What is the best coolant to replace DexCool?

[Mark42]

Looking to flush out the DexCool just because of all the negative press it has with causing corrosion. Right now the DexCool is transparent, and the inside of the radiator looks like new. But then again, the car has less than 40K miles, so it should look great. Just want to head off any potential problems with coolant and manifold seals, freeze plugs and heater core.

Plain old green antifreeze never caused me any problems in the cars I've used it on. Wondering what you guys run.

[WildBillyT]

Peak Global or either of the yellow Prestone jugs. You can drain all of your dex cool, flush, and then fill 'er up.

[BonzoHansen]

I just use 50/50 zerex & distilled water. flush that orange stuff out good.

[Mark42]

Is the orange stuff safe? I drained it out and dumped it all in a big old bath tub in the cow field across the street. I figure "who is going to use a bath tub sitting in a cow field? " right? ....... right?

[Mike]

i use prestone in the winter, water in the summer. no issues at all

[sweetbmxrider]

don't you have to use different gaskets when you switch out dexcool?

[BonzoHansen]

Originally Posted by Mark42

Is the orange stuff safe? I drained it out and dumped it all in a big old bath tub in the cow field across the street. I figure "who is going to use a bath tub sitting in a cow field? " right? ....... right?

No, it will kill animals.

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

don't you have to use different gaskets when you switch out dexcool?

I never heard that.

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by Mark42

Is the orange stuff safe? I drained it out and dumped it all in a big old bath tub in the cow field across the street. I figure "who is going to use a bath tub sitting in a cow field? " right? ....... right?

No.

Proplylene glycol is the stuff that's less toxic, but you have to really switch to that.

Dex cool is an ethylene glycol, just like the green stuff. It's different in it's corrosion resistance.

[Stevoone]

Is there actually an issue with Dex-Cool? Most of the stuff I've read makes it sound like lack of maintenance causing issues. Sounded like when dex-cool starts to break down it allows electrolysis. GM issued the recall/bulliten because they advertise the coolant for 150,000 miles maintenance free.

Not sure if any of the above is correct, just stuff I read online at a few different places.

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by Stevoone

Is there actually an issue with Dex-Cool? Most of the stuff I've read makes it sound like lack of maintenance causing issues. Sounded like when dex-cool starts to break down it allows electrolysis. GM issued the recall/bulliten because they advertise the coolant for 150,000 miles maintenance free.

Not sure if any of the above is correct, just stuff I read online at a few different places.

IMO:

Yes. I changed mine every 30k and still needed a new water pump at ~75k. When I did that there were pieces of "leather" in the system, even with the flushing.

[sweetbmxrider]

Dex-cool uses 2-EHA which among other things is a plasticizer which has the effect of softening plastic. GM intake manifolds are made of plastic. If it is found that Dex-cool is dissolving the gasket material, it will validate what some folks have been saying for a long time: Dex-cool eats gaskets. We'll see. Prestone doesn't use 2-EHA in it's long life coolant, instead uses carboxylate.

pretty sure gm has a tsb floating around where they switched the gasket material used in a lot of 96+ vehicles because the material was being compensated by dex-cool. i don't know much about it but i guess i would switch to a different aftermarket extended-life coolant. they have hybrid coolants that are a mix of dex-cool and mean green using different chemical compositions to achieve the same goal of protecting metals and gaskets and removing heat. they don't contain the "gasket eating" chemicals so it should help that situation. change your coolant every 2 years and you should be good.

[Mark42]

Originally Posted by WildBillyT

IMO:

Yes. I changed mine every 30k and still needed a new water pump at ~75k. When I did that there were pieces of "leather" in the system, even with the flushing.

By "leather" you mean a heavy scale that was floating around? Some sort of buildup that was peeling off maybe?

BTW, you guys know I was kidding about the cow trough, right?

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by Mark42

By "leather" you mean a heavy scale that was floating around? Some sort of buildup that was peeling off maybe?

BTW, you guys know I was kidding about the cow trough, right?

Yes, that's what I meant. I had buildup that resembled leather that was in there. I don't really care what GM says, I don't think DEX-COOL is all it's cracked up to be.

And yes, I knew you were kidding because it wasn't a remote dual reservoir trough

[V]

also dexcool when mixed with tap water, green coolant(older) and plain ole air, begins to cause corrosion issues inside the motors, especially begining with freeze out plugs and water pumps. My 95 STS started springing leaks in several freeze out plugs due to this issue. When i had my SS motor out, everything was flushed and filled with Preston "Any make/any color" antifreeze(its green btw). Just remember to get all your dexcool out, rad heater core and all hoses. I flushed my stuff several times with a hose till i felt it was all gone.

[BigAls87Z28]

Yeah, switch to an all makes/all models type stuff. Ive never had a problem with any of the DexCool vehicles Ive owned or my family has owned.

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

Yeah, switch to an all makes/all models type stuff. Ive never had a problem with any of the DexCool vehicles Ive owned or my family has owned.

Yeah, my family is 3 and 2 on them. The HD, 95 GP, and Trans Am were fine. The 97 GP and the Envoy had issues.