Do I HAVE to use Dexcool in my Chevy?

[Thomas1190]

Hey guys, recently got my truck fixed and and since its been sitting for a year and a half, its time to change all the fluids. The coolant in the radiator is all nasty and sludged up mostly b/c a bunch of different coolants were added to it before i got it. It needs some good cleaning. I had no idea the different kinds of coolant there were until i joined this site. Its making me go crazy! lol. So do i really need Dexcool in my 2000 Chevy 3500 5.7L? The manual says i have to b/c it conatins no silicates. Cant i just flush it out real good and put conv. green coolant or G-05 in? Where do you guys find G-05? The stuff i find everywhere is the "universal" stuff. Is that okay? Educate me please

 

[bullwinkle]

You don't HAVE to use Dexcool-I would flush out as much junk as you can get out, then go old-fashioned low-silicate green for 2 years/30K or so-then go GO-5 after that-that way you KNOW all the junk is out & problems solved before putting in the big $$$ stuff. Beware of the "so-called" universal AF which is actually a Dex "clone", including Prestone and others-get Zerex, Peak's Full Force, or Pride 1000 and distlled water from Wal-Mart or anywhere cheap.

 

[Colt45ws]

Universal tends to be basically DexCool. The exception is Peak Global Lifetime. That would be my first choice and second would be G-05. I get G-05 from what was Shucks, but I dont know if they still carry it under the O'rielly name or not. I purchased the Peak stuff from NAPA.