Never use Dex Cool!
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I have ALWAYS used distilled water out of a commercial store and I've always gotten the green snot of death in my cooling systems using the 2-year green anti-freeze. Sometimes it turns brownish/green/yellow.
So far the SuperTech dexclone is crystal clear with a green tint in my 81 T-bird.
So far the SuperTech dexclone is crystal clear with a green tint in my 81 T-bird.
Green? The SuperTech "DexClone" I installed on a neighbor's van was bright yellow.
I shoulda read this thread earlier....I've been bunghole victimized by Presstoned.
The stuff I installed was SuperTech Extended Life, All Makes All Models. The concentrate came in a blue jug and was $6.88/gal at Walmart. It was clearly yellow/amber, not a hint of green.
The Prestone All Makes All Models I installed into the Saturn was a yellow green, and if you suck some up into a clear straw, it appears as a very, very faint pale green once mixed 50/50.
The Prestone All Makes All Models I installed into the Saturn was a yellow green, and if you suck some up into a clear straw, it appears as a very, very faint pale green once mixed 50/50.
Btw, I was quite surprised myself...I was expecting to see a yellow green fluid when I installed the SuperTech Universal fluid, but I guess I got an "updated" or "different" batch than you, possibly with a different supplier.
This batch was purchased just a few months ago, so they must have recently switched suppliers.
Ray H bought his back when it was first introduced, in 2004 I believe, and it was green back then.
Ray H bought his back when it was first introduced, in 2004 I believe, and it was green back then.
But DexCool is a different formulation than the Universal product, contrary to what some may believe.
Since I don't believe aluminum can be conventionally soldered, I think when the move to aluminum radiators took place it also coincided with the use of plastic upper and lower tanks sealed to the core with gaskets and crimp tabs. If I'm right, it seems reasonable to assume your black painted all-metal radiator is of conventional soldered-up brass fabrication.
Then, pray tell us what's actually different about the allegedly "entirely different" formulas, Michael - besides the pap you were fed by a customer PR rep at Prestone over the phone. Honeywell (Prestone's parent company) paid GM good money for a license to boast, "DEX-COOL" on the jugs that Prestone wants GM owners to buy. Obviously, Honeywell wants to milk the cash cow to recoup its investment - and then some. Unless you have actual inside information about chemistry differences which can be independently verified, you're expressing opinion, Bud. And, my opinion is just as valid as yours in the absence of independently verifiable proof.quote:
Originally posted by The Critic:
But DexCool is a different formulation than the Universal product, contrary to what some may believe.
If you have Dex Cool and don't like it, just flush all your coolant out and replace it with
G-05 and your worries are solved. And you don't have to replace it every year. G-05 is good for at least 4 years or 40,000 miles.
By the way, using a coolant other than what was put in the vehicle at the factory does NOT void the warranty. As pointed out many times on this site, the dealer has to prove that what you did caused the damage. And from what I've read, any of the major coolants, Dex Cool, G-05, and the old ethelene glycol, can be safely used in any vehicle no matter the make and model.
G-05 and your worries are solved. And you don't have to replace it every year. G-05 is good for at least 4 years or 40,000 miles.
By the way, using a coolant other than what was put in the vehicle at the factory does NOT void the warranty. As pointed out many times on this site, the dealer has to prove that what you did caused the damage. And from what I've read, any of the major coolants, Dex Cool, G-05, and the old ethelene glycol, can be safely used in any vehicle no matter the make and model.
Prestone makes it quite clear that DexCool is only suitable for use in aluminum radiators, and Pablo himself, has experienced the infamous DexCool problems with lead solder, etc.
I personally *suspect* that G05 has a shorter service life than DexCool, all things being equal, due to the silicates present in the fluid and the possibility of them falling out of suspension, etc if the fluid was run beyond its 5-yr mark.
I personally *suspect* that G05 has a shorter service life than DexCool, all things being equal, due to the silicates present in the fluid and the possibility of them falling out of suspension, etc if the fluid was run beyond its 5-yr mark.
If I have a new car [ like my 2005 Silverado Duramax] that came with Dex Cool I'll use the top rated version of Dex Cool and distilled water.
Most cars [ like our BMW's and Mercedes ] will get G-05 and distilled water, after a very thorough flushing.
[ I still want to find a way to dye G-05 a bright color that shows up better in the expansion tanks. ]
Old cars get conventional green coolant and distilled water.
Honda's, Subaru's, Ferrari's and Porsches get factory coolant and distilled water. And I would look at staying with factory coolant in other new cars. I used to use the VW coolants in our Passats and Corrados.
Regardless of the coolant, I believe in changing coolant around 2 years+ or 50K. 5 years and 100K or 150K sounds great, but I'm not convinced its the best for long term ownership.
Most cars [ like our BMW's and Mercedes ] will get G-05 and distilled water, after a very thorough flushing.
[ I still want to find a way to dye G-05 a bright color that shows up better in the expansion tanks. ]
Old cars get conventional green coolant and distilled water.
Honda's, Subaru's, Ferrari's and Porsches get factory coolant and distilled water. And I would look at staying with factory coolant in other new cars. I used to use the VW coolants in our Passats and Corrados.
Regardless of the coolant, I believe in changing coolant around 2 years+ or 50K. 5 years and 100K or 150K sounds great, but I'm not convinced its the best for long term ownership.
IMHO, changing coolant is so cheap and easy to do that it makes no sense to push the envelope here. At a minimum I would drain the radiator and refill every 2 years or 30K. I use Supertech or whatever is on sale, the important thing is keep the fluid fresh not to run to the max.
Can anyone explain how "air intrusion" causes problems with Dex-Cool inasmuch as my Impala's overflow tank has an air vent in it?
I changed the coolant at 32K miles after nearly four years and was surprised at the apparent good condition of the fluid.
I've used Dex-Cool in another Chevy for almost ten years now with no sludging problems. I change it every three to four years. I think the product has gotten a bad rap.
I changed the coolant at 32K miles after nearly four years and was surprised at the apparent good condition of the fluid.
I've used Dex-Cool in another Chevy for almost ten years now with no sludging problems. I change it every three to four years. I think the product has gotten a bad rap.
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