 years. Conversely, the ELC exhibited better cooling performance than the "green stuff" when we first switched over.

Now most of the other resorts in this region are using it too; it saves money, and is environmentally more responsible (less waste). IME, It has and does work great.

Vader

Well, my sled is an air-cooler, but other than that - Ditto.

I've got it in everything that uses coolant, including the '86 TA. Prior to the change, I had a heater core failure, but no problems since changing. I do perform the annual test and five-year flush/drain as required, even on the '96 that has been sitting for 8 years.

My understanding is that mixing can cause some solide to precipitate depending on the type of lubricant used in teh "green stuff". I don't have those issues, and don't even have a bottle of "green stuff" in my stock any more.

Incidentally, the 134 S-10 trucks have had coolant issues aside from the DexCool. There were TSBs, and I'm in the middle of replacing a failed head gasket on mine right now:

Tom 400 CFI

Can't beat those for pull-n-go reliability! I used to have one for a spare it is was ALWAYS "ready to go".

Someone stole it though.

SSC

Actually they wont mix at all. The orange/red/pink coolant will stay that color and the green will stay green. Ive drained quite a few that were filled with the mixture, one minute it was orange next green.

Marc 85Z28

iTrader: (3)

Anyone ever done FWD 3.1L intake gaskets? Anyone who has will tell you Dexcool is crap. It eats right through aluminum. I've seen it dozens of times. Not just on the 3.1L engines either. I've replaced aluminum water pumps on other engines for bearing failure. Once removed, large chunks or pores are all over the surface of the aluminum.

Tom 400 CFI

WHOA! MIS-INFORMATION ALERT #2!!

The above statement if FALSE! Something else is causing the issues you are talking about.

DexCool does NOT CORRODE ALUMINUM! It is NOT Muratic acid, folks, it's coolant.

88 350 tpi formula

iTrader: (9)

here goes the dexcool trash. it only cause a build up when it gets low. nothing else. I am a gm tech so don't bother with your 3.1l intake bull. for that matter look at green coolant system 2.8, 3.1 ,3.3 or 3.8 intake that has been leaking they are corroded too. it's just the nature of aluminum when moisture and air are involved.

don't forget the newer gold coolant that can be mixed with green or extended

Wishmaster's87IROC

iTrader: (4)

YEP!...thats what the guy at AZ told me when I was going to buy me some....so I just put it back and got the green stuff

Marc 85Z28

iTrader: (3)

Call it misinformation if you want. But every single Dexcool system that I have made repairs on I've found aluminum components eaten away. And I'm not talking about 2-3 cars here, I'm talking DOZENS. I've seen that only once on the conventional green stuff. Could the problems I've been seeing be related to something else? Sure. But the simple fact that they all exhibit the same problem, and the only thing they share in common is the coolant, I will associate the two. Most of the other techs at my dealer agree with me, so I will continue to believe it. Regardless of anyone's opinion here

Take a copper heater core/radiator, and an aluminum water pump, head, block, manifold, etc and add Dexcool. The result, a minor electrical charge in the Dexcool. That DOES form a mild acid. The result, eaten aluminum and a thick brown sludge built up in the entire cooling system. Don't understand how this is possible, or maybe you believe I'm BS'ing you? Go back to Chemistry 101.

It's funny how all GM's cooling system problems came about when the switch to Dexcool took place. They didn't have much trouble with the regular stuff...

I do have one question though. Does GM still use Dexcool in most of their products? I haven't seen any 03/04 models yet.

EDIT: You're right after all. The Dexcool isn't the culprit: http://www.corywatsoncrowderanddegar...MassTorts5.asp End of story.

1991tealRSt-topGuy

yup

dexcool is still used in all 03/04 models

and if we get a vehicle with dexcool in it that is supposed to have green coolant, we make an attempt to upsell a cooling system flush

dexcool really is that bad

Tom 400 CFI

Reffer to 88 350 TPI formula's post above please.

Both my snowmobiles feature ALL ALUMINUM everything, with copper headgaskets. No brown sludge in either of those, after four years. Isn't an LS1/6 engine all aluminum? Arean't the heads on the LQ4 engine aluminum? No sludge in those. The late(r) 3.1 has an intake manifold/gasket issue, not a coolant issue.

Wow. Some ignoramus is sueing, so it MUST be valid! LOL. Since some woman is sueing CBS for the Janet Jackson Superbowl incident, she must be right too! LMAO.

IROCThe5.7L

My dads 99 Blazer got a little low on coolant. Then came the problems!

demonchild

well then, dont let them get low. im responsible for all 5 of our cars. theres dexcool in 3. never had any problems, but that is probably because the 4 cars with engines in them (look to the left, the trans am is still waiting for the new engine) get off the driveway onto flat ground every saturday morning for a quick 5 min inspection on all of them. the only thing that i cant check is the tranny fluid becuase its not hot.

SSC

The only problems I notice about cars with OEM extented life antifreeze is the plastic couplers like to get eaten away but they do that with any coolant. GM did have head gasket problems on 97-98 models. They were pointing the finger at dex cool then on faulty head gasket material. As far as the aluminum corosion they all do that. Look at any aluminum intake manifold that has been in service for a few years, they all get eaten up no matter what coolant you use.

SSC

One more thing just to think about.

What kind of water are you guys mixing the coolant with?

Regular tap water doesent cut it. Your supposed to use distilled.

Marc 85Z28

iTrader: (3)

No. You read wrong. I didn't validate my arguement by a lawsuit, I validated it by the fact that its a Class Action lawsuit - in dummy terms - lots of people have the same problem. Do a search on any of the major search engines and you'll see what I'm talking about.

So you got lucky with your snowmobiles. And for every one person who has good luck with the Dexcool, I can show you one that doesn't.

SSC I pulled my 18 year old aluminum intake manifold off my car. It looks good as new inside. No pitting whatsoever.

Tom 400 CFI

And four of my cars too?

Oh, and 12 350 hp diesel snowcats?

And a Cat loader?

And 17 trucks/vans?

And, and, and....

I must be a pretty lucky guy. I think it has mose to do with proper use. IME.

bubbz89

We use ELC in a fleet of around 18,000 trucks. I have never seen a problem, and these trucks can go A LONG time without getting service. i have never seen a problem using ELC. i have seen some nightmare cooling systems, but mostly because of neglect , and not the type of coolant they use.

Meatikis

yeah but even if dexcool wasn't bad, it's still more fun to look at the pretty green stuff. i wouldn't know about dexcool, cept the one time i had to change the radiator in my sisters 98 saturn. i dont believe it was the fault of the coolant, tho.

shaggy56

My girlfriends mothers car has this same coolant and its had it for a while and havent had any problems but of course its routinely changed by a mechanic. Now I know of one of her friends who has been haveing this same problem but I think what was going on is she was taking the car to the dealer and they neglected to do any of the neccessary maintenance work and had this problem. Im not so sure if its a coolant failure or maybe the dealerships idea of maintaining there vehicles which seems to be the real failure. From what ive heard even though they would bring their cars to the dealer and relyed on the mechanic to do the maintence they payed for when in fact the mechanics would be cutting corners. You have to realize the average joe doesnt know the first thing about mechanics and rely on the mechanic to let them know what needs to be done so things like this dont happen.

Tom 400 CFI

Wow, that's a big fleet! What company?

bubbz89

Swift Transportation...stay outta there way, they cant drive for ****!!!