• Welcome to The Truck Stop! We see you haven't REGISTERED yet.

    Your truck knowledge is missing!
    • Registration is FREE , all we need is your birthday and email. (We don't share ANY data with ANYONE)
    • We have tons of knowledge here for your diesel truck!
    • Post your own topics and reply to existing threads to help others out!
    • NO ADS! The site is fully functional and ad free!
    CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

    Problems registering? Click here to contact us!

    Already registered, but need a PASSWORD RESET? CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD!

Dex-Cool

rtquig

rtquig

New Member
Messages
123
Reaction score
0
Location
Forked River, NJ
Have many of you switched out the Dex-cool and put back the regular green anti-freeze? So far mine looks good, but at a local shop the owner gave me a trade magazine that shows the problems GM has been having. I would like to swap it out myself, but it is a large volume of coolant to deal with and I don't want to let it go all over the ground.
 
I switched mine when I changed my head gaskets. When I had to add coolant before that, I'd add peak longlife that mixes with any color so it was pretty diluted by the time I switched it out. I also used peak longlife after so even if there was a little still in there it should mix fine.
 
I think I will continue to use the Dex-Cool, but I change it out every couple of years and I replace the rad cap.

I think the problem with dex-cool is the claim it will last 5 years or 50,000 miles and people expect it to last that long.....it can wreak some havoc over that may years.

JP
 
Heartbeat Hauler said:
I think I will continue to use the Dex-Cool, but I change it out every couple of years and I replace the rad cap.

I think the problem with dex-cool is the claim it will last 5 years or 50,000 miles and people expect it to last that long.....it can wreak some havoc over that may years.

JP
Click to expand...

I agree 100%!! Sticking with Dex too, and gonna change sooner than recommended. I too think people are changing late, or more than likely not at all, and then blame Dex when something goes wrong.

 
rtquig mentioned a trade article on the problems. What exactly is the issue with DEXCOOL? I have read about this before, but with no specifics on what the problem is.

What is supposed to be so good about DEXCOOL in the first place? Is longer service life it?
:confused:
 
I'm not going to mess with it since I've never had any problems with any of the GM trucks that I've owned with Dex. I've owned a 97 S-10 with the 4.3; bought it new in 96 and sold it in 01 with the original coolant. No issues with the coolant but it did get a new radiator cap along the way. The 97 dually had the 7.4; bought that used in 01 with 22k on it. No coolant issues, just the stupid heater hose outlet that rusted because a steel fitting was screwed into the alumnium intake. The replacement fitting was aluminum. Bought an 01 2500HD 6.0 in 03 with 32k on it. No coolant related issues. Got the current truck in 05, no issues with it so far.

One thing I will say is that anytime I've added coolant to the tank it has been a 50/50 mix of distilled h20 and dex. Don't use tap water because of the high mineral content which does seem to start scaling when used with dex more so than the green coolants.
 
The shop that installed my "Merchant" pump rub fix told me I should get the Dex out ASAP, he also has a radiator shop and say's that the stuff is killing gaskets, and radiators.
 
rtquig said:
The shop that installed my "Merchant" pump rub fix told me I should get the Dex out ASAP, he also has a radiator shop and say's that the stuff is killing gaskets, and radiators.
Click to expand...

I wonder how many miles/km's are on these vehicles when they come in to these rad shops?? I will not be switching back to the green stuff. Propylene glycol has been used in building heating systems for years, just test the glycol, change as needed, and their should not be a problem.

JMHO.
 
I wonder how much of this is false information, I have yet to have a problem with the red stuff, I have had several trucks with the red stuff and no issues. My current Dmax has over 224k miles and I changed the fluid a few months ago when the water pump went out. The dex cool didn't make the pump fail...the miles did

On edit..I still have the original hoses and everything still onthe truck and no leaks/no issues
 
Dexcool eats away at your gasket material and breaks it down, 350 Vortech are just about famous for it, the intake gasket just go away then the oil starts mixing in the antifreeze we all know how good that is, my dad ran a bad head gasket for about 15,000 miles before he changed it out, hard to find the time. Mobil1 full synthetic 5W30 seems to hold up pretty good though. I dump the Dexcool as soon as I take the truck into my hands I would change it at the lot if they would let me stuff is junk.
 
sparky1562 said:
Jay, how many miles when you pulled your heads and found the deterioration?
Click to expand...
I just now saw this. If I remember right, it was right around 104,000 miles. I had the water pump replaced because it was leaking out the weep hole probably around 96,000 miles.
 
big block 88 said:
Dexcool eats away at your gasket material and breaks it down, 350 Vortec are just about famous for it.
Click to expand...

One of the biggest reasons why I will NEVER step back to the older engines. The 5.3L will never have that problem. No coolant passes thru the intake.

Love Dex, won't go back to the green crap. Follow the recomended maintenance, so far no problems.

JMHO.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top