Dex-cool coolant--issues?

[aatauses]

Hi everyone,
I had my coolant flushed at a local garage in WA. When traveling to CA we could smell anti-freeze and stopped at a regular GM dealer (I have a 2005--3500 chev). They said they thought it may have a air, but they also said the coolant was incorrect---they they refushed the system and put in dex-cool. I then contacted the garage in WA to chat about the issue and he directed me to a web site about all the problems with dex cool and why he put in regular anti-freeze---now I am confused???
Any experience with the dex cool---pro/cons?
thanks
al

 

[mountainlovers76]

Re: Dex-cool collant--issues?

I have always used Dex-Cool and have never had a problem.

 

[JohnDar]

Re: Dex-cool collant--issues?

No problems with any of our vehicles with Dex-Cool.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Re: Dex-cool collant--issues?

Don't mix the 2 types of coolant. Never had any problem with Dex-cool. Had 5 GM vehicles with it.

 

[porthole]

You didn't mention what your vehicle is.

Antifreeze has gotten to be a complicated issue over the past 20 years or. It started about eh time manufacturers started mixing various aluminum alloys and cast iron together.
Dissimilarmetals and coolant flow have wrecked havoc on engines.

So most manufacturers have specific coolant requirements.
Dex-cool in particular has different corrosion inhibitors then regular antifreeze.

My new Ford had an all new coolant for the new engine "Gold coolant"

 

[hoefler]

Never had a problem with Dex-Cool. I switched my 83 Chevy P/U to Dex-Cool when I installed a stroked 383 in it. It actually runs about 20* cooler with it. You can not mix it with the green stuff, like said above. Its ratio is different than regular ethyl-glycol, Dex-Cool ratio is 60% Dex-Cool to 40% water. It is best to use distilled water too.

 

[newbie]

I think your first mechanic used bad judgment. They all know GM vehicles only use Dex Cool. He didn't have it so threw in some Prestone, got caught and is now trying to cover his butt. Don't be confused. Your dealer had it right. Heck, I can probably find a web site that swears if I don't use distilled water, it will reek havoc on my engine. That doesn't mean it's true.

 

[ncrebel8]

Your dealership is correct. Use Dex cool only. Hopefully the dealer flushed the system enough to get all the green stuff out. If it were mine I would run it a few weeks and flush it again. Then have the new dex cool tested a few weeks later. Just to make sure all the wrong stuff gets out of the trans cooler and everywhere. The 2 different coolants will not mix but will thicken and cause serious problems.

 

[GOTTOYS]

I worked at a GM dealer when Dex-Cool first came out. We had several S-10 trucks and Blazers that had the Dex-Cool literally turn to jello in. GM claimed it was from air getting into the cooling system?? It really made a mess. Took several hours of labor and flushing to clean it out. I haven't seen a problem with the larger engines. Dex-Cool has no silica in it. Silica is a part of the old green anti-freeze and was used to help clean the cooling system. Many of the "new" coolant formulas are now silicate free. This is supposed to extend the life of the water pump, among other things. It is also recommended to use distilled water as this will help prevent a mineral build-up in the system. All of this makes sense. As far as using something other than Dex-Cool....I now longer own any GM vehicles. When I did I didn't use Dex-Cool. Other coolants will work just fine if that's your choice. Just be sure it is silicate-free and compatible with aluminum. I haven't hear of any Dex-Cool issues of recent years. It's possible they reformulated the product after the first years disasters. Just my 2 cents worth...Don