one03sierra

iTrader: (1)

we are changing all the dexcool stuff in our equipment to the green for the very reason jamesb mentioned. i have been running green stuff in mine for almost a year now and it doesnt hurt anything.

jlwz71

iTrader: (3)

I guess the air in the coolant jug (on NBS) does nothing to the dex cool then. Must be a different kind of air .

one03sierra

iTrader: (1)

as long as it is burped then the space you are referring to will not hurt. that is above where the coolant circulates.

jlwz71

iTrader: (3)

The coolant circulates through the jug and it is under pressure from the cap. There is still air in there. Maybe I missed something.

Sportfish

Prestone has a new product called Prestone® All Makes All Models Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant. On the Prestone website, they state it is formulated for all vehicles and replaces both the original green and the Dexcool. Also carries the same extended life claim as does Dexcool. Maybe this is the product for those concerned about the use of Dexcool.

Silver2004

My 2000 silvy made it to 104K with the original Dexcool without any trouble. But I've seen my friends 1996 pickup's coolant turn to mush. It's nasty and clogging his radiator and heater core.
I heard that GM used a different red-orange coolant before changing to Dexcool, or reformulating it. I don't know if there is any truth to it.

bodyguard6799

The first Dexcool formula was the one causing all of the problems. I had a friend with a 1996 blazer 4.3 and he had to replace the radiator twice along with damn near every part of the cooling system. From what I understand, a few years ago they reformulated the Dexcool and solved the problems. I have never heard that using tap water instead of distilled causes any problems.

Avalanche2002

For every bad story you will find a good one. I've been running Dexcool in my 92 Grand Caravan since the first flush/fill at 2 years old. It's got 190K on it with absolutely no problems.

budhayes3

iTrader: (19)

Everything bad that I have heard about DexCool involves the 96-98 4.3's. Everything that was mentioned here...gelling, solidifying, etc. I've also heard that using tap water is a no no due to the minerals in the tap water and the way they chemically react with the DexCool. Supposedly it becomes more corrosive and oxidizes aluminum and other metals.
I changed my coolant when I swapped my cam and I used the 50/50 pre-mixed stuff...I think it was Prestone DexCool approved or something. This way, I didn't have to worry about distilled water and trying to get an even mixture...I just poured and burped.

z7199

Had the dexcool that locked up a water pump in a 98 4.6L blazer only had 54,000 miles on it. GM says no mantice till 100,000 and you guessed it they did nothing about that water pump. In my 99 5.3 I run green and have had no problems just flushed it really well before I used it.