Been using DEX-COOL for years never had any problems with it. I change it once a year just like I did with standard Anti Freeze. I also add a bottle of Purple Ice.
Dexcool vs old green antifreeze???
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Dex Cool isnt really bad antifreeze. Im mean i dont use it personally. The problems with Dex Cool was it did in fact eat gaskets it came in contact with mainly with 90's cars and earlier due to the fact even though 90's and newer came out with it GM still had not worked out all the bugs yet. Using the 350 TBI, 3.1, and 3.8 in the 90's as examples even though they used Dex Cool they didnt get along to well with it. Now if you look at motors from the early 2000's as examples the 2.5, 3.4, or 5.3. The problem was pretty much eliminated due to new gasket materials, change in the formula etc.. Companies like Fel pro and Mr. Gasket basically have the problem licked as well so if you do end up with gasket trouble on an older car chances are they were factory gaskets made of old materials and new gaskets chances are they same problem wont happen. So Dex Cool really isnt that big of an issue anymore.
But what do i know im just a random guy on the internet LOL there may be no truth to that at all and i was misinformed.
Also a 50/50 mix i dont believe in that. 60/40 to 70/30 is how i always do it.
But what do i know im just a random guy on the internet LOL there may be no truth to that at all and i was misinformed.
Also a 50/50 mix i dont believe in that. 60/40 to 70/30 is how i always do it.
Wikipedia had this to say about organic antifreeze products such as DEXCOOL:
"Certain cars are built with organic acid technology (OAT) antifreeze (e.g., DEX-COOL), or with a hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT) formulation (e.g., Zerex G-05), both of which are claimed to have an extended service life of five years or 240,000 km (150,000 mi).
DEX-COOL specifically has caused controversy. Litigation has linked it with intake manifold gasket failures in General Motors' (GM's) 3.1L and 3.4L engines, and with other failures in 3.8L and 4.3L engines. One of the anti-corrosion components presented as sodium or Potassium 2-ethylhexanoate and ethylhexanoic acid is incompatible with nylon 6,6 and silicone rubber, and is a known plasticizer. Class action lawsuits were registered in several states, and in Canada, to address some of these claims. The first of these to reach a decision was in Missouri where a settlement was announced early in December 2007. Late in March 2008, GM agreed to compensate complainants in the remaining 49 states. GM (Motors Liquidation Company) filed for bankruptcy in 2009, which tied up the outstanding claims until a court determines who gets paid.
According to the DEX-COOL manufacturer, "mixing a 'green' [non-OAT] coolant with DEX-COOL reduces the batch's change interval to 2 years or 30,000 miles, but will otherwise cause no damage to the engine". DEX-COOL antifreeze uses two inhibitors: sebacate and 2-EHA (2-ethylhexanoic acid), the latter which works well with the hard water found in the US, but is a plasticizer which can cause gaskets to [soften and] leak.
According to internal GM documents, the ultimate culprit appears to be operating vehicles for long periods of time with low coolant levels. The low coolant is caused by pressure caps that fail in the open position. (The new caps and recovery bottles were introduced at the same time as DEX-COOL). This exposes hot engine components to air and vapors, causing corrosion and contamination of the coolant with iron oxide particles, which in turn can aggravate the pressure cap problem as contamination holds the caps open permanently.
Honda and Toyota's new extended life coolant use OAT with sebacate but without the 2-EHA. Some added phosphates provide protection while the OAT builds up. Honda specifically excludes 2-EHA from their formulas.
Typically OAT antifreeze contains an orange dye to differentiate it from the conventional glycol-based coolants (green or yellow). Some of the newer OAT coolants claim to be compatible with all types of OAT and glycol-based coolants; these are typically green or yellow in color."
"Certain cars are built with organic acid technology (OAT) antifreeze (e.g., DEX-COOL), or with a hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT) formulation (e.g., Zerex G-05), both of which are claimed to have an extended service life of five years or 240,000 km (150,000 mi).
DEX-COOL specifically has caused controversy. Litigation has linked it with intake manifold gasket failures in General Motors' (GM's) 3.1L and 3.4L engines, and with other failures in 3.8L and 4.3L engines. One of the anti-corrosion components presented as sodium or Potassium 2-ethylhexanoate and ethylhexanoic acid is incompatible with nylon 6,6 and silicone rubber, and is a known plasticizer. Class action lawsuits were registered in several states, and in Canada, to address some of these claims. The first of these to reach a decision was in Missouri where a settlement was announced early in December 2007. Late in March 2008, GM agreed to compensate complainants in the remaining 49 states. GM (Motors Liquidation Company) filed for bankruptcy in 2009, which tied up the outstanding claims until a court determines who gets paid.
According to the DEX-COOL manufacturer, "mixing a 'green' [non-OAT] coolant with DEX-COOL reduces the batch's change interval to 2 years or 30,000 miles, but will otherwise cause no damage to the engine". DEX-COOL antifreeze uses two inhibitors: sebacate and 2-EHA (2-ethylhexanoic acid), the latter which works well with the hard water found in the US, but is a plasticizer which can cause gaskets to [soften and] leak.
According to internal GM documents, the ultimate culprit appears to be operating vehicles for long periods of time with low coolant levels. The low coolant is caused by pressure caps that fail in the open position. (The new caps and recovery bottles were introduced at the same time as DEX-COOL). This exposes hot engine components to air and vapors, causing corrosion and contamination of the coolant with iron oxide particles, which in turn can aggravate the pressure cap problem as contamination holds the caps open permanently.
Honda and Toyota's new extended life coolant use OAT with sebacate but without the 2-EHA. Some added phosphates provide protection while the OAT builds up. Honda specifically excludes 2-EHA from their formulas.
Typically OAT antifreeze contains an orange dye to differentiate it from the conventional glycol-based coolants (green or yellow). Some of the newer OAT coolants claim to be compatible with all types of OAT and glycol-based coolants; these are typically green or yellow in color."
I use the orange in my Honda to 300k miles no problems ever. Tried it only a few times on my Caddy / Cutlass. Never again. Both overheated. Flushed both. Replaced the whole rad on the Caddy b/c it rusted immediately. I've decided to never use orange on a domestic car again. I have never had problems w green on any gm's a single time. All cooling related repairs on my Cadillac and Cutlass were to fault orange coolant.
I personally have never used the Dex-Cool antifreeze or heard of anyone complain of it. I will, however, continue to use the green stuff as long as it is available.
I read an article from an OEM radiator manufacturer that stated basically the same thing GM states. They did a test on a GM truck with a radiator that failed from corrosion. They reused the same coolant they recovered from the original radiator and reused all parts but the radiator itself. The new radiator was short lived as well. The additives in the coolant break down over time and become contaminated, add electrolysis to this and it's a recipe for failure. The additive that GM sold was to replenish the additive in the coolant without the need for a complete flush and fill. They were actually trying to save customers some money on what has always been routine (and often ignored)maintenance...
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