What to use in radiator?

[f_399]

3100 V6

[White93z34]

use what the car came with.

[Heza]

when is DEXCOOL brown?

[ShockTherapy]

thought it was orange.

 

it turns brown when you mix the green stuff in with it.

[Robby1870]

Green stuff.

[Supreme Cutlass]

I bought some dexcool to put into my system, and after reading rants all over the internet about it, I'm taking it back. You should probably do the same; new cars with dexcool have ended up with major problems because of it's tendency to turn into sludge in the recovery bottle, (and sometimes the radiator if it gets a chance), eat away hoses and other horror stories from the web. Google it and see what you find. I've heard that mixing the green antifreeze with distilled water keeps it from gumming up, if decide to put the green in, of course.

[DiscoStudd]

Completely flush out the DEX and put in the green stuff (that's what I'm doing to my 2 new cars as soon as the factory warranties are up.) Just remember that you have to have your coolant changed more frequently when you use the green stuff...

[GnatGoSplat]

If Dex-cool is so bad, how come GM engines are now more reliable now than they've ever been?

 

Dex-cool is superior in its corrosion protection, that's a fact. The rants you see on the internet are by idiots who don't know GM engines well enough to recognize inherent problems that were present well before Dex-cool ever hit the market (i.e. LIM problems). Many of the people complaining about Dex-cool are attorneys who wouldn't know what a spark plug was if it hit 'em in the head.

[Supreme Cutlass]

From digging deeper, it seems that earlier GM cars using Dex-cool apparrently had loads of problems because the standard cooling systems couldn't withstand the more potent chemical. From what i've seen, they're now making hoses, gaskets, etc. that can stand it. Either way I don't think I would put it in an older engine like a 3100 that wasn't designed for dex-cool. (btw most of the complaints were from repair-shop owners, I avoid complaints that look like an idiot wrote them.)

[Justin]

I like the gold stuff Ford uses. It's the same as the ads you see, the gangsta ones "Big yellow's taking over". I'll be switching my stuff over to it when they come due to be flushed.

[DaveFromColorado]

I always use the green stuff, but I flush my system every year anyhow, so I'm not so worried about the silicates droppin' out of the coolant and causing any problems.

 

I do believe both types are ethylene glycol based forumlas but I do know when the antifreze guy comes to recycle the used antifreze he mixes 'em both together, adds a few chemicals, some green dye and runs it through the filters, then some more green dye to make it look better, and he's done.

 

--Dave.

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

I've heard bad stuff about Dexcool, haven't hear bad stuff about regular green.. so I'm gonna stick with green until I get a newer (2000+) GM vehicle (then I'll think about Dexcool).

[GnatGoSplat]

From digging deeper, it seems that earlier GM cars using Dex-cool apparrently had loads of problems because the standard cooling systems couldn't withstand the more potent chemical. From what i've seen, they're now making hoses, gaskets, etc. that can stand it. Either way I don't think I would put it in an older engine like a 3100 that wasn't designed for dex-cool. (btw most of the complaints were from repair-shop owners, I avoid complaints that look like an idiot wrote them.)

 

Where did you dig this bit of info from?

 

From what I've found http://www.imcool.com, many people who claim Dex-cool causes problems (litigators especially) have been challenged to provide proof, and so far no one has been able to deliver.

 

Yes, they are both ethylene glycol coolants. Green coolant uses abrasive silicates to prevent corrosion of aluminum. Dex-cool uses organic acids which are non-abrasive.

[Supreme Cutlass]

I basically just read a bunch of articles that google turned up, nothing specific, one guy in a forum stated: "In the first couple of years of Dexcool, GM vehicles were notorious for developing cooling system problems. Short story, the Dexcool was too potent and turned out to be eating away at the insides of the cooling system. GM had to go through and update all their hoses, gaskets, etc to withstand the Dexcool. Therefore, your shop is correct that it is wise to convert an early Dexcool vehicle to the green, however their mistake is in the fact that your 97 Cavy has the updated cooling system and will function best with Dexcool." when he was replying to a problem. Usually if you look at the years on the cars, you see all of the problems wre on cars with either older cooling systems, or systems that weren't designed for Dex-cool with that problem.

[GnatGoSplat]

one guy in a forum stated

 

Exactly my point. Just because a guy is on a forum, doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about.

 

"In the first couple of years of Dexcool, GM vehicles were notorious for developing cooling system problems. Short story, the Dexcool was too potent and turned out to be eating away at the insides of the cooling system. GM had to go through and update all their hoses, gaskets, etc to withstand the Dexcool.

 

Not true at all. Dex-cool's anti-corrosion package is no more potent than silicates. The only reason Dex-cool appeared to be causing problems, is because it coincided with GM's switching all their lower intake manifold gasket design to a nylon/rubber style. One of the first engines to go to this design is the 3.4 DOHC and it is well-known to have the same LIM failures with green silicated coolant, although Dex-cool seems to get all the credit.

 

From what I've gleaned from some articles of Cool Profit$, there has yet to be any proof that Dex-cool is any more harmful than silicated green coolant.

[Supreme Cutlass]

gleaned?

 

I didn't say that there was one guy who said that, that was the best summary I could find of the information I gathered. Sorry for the lack of description. Have you tried looking in places other than the one site?

[gp90se]

Ive seen newer (2000 ish) GM cars with 30k miles have dex gel up without ever being touched, and ive seen them go 100k and just have to color darken. I have no idea why some cars have issues with dex, but some cars do have issues. prestone yellow is what I would change out a dex cool system with to keep the long life properties, but good ol green stuff in everything pre 95.

[GnatGoSplat]

gleaned?

 

I didn't say that there was one guy who said that, that was the best summary I could find of the information I gathered. Sorry for the lack of description. Have you tried looking in places other than the one site?

 

glean v. To collect bit by bit: “records from which historians glean their knowledge†(Kemp Malone). See Synonyms at reap

 

Yes, I've looked in several places, and the imcool site is the only one where it's not just forum members spreading rumors, but if you want forum member testimonials, here's one from the Cadillac forums:

 

Ask him if the radiators are the OEM parts that were factory filled with DexCool or other applications. Just curious.

 

We see just the opposite. Heater cores, radiators, water pump seals are all better long term with the DexCool if used correctly.

 

There is always the issue of the concentration. If people do not dilute the DexCool 50/50 it certainly can be harmful to the system.

 

Also, many non-GM radiators and heater cores are NOT DexCool compatible....so if it is retrofitted into other applications it can cause harm.

 

Used correctly it is an excellent product with near lifetime corrosion protection.

 

At least this guy seems to be in the industry when he says "We see just the opposite".

 

Ive seen newer (2000 ish) GM cars with 30k miles have dex gel up without ever being touched, and ive seen them go 100k and just have to color darken. I have no idea why some cars have issues with dex, but some cars do have issues.

 

From GM Bulletin ##00-06-02-004 - (05/03/2000)

 

Condition

Some customers may comment about a brown colored gel-like substance on the radiator cap and upper filler neck.

 

Correction

 

Important

This condition is unique to the 3.1L and 3.4L engines and should not be confused with the condition described in Corporate Bulletin Number 99-06-02-012B -- Rust in Coolant System.

 

This condition is almost always confined to the radiator cap and upper filler neck, so it is not necessary to change the coolant. Keeping the cooling system full at all times should eliminate future recurrence. Replace the radiator cap and clean the radiator upper filler neck using the procedure and part numbers listed below.

 

Dex-cool does not like to be underfilled, but the gel buildup is not a problem.

 

After my coolant horror story, I would not touch anything made by Prestone. As far as green coolant is concerned, I've had a LOT better luck with the Wal-mart house brand than Prestone.

[Robby1870]

yep, cheap old green stuff is just fine, no reason to buy "expensive" green stuff

[sl3196]

I changed my coolant recently with 107k on it and it was fucking brown and sludgey. I put dexcool back in though, just need to remember to flush it more often.