![]() The video goes into plenty of detail on DexCool, and talks about some of the issues the coolant was connected to, specifically in the area of gasket failures. So we went in to do some more research on Dex-Cool and came across this video from the engine experts over at Mahle. ![]() When the Summit Racing folks shared the story on their Facebook page, it sparked a lot of good discussion on the topic of engine coolant, and one of the brands that stirred up some talk was GM’s Dex-Cool.ĭex-Cool Antifreeze Coolant was introduced by GM in the 1990s and promised super-long coolant maintenance cycles-but suffice it to say, the antifreeze wasn’t an immediate hit. The article also discussed which engine cooling systems are compatible with the different engine coolants on the market and, perhaps more importantly, the perils of mixing them. that Dexcool is not the root of all the problems people think they have with it.A little while ago, OnAllCylinders contributor Jeff Smith penned…err…typed a very informative article on the various types of engine coolant available today. This concerns the corrosion protection strategy and this article will not go into the specific details. I also changed the AutoTrak fluid in the Suburban at 210K, and eliminated driveshaft thump! Neither the Owners manual or Shop Manual ever mentions changing T'case fluid in GM trucks, go figure. Dexcool is a hybrid-organic acid technology (HOAT) coolant. Relax Roadie, I do change the AutoTrak fluid in the Bravada. I'll get negative replies, but if it's not broke don't mess with it. I also now have an '03 Bravada 165K on factory fill. ![]() I still have the 'Bird with the same fill of dexcool. The "other" vehicles? 1979 Firebird Formula 78k and a 1987 Bonneville traded w/ 276K. Soon after I bought that Suburban, I flushed my other vehicles and refilled with Dexcool so I'd only have to stock one type of antifreeze. I bought a used '98 Suburban in '01 (72K miles) I'm at 214K and have never flushed the system, only added new during intake gasket replacement. My personal experience with DexCool has been excellent. The cause was traced to conductivity of the fluid and some temperature sensors leaking voltage into that fluid. The Lawsuits had to due with the coolant turning into gel or jello and causing over-heating. Contrary to common belief, intake gaskets fail regardless of DexCool or Green antifreeze. That is why you saw sludge in your cooling systems then. I just wanted to offer my opinion of dex-crap.ĭuring the 1996 time-frame GM installed seal tabs in the factory fill with DexCool. Yes, there were still bits 'n pieces floating around after all of that! After I flushed about 4-5 times, I went with a new water pump, rad hoses, thermostat, then removed and cleaned my coolant overflow bottle. I even went so far as to removing the thermostat, running the engine, then disconnecting the rad hoses and draining it from there. I had to flush and fill the radiator many of times to try and eliminate the sludge. When my Camaro reached 36k and the factory warranty was expired, I went and changed to the green coolant and never looked back. I've also read about a lawsuit filed against GM, but nothing ever came my way mentioning a recall. While others have had the same experience as I have and they share my opinion. Some people that I've talked to say that they've never had an issue like this and they love dexcool. My GTO currently has 14,762.8 miles on it and the Envoy has 122,629 miles. Dex-Cool is rated with a 5-year, 100,000 mile lifespan. Dex-Cool, like other modern coolants is about 95 polyethylene glycol and 5 organic acid. They too have the dexcool curse! Although, the coolant in both of them isn't nearly as bad as what it was in my Camaro. That’s when GM introduced Dex-Cool coolant, an organic acid coolant technology (OAT) to replace silicate coolants. Since that time, I've bought and still own a 2006 Pontiac GTO (bought it new) and my current '03 Envoy. When you pour the Dexcool, you’ll discover the coolant is pink. I removed the rad cap and found the same thing! The car had somewhere around 15k on the odometer, so I took it to two separate GM dealerships for their analysis. The color of the Dexcool is quite different from the conventional engine coolant or antifreeze. I looked at the fluid inside of my coolant bottle, and there was a bunch of brown, silicone-like sludge chunks foating around in the bottle. In my 1996 Camaro (which I no longer own), I bought it brand new and found the sludge one day when I was changing the oil. I've never serviced the radiators prior to this problem. In all three GM vehicles that I've owned since 1997, they've all had some sort of brown sludge-crap buildup in the radiators and it's very hard to completely remove! Okay, I'm going to divert from the OP's question here a bit:
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