Today's Dexcool disaster *pics*

[ekpolk]

I recall particularly a comment that a mechanic at the local Buick dealer made to me about the stuff (this on one of many visits during my late-90s Buick ownership saga...).

He called it "RustCool". That one sort of stuck, both because of the source, and because it has that same ring as so many of the other GM "sloganames".

 

[sciphi]

Heh, that could describe a lot of GM things.

Although my LeSabre made it through 9 years with Dex-Cool swirling around. It did have the faulty GM radiator cap that I drove with for maybe 500 miles before I noticed the level of coolant dropping. A pressure test at a shop pointed to the radiator cap, which was promptly changed with the Stant cap 20 minutes later at the parts store.

So I'd say my Dex experience is like many other people's

This begs the question of how similar are the so-called 'Dex-clones' to real Dex, and will they exhibit the same problems?

 

[onion]

Originally Posted By: sciphi

This begs the question of how similar are the so-called 'Dex-clones' to real Dex, and will they exhibit the same problems?


According to the MSDS sheets I've looked at, Dexcool's OAT additive is potassium 2-ethylhexanoate.

All of the "all makes" coolants that I've looked up (including Prestone and a few others that I don't remember) use sodium 2-ethylhexanoate.

My chemistry background is a single semester of college chemistry... so I may be talking out my a$$ here. But I know that sodium and potassium are chemically very similar, and pretty much interchangeable in ionic compounds (both are a +1 ion in an aqueous solution).

So while there is a slight chemical difference between Dexcool and assorted "all-makes" coolant... they are very very similar. And both contain the OAT additive 2EHA that is commonly blamed for Dexcool's gasket-dissolving properties.

IMO, they're essentially the same thing.

Chris142- seeings how you work at a radiator shop: Have you seen customers running "all-makes" coolant come up with anything similar to Dex-sludge?

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: onion

.

Chris142- seeings how you work at a radiator shop: Have you seen customers running "all-makes" coolant come up with anything similar to Dex-sludge?
Not that I'm aware of. But most of my costomers dont ever check or add coolant.

They wait untill it's a disaster to bring it to me.

 

[sciphi]

I thought potassium was more corrosive than sodium. Chemistry is a while behind me, too. KOH is something you want to stay away from, but NaOH is less bad. At least that's what I recall.

That's probably why the Dex burned slightly when I got some on my hands when changing it to the all-makes.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: onion

All of the "all makes" coolants that I've looked up (including Prestone and a few others that I don't remember) use sodium 2-ethylhexanoate.


Prestone's Dex-Cool uses sodium 2-EHA.

 

[ARB1977]

My buddy's Equinox has some nasty build up in the coolant tank.

 

[gnet158]

I don't know what they were running in that radiator but my (traded in) 2002 GMC Sierra running Dexcool at 112,000+ miles looked nothing remotely close to that.

I had it changed at 90,000 and it was perfectly pink. I have heard horror stories but never had any issues. In fact my new 2008 Sierra is running Dexcool too and I doubt I'll have any issues. But I do poke around under my hood every once in an while.

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Looks like a classic case of Dex-cool sludge to me.

Dex-cool works great, until it doesn't...

 

[va3ux]

Pics look like lack[/] of Dexcool or any proper level of any antifreeze.

I don't buy this "Dexcool is bad" thing. I've got 2 GM machines in the driveway (a 2000 and a 2001). Dexcool has been changed just once in both of them. It was clean and a nice orange color when it was drained after 4 years, and it still looks like that now.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: va3ux
Pics look like lack[/] of Dexcool or any proper level of any antifreeze.

I don't buy this "Dexcool is bad" thing. I've got 2 GM machines in the driveway (a 2000 and a 2001). Dexcool has been changed just once in both of them. It was clean and a nice orange color when it was drained after 4 years, and it still looks like that now.


+1 2000 Saturn had original DexCool in it when I bought it in 2007 and it was just fine. No slime, no gaskets got eaten, etc. I collected the coolant into a vessel after draining radiator and engine block and it looked great. I think the DexCool problem stems mostly from lack of coolant service and/or air entering the system and/or the wrong coolant used when topping off. It seems there is a faction of folks who blame DexCool for everything. If you neglect a cooling system you will have problems down the road regardless of fluid used.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT


Don't listen to onion. He's a bit off the deep end when it comes to Dexcool.

No Kidding

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan
I think the DexCool problem stems mostly from lack of coolant service and/or air entering the system and/or the wrong coolant used when topping off.


How about the cooling system that has a leak so instead of fixing it they just continually top it off with tap water and coolant?

Good way to load the system up with minerals.

 

[Buffman]

my gf's 01 cavalier went 100K and 6 yrs on the factory dexcool. Looked almost brand new. Didn't find anything in the system but coolant.

 

[onion]

Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT


Don't listen to onion. He's a bit off the deep end when it comes to Dexcool.

No Kidding


Yeah, pay no attention to me. What's 13 years of daily experience as a mechanic... compared to the word of two or three guys whose Dexcool systems haven't failed yet?

Pay no attention to that other guy who posts here... the one who works at a radiator shop and sees these disasters every day. What the [censored] would he know about a cooling system?

Oh, and nevermind that national class-action lawsuit regarding this very problem with Dexcool systems. I'm sure GM is paying lawyers and a huge settlement based purely on lies.

If you ever do a Yahoo image search on "dexcool" or "dexsludge"... pay no attention the rows of pictures of sludged radiators that pop up. Even though you won't find similar sludge problems with ANY other coolant... it can't possibly be related to Dexcool.

Must be the owner's fault. Or maybe I just keep imagining the sludge... perhaps if people just imagine hard enough and think happy thoughts- their vehicles will quit overheating!

 

[oldmaninsc]

Hmmm, here is a guy who has a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer with the I6. So at least 5 years old and 111,000 miles.
http://forums.trailvoy.com/showthread.php?t=45455&highlight=dexcool
(Post number 2)
Looks pretty good to me.
Personally I have an 05 Trailblazer and the coolant doesn't look very bad at about 4 years and 47K miles. FWIW I do plan on changing it in the next month or so (had nothing to do with this thread).

 

[onion]

Originally Posted By: onion
Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
blah blah...


That's common enough. I have an '01 Lumina that I bought in '06 with 159,000 miles. The original Dexcool was pretty and transluscent... the cooling system was squeaky clean.

And I think possibly a majority of Dexcool systems will have a similar experience.

But a large fraction will not. Based on my own experience, I'd say that your chances of un-timely Dex-sludge are about 1 in 4. So everything's fine for 3 out of 4 GM owners (a majority!). But something with a 1 in 4 chance of catastrophic failure (within its stated 5 yr/100k design limits) is a danm poor product.

Personally, I wouldn't run Dexcool in my own vehicles if the stuff was free. But if you do partake of the GM Koolaide... then for gawd's sake- drain & fill every two years. Don't mix in ANYTHING else. Switch to the updated radiator cap. Keep an eye on things and fix any/all leaks IMMEDIATELY. Check for signs of intake gasket leakage EVERY time you check the oil. Do all that... and Dexcool will probably behave like a normal coolant.

If you're lucky.

 

[Mr Nice]

Onion and Chris,

What would of happened if you bought a brand new car that used Dex-Cool and IMMEDIATELY flushed the entire cooling system with water and then used a 50/50 mix of the "traditional" green coolant (pre Dex-Cool) ???

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
What would of happened if you bought a brand new car that used Dex-Cool and IMMEDIATELY flushed the entire cooling system with water and then used a 50/50 mix of the "traditional" green coolant (pre Dex-Cool) ???

Guaranteed you'll never have a Dex-Cool related cooling system disaster thats for sure.

However, some would argue for new vehicles its probably best to stay with the Dex-Cool until the warranty expires. (But definetly keep eye on it).
On the other hand, removing the Dex-Cool drastically reduces the probabilty of having a cooling system warranty claim in the first place.

Once the warranty is over I'd flush the Dex-Cool out of there pronto.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Onion and Chris,

What would of happened if you bought a brand new car that used Dex-Cool and IMMEDIATELY flushed the entire cooling system with water and then used a 50/50 mix of the "traditional" green coolant (pre Dex-Cool) ???

Just make sure that you change the green stuff every 2.5-3 yrs.