A big warning about Dex-Cool

As I am currently dealing with some coolant issues, I have been told by my mechanic a very stern warning about keeping Dex-Cool out of my car. He told me there is a corrolation between Dex-Cool and GM's known head-gasket problem with their V6's. Supposively, Dex-Cool's additives break down within a year or two and actually CORRODE your cooling system, damaging water pumps, head-gaskets, radiators, ect.

Don't believe me? There is a 15-year lawsuit going on against GM for using Dex-Cool. there is actually a website on this

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www.dexcoolcase.com

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or Google "Dex-Cool"...you'll see many more complaints than satisfied customers.

Just some free advice that may save you thousands...

If you flush your system out, then can you switch to the regular anti-freeze or is it harmful in some way to use regular coolant in any motor with Dex-cool?

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Originally Posted by myk02k

As I am currently dealing with some coolant issues, I have been told by my mechanic a very stern warning about keeping Dex-Cool out of my car. He told me there is a corrolation between Dex-Cool and GM's known head-gasket problem with their V6's. Supposively, Dex-Cool's additives break down within a year or two and actually CORRODE your cooling system, damaging water pumps, head-gaskets, radiators, ect.

Don't believe me? There is a 15-year lawsuit going on against GM for using Dex-Cool. there is actually a website on this

HTML Code:

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www.dexcoolcase.com

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or Google "Dex-Cool"...you'll see many more complaints than satisfied customers.

Just some free advice that may save you thousands...

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The problem is if the system is run low on dexcool and air mixes with the dexcool it forms a acid that eats everything......as long as the system is kept full this can't happen.I agree though why take the risk....but its not the big problem some people would have you believe.If you keep the system full there is nothing to worry about.

I think that the newer "Universal" Coolant can be used in ANY vehicle. I think Prestones is Green, Zerex's is Green, and Peak's G5 International is Gold. I use Peak instead of DexCool. I switched a few years ago because Dex Cool was breaking down on me after 2 years.

I have seen dex-cool cause gaskets to fail and I have also seen a equal number of gaskets fail with green coolant in them. Gm has been putting dex-cool in vehicles since about 97 and if the coolant was the problem why did they not stop using it? If you treat dex-cool just like green and flush cooling system every 1 or 2 years you will have no problem. I will say the 5 year 150,000 mile thing is total b.s. just my 2 cents

A BIG WARNING about not maintaining ones coolant! Regardless of brand!
Every year at a minimum .....flush and fill with fresh....no problems....put a shot of Royal Purple in there...Royal Ice:) Makes your nutts feel fuzzy....

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Originally Posted by WS6BIRD

I have seen dex-cool cause gaskets to fail and I have also seen a equal number of gaskets fail with green coolant in them. Gm has been putting dex-cool in vehicles since about 97 and if the coolant was the problem why did they not stop using it? If you treat dex-cool just like green and flush cooling system every 1 or 2 years you will have no problem. I will say the 5 year 150,000 mile thing is total b.s. just my 2 cents

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the grand am's have this issue too.

Ex had this problem on her Grand Am and Alero, stupid girl for listening to dealer service intervals

Thank you for the warning.
I have used this but now have gone with ZEREX-05. Popular mechanics or pop science magazine? had an article a few years ago about this new zerex($15/gal). They said they really don't know how long this stuff is good for. They have long term studies in fleet vehicles with 300K plus miles on the coolant with virtually no protection breakdown/corrosion buildup, etc. The main thing is to get away from any anti-freeze with silicates(ethelyne glycol) in it. Better to use propylene glycol. Jury is still out on 'water wetter' as far as I am concerned. Remember don't let rover drink it :nono: :beer:

the main purpose of water being added into the system is because water is the best liquid substance that absorbs heat...it decreases the boiling and freezing point, but a 50/50 mixture is a perfect balance of heat absorbant and keeping the mixture liquid....that is unless you live in antarctica (an f-body in that much snow might as well sit there for novelty purposes if u think about it).

i work in antarctica. we use a 60/40 mix 60% coolant 40% water. we use catepillar e.l.c.(extended life coolant)ethelyne glycol. it is red in color. we also use block heaters to keep everything from freezing.in the winter time it can get to be -50* at times or even colder and i do not see the antifreeze freeze, even if it wasn't plugged in. we use this coolant in everything we run down here. we use a ford truck and van fleet. 5.4liter, 1999,2000,2002 vehicles. the only problems i see in a period of time is the block heater goes bad.and these vehicles are pretty much at idle 7/8 of the time to stay warm,if your working outside. these vehicles are WORKED HARD every day.

I bought my car in aug. 2001, and never changed out the factory installed dex-cool untill 3 weeks ago when I did my cam swap. After draining the radiator fluid, I looked at it in the bucket. There was no trace at all of debris in it and it was still bright orange. My friends that were helping me said the coolant looked brand new. I refilled w/ dex-cool and will never use anything else, cause I have had no problems at all, and my car has been driven hard for the 56,000 miles it has on it.

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Originally Posted by 01mmmz28

I bought my car in aug. 2001, and never changed out the factory installed dex-cool untill 3 weeks ago when I did my cam swap. After draining the radiator fluid, I looked at it in the bucket. There was no trace at all of debris in it and it was still bright orange. My friends that were helping me said the coolant looked brand new. I refilled w/ dex-cool and will never use anything else, cause I have had no problems at all, and my car has been driven hard for the 56,000 miles it has on it.

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yep it will always look like new as long as it never gets run low......if it does you will have a mess you never believe...the dexcool when mixed with air turns into a nasty azz acid that will eat aluminum like candy.As long as you keep your eye on it(check it once a week) yer ok...if you want to check it once a month...BETTER CHANGE TO SOMETHING ELSE...its that simple.DEXCOOL can cause insane damage if run low..i;ve seen it...its INSANE.

I like dex-cool. Never had a problem with it and even swapped out the cars I had w/green coolant to dex-cool.

Cooling system maintenance is an absolute must, but too many folks simply don't do anything as simple as checking the coolant level. The folks I've run into that have problems w/dex-cool would have problems no matter what coolant they have because they are too freakin' STUPID to check the level. When it's low, the coolant that remains has to work harder to dissipate heat - wearing it out faster.

Just for the heck of it, we ran the stock dex-cool in the wife's then-new 98 Olds Intrigue. At 100k miles, we flushed it. It looked brand new and tested brand new. However, we (ok, I) checked it regulary and added when necessary. No problems.

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Originally Posted by redz

The main thing is to get away from any anti-freeze with silicates(ethelyne glycol) in it. Better to use propylene glycol. :

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Absolutely correct. Silicates are the enemy and it's because of them the change/flush interval was 12mo/12k miles.

better safe than sorry...apparently i have a small leak somewhere, found out just a month ago and my overflow tank looked like someone filled it with plaster; not one drop of red-orange stuff in there. definitely not looking brand-new or even the same substance...

Thank you my friend! I will research it :thumbup:

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Originally Posted by myk02k

better safe than sorry...apparently i have a small leak somewhere, found out just a month ago and my overflow tank looked like someone filled it with plaster; not one drop of red-orange stuff in there. definitely not looking brand-new or even the same substance...

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see what happens if it runs low......i'll bet its a mess inside the engine too.

I have used Dex-Cool in all of my vehicles since '96.I switched 2 earlier vehicle over to it('91 454-SS pickup at 68,000 miles which I still have at 121,000 miles, a '95 Eldorado that I sold in 2000). I currently have a '99 STS with 70,000, my pickup and a 2002 Firehawk with 20,000 miles. I use Redline water wetter in all of them twice a year.
I have had cooling system problems on the truck(2 radiators,2 water pumps) but I don't attribute it to the use of this coolant. All cars are meticulously maintained and there is no corrosion.

Another way to avoid cooling issues is to use distilled water (not purified or filtered). Distilled water has no "local" elements in it, unlike your tap water which my have sodium, lead, iodine, calcium, fluoride and other nasties. You can get distilled water at almost any grocery store for 1 a gal or less. Real good cheap insurance.