because the coolant in my radiator is green and the stealership put it in there. aka NON-GM ANIFREEZE.
DexCool, shouldn't it be orange? Isn't that what our vehicles take?
- Thread starter Vonhendon
- Start date
djthumper
Administrator
02 green tb
Member
Peak makes a green antifreeze that is compatible with dex-cool. Check it out.
PEAK Long Life® Antifreeze & Coolant
PEAK Long Life® Antifreeze & Coolant
RayVoy
Member
- Nov 20, 2011
- 939
Maybe having the "green stuff" in the rad is not a bad thing.
I, and many thousands of others, have had leaking manifold gaskets caused directly, or indirectly, by Dexcool.
Mine occurred a few months after I had the original Dexcool flushed and the system refilled. I too, discovered it had been filled with the "green stuff".
Did the gasket die because of the flush, because of the original Dexcool, because of the change to "green stuff"? I don't know, and the jury is still out.
And, I don't have a recommendation for what to do, maybe the 50,000/5 year (this might be wrong, I didn't look it up) duration is too long, maybe it needs to be changed every two years, I just don't know.
Google Dexcool, you'll discover many links to problems and, many links to litigation.
I, and many thousands of others, have had leaking manifold gaskets caused directly, or indirectly, by Dexcool.
Mine occurred a few months after I had the original Dexcool flushed and the system refilled. I too, discovered it had been filled with the "green stuff".
Did the gasket die because of the flush, because of the original Dexcool, because of the change to "green stuff"? I don't know, and the jury is still out.
And, I don't have a recommendation for what to do, maybe the 50,000/5 year (this might be wrong, I didn't look it up) duration is too long, maybe it needs to be changed every two years, I just don't know.
Google Dexcool, you'll discover many links to problems and, many links to litigation.
I know from experience that some green and dexcool do not mix. It causes a goop to from. I would find out what was added and make sure that it was compatible if it was me
Good luck
Good luck
RayVoy
Member
- Nov 20, 2011
- 939
With further reading, it appears GM is ok with the "green stuff" being added to the "orange stuff".
However, and ya knew there would be a however, if you add "green" the long life claim is void and the system must be changed and flushed in 2 years.
GM also claims that the Dexcool problems reported, are due to owner neglect. Apparently, the "orange stuff" works within spec so long as the Customer ensures the pressure inside the system is maintained. If the owner allows the pressure to fall, due to a leak, or a failing pressure cap, Dexcool can self contaminate (I haven't figured out what this means).
EDIT: for what it's worth, I just found this: http://www.sancarlosradiator.com/dex-cool.htm Perhaps the answer is to change it every two years (if we were talking about engine oil, we'd change it more often................ the end result of poor maintenance (oil, or coolant) is still an engine overhaul.
However, and ya knew there would be a however, if you add "green" the long life claim is void and the system must be changed and flushed in 2 years.
GM also claims that the Dexcool problems reported, are due to owner neglect. Apparently, the "orange stuff" works within spec so long as the Customer ensures the pressure inside the system is maintained. If the owner allows the pressure to fall, due to a leak, or a failing pressure cap, Dexcool can self contaminate (I haven't figured out what this means).
EDIT: for what it's worth, I just found this: http://www.sancarlosradiator.com/dex-cool.htm Perhaps the answer is to change it every two years (if we were talking about engine oil, we'd change it more often................ the end result of poor maintenance (oil, or coolant) is still an engine overhaul.
Dexcool is really more pink isnt it ? I know chrysler uses a orange coolant which is different than dexcool so dont get them mixed up. I thought normal maintenance for this stuff was 5 years 100K miles .
CruzinQueen
Member
- Dec 30, 2011
- 46
I worked in an auto parts store for 7 years and I have seen many vehicles have head gasket failures due to aged Dexcool becoming acidic and basically eating the gaskets away. Additionally, Dexcool added to standard green antifreeze creates a cottage-cheese like texture, so clearly that is not recommended. When I do a coolant change I typically switch to the yellow antifreeze on store shelves today for "All Makes, All Models". It's best to not mix and to get the old Dexcrap out, IMHO.
Mark20
Member
- Dec 6, 2011
- 1,630
The only way I know to alter coolant pressure is to use a different cap on the system our have a leak.
I did have a radiator end cap crack at a support boss at 140k on my old TranSport. Otherwise the cooling system had no problems through 160k.
Somewhere I read that they've had dye stability issues.
I did have a radiator end cap crack at a support boss at 140k on my old TranSport. Otherwise the cooling system had no problems through 160k.
Somewhere I read that they've had dye stability issues.
DJones
Member
Bartonmd
Member
- Nov 20, 2011
- 545
So, so much misinformation about this issue, out there...
The "all makes, all models" (AMAM) stuff is fine to mix with Dexcool, and also keeps its long life rating. If you switch to the "can't hardly find it any more" silicate green stuff, it is an every 2 year deal. If the dealership says different than the bottle of coolant, and your engine is destroyed, have them put it in writing (they won't, because it's an excuse) that it was the coolant, and take that to Prestone, and have their lawyers fight over which one is right...
Dexcool, as well as the AMAM stuff don't hold onto water as well as the silicate green stuff did, so they lose level over time as the water evaporates out of them. It is normally the customer's fault for not checking this, and letting it happen. When the level gets low, and there is air in the system, the system can't pressurize fully, and gets contaminated. When it gets contaminated, it loses its dielectric properties, and the different metals actually eat each other and the gasket in between via dielectric corrosion from the dissimilar materials with fluid in between them.
There are different ways that the different coolants keep the systems clean. The old green stuff made for copper radiators and iron blocks/heads actually had very small silicate (sand) particles in it, which would basically sand-blast everything clean. When we went to aluminum radiators, aluminum heads, plastic intakes, etc. the silicate coolant would basically sand-blast away the material (including the newer gaskets and water pump seals that aren't made for it). The Dexcool and AMAM stuff use chemicals to keep the passages and everything clear.
The issues with the early Dexcool engines, along with the people letting level get low, was that the gaskets were more succeptable to dielectric corrosion, as well as not having the elasticity for the many mechanical cycles of differential expansion. GM has since come out with new "stretchy" bolts and better gaskets to correct the issue on these older engines, as well.
Mike
The "all makes, all models" (AMAM) stuff is fine to mix with Dexcool, and also keeps its long life rating. If you switch to the "can't hardly find it any more" silicate green stuff, it is an every 2 year deal. If the dealership says different than the bottle of coolant, and your engine is destroyed, have them put it in writing (they won't, because it's an excuse) that it was the coolant, and take that to Prestone, and have their lawyers fight over which one is right...
Dexcool, as well as the AMAM stuff don't hold onto water as well as the silicate green stuff did, so they lose level over time as the water evaporates out of them. It is normally the customer's fault for not checking this, and letting it happen. When the level gets low, and there is air in the system, the system can't pressurize fully, and gets contaminated. When it gets contaminated, it loses its dielectric properties, and the different metals actually eat each other and the gasket in between via dielectric corrosion from the dissimilar materials with fluid in between them.
There are different ways that the different coolants keep the systems clean. The old green stuff made for copper radiators and iron blocks/heads actually had very small silicate (sand) particles in it, which would basically sand-blast everything clean. When we went to aluminum radiators, aluminum heads, plastic intakes, etc. the silicate coolant would basically sand-blast away the material (including the newer gaskets and water pump seals that aren't made for it). The Dexcool and AMAM stuff use chemicals to keep the passages and everything clear.
The issues with the early Dexcool engines, along with the people letting level get low, was that the gaskets were more succeptable to dielectric corrosion, as well as not having the elasticity for the many mechanical cycles of differential expansion. GM has since come out with new "stretchy" bolts and better gaskets to correct the issue on these older engines, as well.
Mike
fishguy1123
Member
- Dec 5, 2011
- 310
Bartonmd said:
So is that why the res gets low after a month or so with dexcool/amam? Assumeing no leaks are present in the system.
Wooluf1952
Member
Vonhendon said:
IMO, considering what a dealer charges, plus the fact that they should be using what the factory calls for, it should be Dexcool.
What does your receipt say?
kardain
Member
- Dec 16, 2011
- 557
vipergg said:
Here is a good example of the color and a not so good example of a computer water cooling set up... One of these days I'll tidy it up.
In the reservoir, it's more on the orange side. In motion, it's more pinkish.... 4:1 water to dexcool mix is what I run.
DJones
Member
kardain said:Here is a good example of the color and a not so good example of a computer water cooling set up... One of these days I'll tidy it up.
In the reservoir, it's more on the orange side. In motion, it's more pinkish.... 4:1 water to dexcool mix is what I run.
That looks cool.
Bartonmd
Member
- Nov 20, 2011
- 545
fishguy1123 said:
Yeah, but it should take more than a month... I usually end up having to add Dexcool about once a year, but AMAM maybe every 3 months...
And you add distilled water to them, NOT TAP WATER! Since it's just the water evaporating out, you just add water, not 50/50 mix...
Oh yeah, that's the other thing people do... They make the mistake of using tap water when they mix their coolant, instead of distilled water, and it introduces lots of calcium, iron, and whatever else is in tap water...
Mike
Bartonmd
Member
- Nov 20, 2011
- 545
Just for posterity, I'll add that what happens when particularly the old Dexcool gets air in the system, is that also it sort of unbalances the organic acids, which can also cause them to get corrosive to plastics. I gather that it has been reformulated to stop this, but who knows?
So yeah, there are quite a few reasons to keep air out of a Dex system...
Mike
So yeah, there are quite a few reasons to keep air out of a Dex system...
Mike
RayVoy said:
Okay I found out my mine is green, 3yrs. ago I took it to a shop to get a flush&fill and they told me about all the problems with (Death Cool ) and lawsuits so they cleaned all that out and put the green stuff in.