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  1. #1
    024mula 024mula's Avatar
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    silver
    '02 Firebird Formula

    Is Dexcool safe to use?

    Just hear about this and wanted to know what you guys think about it .....................

    GM Owners Still Steaming Over Dex-Cool

  2. #2
    Veteran pajeff02's Avatar
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    Black & Blue
    '02 WS.6 / '07 Suburban

    I have had zero issues with Dexcool in our Trans Am, Suburban or Cadillac. Any time I have serviced the cooling systems, the internals look great -- no corrosion or buildup at all.

  3. #3
    024mula 024mula's Avatar
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    silver
    '02 Firebird Formula

    I don't have any issues with my Chevy pick up or my Formula both that use Dex-cool, I was just wondering if anybody else had a issue.

  4. #4
    Senior Member raynor139's Avatar
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    Pewter
    2002 Trans Am WS6 M6

    Never have either but I've had a water pump go bad. But everything was clean no build up.
    Mods - Lid, Skip Shift Eliminator, MGW shifter, UMI SFCs, Founders Lower Control Arms, Founders Panhard Bar, Founders Adj. Torque Arm, UMI Torque arm mount, MWC Drive shaft safety loop, KONI Yellows, Strano Springs, Strano Sway bars, UMI Upper and lower A Arms, 160 thermostat, TSP headers and TSP true duals Monster stage 2 clutch, racetronix fuel pump, Strange S60 rear axle and tune by Frost.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Whamhammer's Avatar
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    '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M

    Quote Originally Posted by raynor139 View Post
    Never have either but I've had a water pump go bad. But everything was clean no build up.

    Something about that article bugged me, they only discussed a vehicles mileage, not its age when the problem happened. Also, if you run ANY cooling system low for 15-20k, things are going to go bad, especially if air pockets form.

    Most of the problems I heard from my mechanics when I worked for a dealership was when Dexcool had been mixed with ethelyne-glycol based coolants ( green), they would sludge up.

    Many of the shops I sold to ended up flushing Dexcool systems completely out and replaced them with Toyotas red coolant. Ive been out of the business for about 6 years, so I dont know if the results lasted.
    Last edited by Whamhammer; 11-27-2014 at 04:23 PM.

  6. #6
    Member sjgreen6's Avatar
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    Navy Blue
    2002 Trans Am WS6 Conv

    Used it on a freshly rebuilt 1971 455 Pontiac engine with new radiator, water pump etc. Lasted about 8 K miles before it ruined the water pump. Got through the seal and into the bearings. And it was a brand new GM water pump. Will never use it on a classic engine that wasn't designed for it again.

    On my 2002 I change the fluid every 2 years regardless of what GM says and have not had any problems. I think there are a lot of claims of longer service intervals that the manufacturers expect will help sell cars but also expect that the cars will change hands before it is a problem. I'm seeing too many non serviceable components like ball joints and even transmissions that are not equipped to be easily refilled on new cars.
    ATI Procharger, SFCs, Y-pipe, LM2, BBK Shorty Headers, Corvette N73 Magnesium Wheels, 4th Circle Designs Stripe and Overlay kit

  7. #7
    Former Mopar Man 2002ssslp's Avatar
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    02 Camaro SS, 04 GTO

    No issues here. ever.
    My ride is a 2002 Camaro SS SLP #3296 with 30k, LTH, 3" Y, CME, Frost tune, K&N, ported TB, Blackwing lid, Bellows, MSD, Denso Iridium, and 85mm MAF, Bilsteins, Eibach springs, SLP strut brace, Adj. Panhard, TA Girdle, UMI, Pro 5.0, Nitto NT555
    My wife has a 2004 GTO with the rare SAP, 18" wheels, K&N Cold Air System, MSD, Ported TB, Frost tune, Denso Iridium, Flowmaster cat-back, 3200 Yank, 75k

  8. #8
    Senior Member Naaman's Avatar
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    Cayanne
    98 Z28 Vert M6

    Here's a question:

    Where I live, it gets hot in the summer (110 and over), and cool in the winter (in the 30s overnight). Often, in early fall, when the days are still hot but the mornings are cool, the coolant light comes on in my car (coolant has condensed over night). Once the engine is warm, the coolant light does not come on. I figure it's a matter of expansion and condensation with temperature.

    Does it seem like this type of thing could cause the problems mentioned in the article?

  9. #9
    Veteran pajeff02's Avatar
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    '02 WS.6 / '07 Suburban

    The overflow tank also need flushed when the cooling system is serviced - that is where the low coolant sensor is located.

  10. #10
    Former Mopar Man 2002ssslp's Avatar
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    02 Camaro SS, 04 GTO

    ^^^ What Jeff said ^^^

  11. #11
    Member RONS98TA's Avatar
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    BLACK
    1998 PONTIAC TA

    Never had an issue with dexcool.

  12. #12
    Veteran 0rion's Avatar
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    98 Formula
    06 duramax

    that article is from 2006.......dexcool was the scapegoat for shitty GM gaskets and shitty GM engineering. Intake gaskets going out on a 3.1 or the 4.3.....I don't believe it. The information on dexcool is out there. Before you read all the negative stuff about it I would say first read the technical stuff and see what it's made of and then compare to every other "high mileage" antifreeze out there and see what they're made of. Results will surprise you.

  13. #13
    Senior Member JayTA98's Avatar
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    Mean Black
    1998 Trans Am

    I used it until I sold my 98 with 140k. Never had an issue. I flushed the whole system at 100k.

  14. #14
    11 years of bangin gears cammed goat's Avatar
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    Phantom Black Metallic
    2004 GTO M6

    I didn't have any issues with mine. I use universal coolant now as the shop I worked at didn't have dex cool when I replaced my cracked radiator over two years ago.

  15. #15
    2xSOM ninety6's Avatar
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    Sunset Orange Metallic
    2002 SS, 2002 V6 Vert

    I actually DID have an issue with Dex-Cool. In my 1996 Camaro, with almost certainly original coolant, probably around 100k miles around 2003/4/5?. First thing that happened was that my heater core got clogged up so I lost cabin heat. I swapped that out, but the issue came back (I don't remember when). After i opened up the radiator, and it very gunky and brown, i need I had to swap out the radioator and heater core again. So i did, and flushed the lines with a garden hose, put it all back together and filled with universal. Sold the car shortly after.

    ON the other hand, I've also have the following that haven't experiences any issues:
    1993 Chevy K2500 (not sure if thats still dex cool or what)
    1999 Chevy Suburban
    2002 Camaro SS (18k miles, original dexcool - on the list for a flush next summer)
    2002 Camaro V6 (87k miles, have no idea if it is original or not)

    So, there definitely IS a real issue with DexCool, however, I've only had an issue in one of many cars that I've driven with Dex-Cool. I've never researched it, don't know the causes, but it has been a real issue for some people.

    I actually thought that dexcool was 10/year, 100k until recently -- was it always 5 years?

  16. #16
    Veteran 0rion's Avatar
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    06 duramax

    Quote Originally Posted by ninety6 View Post
    I actually DID have an issue with Dex-Cool. In my 1996 Camaro, with almost certainly original coolant, probably around 100k miles around 2003/4/5?. First thing that happened was that my heater core got clogged up so I lost cabin heat. I swapped that out, but the issue came back (I don't remember when). After i opened up the radiator, and it very gunky and brown, i need I had to swap out the radioator and heater core again. So i did, and flushed the lines with a garden hose, put it all back together and filled with universal. Sold the car shortly after.

    ON the other hand, I've also have the following that haven't experiences any issues:
    1993 Chevy K2500 (not sure if thats still dex cool or what)
    1999 Chevy Suburban
    2002 Camaro SS (18k miles, original dexcool - on the list for a flush next summer)
    2002 Camaro V6 (87k miles, have no idea if it is original or not)

    So, there definitely IS a real issue with DexCool, however, I've only had an issue in one of many cars that I've driven with Dex-Cool. I've never researched it, don't know the causes, but it has been a real issue for some people.

    I actually thought that dexcool was 10/year, 100k until recently -- was it always 5 years?
    also another car known to have coolant leaks (water pump) so there's no guarantee that your issue wasn't caused by either contamination or someone topping the coolant off with regular glycol antifreeze. If it gets contaminated or if it gets mixed it will sludge up....no doubt....but the idea that dexcool is evil has been spread across the internet based on factors other than the coolant itself. Again....look at what it's made of.
    Quote Originally Posted by Mean Green Z28 View Post
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  17. #17
    Senior Member Too Fast's Avatar
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    2000 WS6 6spd Hooker LT

    ^^^1993, GM did not use Dex Cool. They used the standard for the day green ethylene-glycol coolant, which had a service life of 2 years/24k.

    GM was the first with a long life, OAT coolant (Dex Cool), at 5 yr/100k, revised to 5 yr/150k. I think first year for it was 1995?

    Ford started using HOAT in about 2002, it is a yellowish/orange color.



    Samuel in Bellville, Ohio experienced a similar problem with sludge in the cooling system of his car.

    "I have sludge in my coolant caused by Dex-Cool,' he wrote. "GM demands that the coolant be used. So far it's just the gasket that has to be replaced. I will see if further damage was caused," he told ConsumerAffairs.com.


    ^This guy makes no sense to me. How does he know the sluge was from Dex Cool? What are his maintenence intervals? Was his coolant low at any point?

    I've been working on cars/light trucks for over 25 years, and I've seen sludge build up in almost every car manufacturer, with heater cores needing flushed due to sludge build up. Many Ford products (Taurus, any other mechanics?)Camrys, Accords and yes GM trucks.

    And for people to say Dex Cool eats intake manifold gaskets on GM 3.1/3.4 engines, I say it's poor gasket or engine design. I don't know how many intake gaskets I've replaced on old school GM (Oldsmobile 307) 5.0 V8 engines, and they all used the ethylene glycol antifreeze.

    So to OP, yes Dex Cool is safe to use in engines designed for it, if you follow proper maintenence intervals and don't let it run continuosly low/exposed to air.

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