I had a bad issue with dex-cool in a 1997 sonama truck. The radiator was so sludged that I had it remomved then cleaned and baked. The intention of the product is good but the life of the product is much lower than stated.
And I thought DexCool extends waterpump life
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Wow .....that is a local station here in columbus.
Ouch! Literally...I just removed the fan clutch and blade on my truck and a minor amount of skin at the same time. After seeing that video, I'm glad I'm working on the water pump and coolant at 43K and not waiting any longer.
I guess by your reaction " thankfully just the water pump" your truck is water pump repair friendly because with so many WP's located behind the timing belt these days it often costs from a couple to a few hundred to repair..
Also it becomes not a simple job like years ago with the v 8's for your average weekend mechanic, Good luck
Also it becomes not a simple job like years ago with the v 8's for your average weekend mechanic, Good luck
My Sonoma 4.3L just passed 43K miles this week. I was underneath the car seeing if all was in order when I noticed some red stains. Uh oh, given my recent history with a transmission fluid leak, I immediately assumed that was the case here.
Thankfully, it's just the waterpump, and the radiator looks fairly free of the brown gunk that DexCool changes into when too much air is in the system.
Still, 43K seems low--my other cars usually are good for at least 70K-80K. I'm going to change from DexCool to G05 when the repair is done. There's just too much downside to this extended life coolant.
Thankfully, it's just the waterpump, and the radiator looks fairly free of the brown gunk that DexCool changes into when too much air is in the system.
Still, 43K seems low--my other cars usually are good for at least 70K-80K. I'm going to change from DexCool to G05 when the repair is done. There's just too much downside to this extended life coolant.
I changed the Dexcool in my 98 GMC, to traditional antifreeze because of all the problems I have heard about it. Although, in the 50000 miles I ran the Dexcool, it never gave me any problems, and looked OK when it was changed.
After I read this post I spent a couple of hours doing a Google search and reading varied opinions.
While it appears that DexCool is generally OK, it also seems that you simply can't leave it in for an extended amount of time nor can you let the coolant level get low because it lets air in the system. That said, I think that GM has a problem with a manual that allows 5yr/150k change intervals. Additionally, being free of silicates, phosphates and other solids is a boon to seals and water pump life and contributes to longer life in aluminum blocks and heads. Plain ole Prestone can't make that bold statement.
People are generally refering to this as an argument between 'Green' and 'Red' but I'd like to add to the confusion with a question.
From various Honda sites/DBs, it seems that the Honda extended life coolant isn't subjected to the same wrath or scrutiny as Red. Honda says that it's specially formulated for its Al block and heads. Could be true. BTW, it's green colored.
Is the Honda stuff different or is it just like Red?
While it appears that DexCool is generally OK, it also seems that you simply can't leave it in for an extended amount of time nor can you let the coolant level get low because it lets air in the system. That said, I think that GM has a problem with a manual that allows 5yr/150k change intervals. Additionally, being free of silicates, phosphates and other solids is a boon to seals and water pump life and contributes to longer life in aluminum blocks and heads. Plain ole Prestone can't make that bold statement.
People are generally refering to this as an argument between 'Green' and 'Red' but I'd like to add to the confusion with a question.
From various Honda sites/DBs, it seems that the Honda extended life coolant isn't subjected to the same wrath or scrutiny as Red. Honda says that it's specially formulated for its Al block and heads. Could be true. BTW, it's green colored.
Is the Honda stuff different or is it just like Red?
I don't know, but I've read in several places that it's silicate-free, and that Honda water pumps don't like silicates.
I don't want to ruin you day, but when the intake gaskets started leaking in my S-10 at 33,000 miles the leak on the garage floor was about the same spot a water pump leak would be. If you make enough noise GM will pay for the repair if it is the gaskets.
Whatever's in that Honda green, it works! I misread my '96 Accord's owner's manual and ended up leaving the factory-fill coolant in two extra years (five, total!). When I finally drained and clear-water flushed, it was perfectly clear green, and clean, and showed none of "gel" glop Prestone and other silicate and phosphate laden antifreeze/coolants are prone to developing after a year or two. I put Dex-Cool in as replacement because Texaco's advertising strongly suggested Dex-Cool is a breakthrough/holy grail product, and, at the time, Dex-Cool was still available at Wal*Mart for under $6.00/gal. Several thousand miles later my car was totaled so I can't vouch for its long term performance. My local Honda dealer charges $13.00/gal. for genuine Honda antifreeze/coolant. I plan to changeout my '03 Sonata's coolant at the one year mark simply because I have no idea what Hyundai puts in their cars at the factory - other than it's green. Hyundai's also vague about service antifreeze/coolant - merely recommending, "...a high quality ethylene-glycol coolant ... compatible with aluminum engine parts...". (The Sonata's V-6 engine has an aluminum block and cylinder heads.) My Hyundai dealer stocks Zerex. Given its sterling performance despite my unwitting abuse, I'm tempted to bite the bullet and put in a 50/50 distilled-water/Honda antifreeze/coolant mixture, with the intent to leave it in 3 yrs/36,000 miles as Honda recommends for their cars.
RayH,
Being you're from SoCal, did you ever give any thought to running something besides a 50/50 mix?
I'm also from SoCal and running a 60/40 water/antifreeze mix with Redline Water Wetter in my Exploder.
We really don't need antifreeze protection as much as cooling and I think the 60/40 mix works very well. I'm going to try it in the Civic unless someone can give me a good reason not to.
Is the Honda AF premixed or do I get to 'brew' my own?
Being you're from SoCal, did you ever give any thought to running something besides a 50/50 mix?
I'm also from SoCal and running a 60/40 water/antifreeze mix with Redline Water Wetter in my Exploder.
We really don't need antifreeze protection as much as cooling and I think the 60/40 mix works very well. I'm going to try it in the Civic unless someone can give me a good reason not to.
Is the Honda AF premixed or do I get to 'brew' my own?
Pretty sure it's a concentrate. (At $13.00/gal it better be a concentrate!) My car has 50/50 from the factory and the coolant temperature gauge hasn't shown any tendency this summer to rise above its customary position, a click or two below the midline.
I haven't completely ruled out Dex-Cool, either. I might end up using it in my Sonata, but with distilled or de-ionized water and always a cautious eye on the overflow bottle for evidence of coolant loss that would lead to air introduction in the system. Maybe I'm naive, but I believe the air and water quality issues are involved in these Dex-Cool failures. My wife's 2000 Cavalier is still on its factory fill of 50/50 Dex-Cool at 70,000+ miles with no evidence of trouble. I plan to change it out early next spring unless I detect anomalies. That'll be at the 3 1/2 year mark since she bought the car in late 2000.
I haven't completely ruled out Dex-Cool, either. I might end up using it in my Sonata, but with distilled or de-ionized water and always a cautious eye on the overflow bottle for evidence of coolant loss that would lead to air introduction in the system. Maybe I'm naive, but I believe the air and water quality issues are involved in these Dex-Cool failures. My wife's 2000 Cavalier is still on its factory fill of 50/50 Dex-Cool at 70,000+ miles with no evidence of trouble. I plan to change it out early next spring unless I detect anomalies. That'll be at the 3 1/2 year mark since she bought the car in late 2000.
Actually the Honda dealers sell 2 types of antifreeze type 1 and (type 2 premixed) both are silicate and phosphate free and all that good stuff. Both are around $13 TO $15 a gallon. The owners manual in my 02 Accord says specifically to use only Honda type 2 the dealer says the newer cars I think starting in 01 use type 2 but if you read the labels they both seem to be the same stuff. Sure is some expensive distilled water!
For those who are interested in learning more about different coolants, I can recommend three web sites:
imcool anti-freeze articles (industry magazine called "Cool Profits")
Vavoline Technology MSDS (Click on Zerex and you can compare the differing types of coolants and their performance on industry standard tests)
National Automotive Radiator Association (click on archives to see articles of various cooling system issues)
I was in the midst of preparing for a water pump change on our family station wagon ('95 BMW 525iT). Various websites said to use only BMW coolant, and I wanted to really understand why considering the dealer quoted me $18/gallon. I found that European antifreeze formulations are usually phosphate-free. The reason for this is because parts of Europe have very hard water. The phosphates were adversely reacting with the dissolved minerals. In the U.S., we don't have that problem--so Prestone and other OTC formulations typically do have phospates. In contrast, Japanese antifreeze formulations tend to be silicate-free (not sure why). After much research, I decided on G05. It has one of the lowest corrosion rates, phosphate-free, and has a low silicate concentration. It's approved by Ford and Daimler Chrysler for use in all their diesel and gas engines (including those in Mercedes). Finally, it's readily available at Pep Boys and AutoZone for about $9/gallon. The only bad thing about this product is that it's a pale yellow, and I have a hard time seeing the coolant level. Time will tell whether I've made a good decision.
One last link: Car & Driver 2002 article
imcool anti-freeze articles (industry magazine called "Cool Profits")
Vavoline Technology MSDS (Click on Zerex and you can compare the differing types of coolants and their performance on industry standard tests)
National Automotive Radiator Association (click on archives to see articles of various cooling system issues)
I was in the midst of preparing for a water pump change on our family station wagon ('95 BMW 525iT). Various websites said to use only BMW coolant, and I wanted to really understand why considering the dealer quoted me $18/gallon. I found that European antifreeze formulations are usually phosphate-free. The reason for this is because parts of Europe have very hard water. The phosphates were adversely reacting with the dissolved minerals. In the U.S., we don't have that problem--so Prestone and other OTC formulations typically do have phospates. In contrast, Japanese antifreeze formulations tend to be silicate-free (not sure why). After much research, I decided on G05. It has one of the lowest corrosion rates, phosphate-free, and has a low silicate concentration. It's approved by Ford and Daimler Chrysler for use in all their diesel and gas engines (including those in Mercedes). Finally, it's readily available at Pep Boys and AutoZone for about $9/gallon. The only bad thing about this product is that it's a pale yellow, and I have a hard time seeing the coolant level. Time will tell whether I've made a good decision.
One last link: Car & Driver 2002 article
I think Dexcool is horrible stuff. It may be a coincedence,but I had to replace the waterpump at 52K on my 98 Z-71,and at 49K on my wifes 99 Blazer. Both had Dex-cool as factory fill. After replacing the DC with Peak green AF all as well.
When my 2001 2500HD is out of warranty,I'll be flushing all the DC out and changing to green.
When my 2001 2500HD is out of warranty,I'll be flushing all the DC out and changing to green.
also consider this: in the late 90's thru not to long ago, GM had a spate of water pumps for the older v8 and v6 where the shaft seal would fail due to burrs on the shaft.... but thats not saying you DIDNT have a dex related failure.
I have been getting engines well over 200K on green, aluminum or not, for decades. I currently have no vehicles running orange, nor will I ever again.
From what I understand the green stuff is the way to go but you should purchase a quality low silicate brand anti freeze, flush the heck out of it & use distilled water. I think doing it once a yr. instead of every 2 may be worth it too.
I listen to that guy Ron Ananian {s} " The car doctor" { also DIY channel } on WOR NY every Sun. & I've heard him recommend the green stuff I bet 5 times, I trust that dude, he's a sharpie.....
I listen to that guy Ron Ananian {s} " The car doctor" { also DIY channel } on WOR NY every Sun. & I've heard him recommend the green stuff I bet 5 times, I trust that dude, he's a sharpie.....
I had a pump shaft seal leak on my '98 Z28 with the LS1. It started leaking about 3 years after I bought it and had never gotten the dex-cool flushed. I was on a trip out of town, so I put a bottle of bar's leaks in there. That stopped the leak for two years when I finally got it flushed for the first time at its 5 year prescribed interval. It's been over 6 months since the flush and fill...still no leaks.
I don't know if the leak was related to the Dex-Cool, I figure my pump leak is a fluke since I don't hear about chronic failures at LS1.com. I think they key is to flush it about every 3 years. I have read articles describing the reaction Dex has to the atmosphere...that's what causes all the cruddy crusty looking stuff. I have looked in my radiator and the core looks sparkly clean...no signs of corrosion, so I'm satisfied with the Dex performance right now. I can't make any justified complaints anyway.
I don't know if the leak was related to the Dex-Cool, I figure my pump leak is a fluke since I don't hear about chronic failures at LS1.com. I think they key is to flush it about every 3 years. I have read articles describing the reaction Dex has to the atmosphere...that's what causes all the cruddy crusty looking stuff. I have looked in my radiator and the core looks sparkly clean...no signs of corrosion, so I'm satisfied with the Dex performance right now. I can't make any justified complaints anyway.
honda coolant is silicate and borate free but i believe that they do contain phosphates.
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