Dex-Cool, does it matter if it's OEM or aftermarket?

[Howard]

My '05 2.8L CTS uses Dex-Cool and I want to do a coolant flush. Does it matter if the coolant I buy is OEM or some other stuff?

 

[Kaervak]

It shouldn't matter. The GM stuff IIRC is extended service life but the Prestone stuff is fine. I'm running a mix of GM extended life Dex and Prestone Dex and things have been fine.

 

[kornphlake]

As long as you buy coolant that says it's safe to mix with dex cool you're fine. According to a mechanic at a radiator shop I once spoke to, mixxing old school green with dex cool turns the coolant to acid. He explained this just after a shop had replaced my water pump and mixxed red with green, I was talking to the rad shop guy because my radiator had a leak, a few months later it was the thermostat that quit then the heater core broke a few weeks after that. I was so fed up with that vehicle I sold it without fixing the heater core.

As long as you read the labels on the coolant you should be okay.

 

[halik]

You're not supposed to mix audi/vw pink stuff with anything, as it tends to turn into jello. That despite the bottles of dex cool saying it's safe for everything... but as far as brands go, it's all the same.

Incidentally I've got prestone dexcool in my S4.

 

[bruceb]

Texaco actually makes the Dexcool for GM. But I have had no issues using Prestone brand Dexcool. They are a reputable company and properly test products before releasing them.

 

[Vette73]

Just use the cheapest long life coolant. There are only 1 or 2 major factories for coolant in the US, last I checked, so just about all comes from the same place.

Flush you system with water and then add your new coolant and water.

 

[Gibson486]

Go to Napa, buy Zerex coolant.

 

[basslover1]

My '05 2.8L CTS uses Dex-Cool and I want to do a coolant flush. Does it matter if the coolant I buy is OEM or some other stuff?

It would matter if you weren't doing a full flush. IMO you should never mix two different types of coolant. Though you can use a different type of coolant as a replacement as long as you're doing a full cooling system flush.

VW swears that their G12 is the only coolant you should ever use. Well 3 years later after a full cooling system flush, the Peak Long Life has given me no issues.

Since you're doing a flush, use whatever you want.

 

[Vette73]

It would matter if you weren't doing a full flush. IMO you should never mix two different types of coolant. Though you can use a different type of coolant as a replacement as long as you're doing a full cooling system flush.

VW swears that their G12 is the only coolant you should ever use. Well 3 years later after a full cooling system flush, the Peak Long Life has given me no issues.

Since you're doing a flush, use whatever you want.

Yea VW/Audi has a special steering fluid that cost way to much. I flushed the system out and put in Mobil1 Trans fluid in my SiLs A4 and it works great. Many other VW/Audi owners do the same.

 

[slag]

To set the record straight and to get rid of all the FUD. Mixing dex cool with "normal" anti freeze wont turn anything to acid, sludge up your radiator, or anything like that.. Its just an old wive's tale.

There are rumors that mixing DEX-COOL with standard green (non-OAT) coolant causes a chemical reaction that produces sludge in the cooling system. According to the DEX-COOL manufacturer, however, "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." From the wikipedia entry..

So, in closing, the only "bad" thing that will happen by mixing dex cool and regular coolant will be that you now have to change the coolant every 2 years instead of every 150k miles, until you go back to just pure dexcool.

 

[halik]

To set the record straight and to get rid of all the FUD. Mixing dex cool with "normal" anti freeze wont turn anything to acid, sludge up your radiator, or anything like that.. Its just an old wive's tale.

There are rumors that mixing DEX-COOL with standard green (non-OAT) coolant causes a chemical reaction that produces sludge in the cooling system. According to the DEX-COOL manufacturer, however, "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." From the wikipedia entry..

So, in closing, the only "bad" thing that will happen by mixing dex cool and regular coolant will be that you now have to change the coolant every 2 years instead of every 150k miles, until you go back to just pure dexcool.

Audi has a TSB out on mixing G12 and other coolants, makes it sludgey.

 

[LTC8K6]

G12 is not regular coolant - either pink G12 or purple G12 - whatever that means... :biggrin:

 

[Bignate603]

So, in closing, the only "bad" thing that will happen by mixing dex cool and regular coolant will be that you now have to change the coolant every 2 years instead of every 150k miles, until you go back to just pure dexcool.

150k? Do they have any guideline on how many years you can keep it in the car? My van has dexcool, after 120k the coolant looked like dirty sewage so I flushed it out.

 

[Howard]

150k? Do they have any guideline on how many years you can keep it in the car? My van has dexcool, after 120k the coolant looked like dirty sewage so I flushed it out.

Could be a faulty fill cap, I think a lot of problems stemmed from that.

 

[Meghan54]

To set the record straight and to get rid of all the FUD. Mixing dex cool with "normal" anti freeze wont turn anything to acid, sludge up your radiator, or anything like that.. Its just an old wive's tale.

There are rumors that mixing DEX-COOL with standard green (non-OAT) coolant causes a chemical reaction that produces sludge in the cooling system. According to the DEX-COOL manufacturer, however, "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." From the wikipedia entry..

So, in closing, the only "bad" thing that will happen by mixing dex cool and regular coolant will be that you now have to change the coolant every 2 years instead of every 150k miles, until you go back to just pure dexcool.

Well, despite the all-knowing Wiki entry, I'll put up my brother's 30+ years of experience as an ASE cert'd. mechanic who has seen case after case of Dex-Cool'd vehicles having their Dex-Cool turn to sludge if left unattended or mixed with "normal" antifreeze.

I know there are people who don't have problems, but there are just too many instances of it happening (In 2008, GM settled a massive class action lawsuit that combined more than a few smaller lawsuits about Dex-Cool and problems stemming from its use, including intake manifold gasket failures, engine coolant sealing issues, and sludge) to leave that crap in any vehicle's cooling system that I own.

 

[Vette73]

Well, despite the all-knowing Wiki entry, I'll put up my brother's 30+ years of experience as an ASE cert'd. mechanic who has seen case after case of Dex-Cool'd vehicles having their Dex-Cool turn to sludge if left unattended or mixed with "normal" antifreeze.

I know there are people who don't have problems, but there are just too many instances of it happening (In 2008, GM settled a massive class action lawsuit that combined more than a few smaller lawsuits about Dex-Cool and problems stemming from its use, including intake manifold gasket failures, engine coolant sealing issues, and sludge) to leave that crap in any vehicle's cooling system that I own.

If he actually studied it he would know it had nothing to do with mxing. A lot of the sludge issue was the water seperating from the antifreeze and drying/cooking out.
This usually happens when people let their cooling systems get a low level and lets air get in. This drys/cooks the atifreeze and it it will dry out. You will see crust near the spout and gel where there is still liquid fluid.

<-- former tech.

 

[slag]

If he actually studied it he would know it had nothing to do with mxing. A lot of the sludge issue was the water seperating from the antifreeze and drying/cooking out.
This usually happens when people let their cooling systems get a low level and lets air get in. This drys/cooks the atifreeze and it it will dry out. You will see crust near the spout and gel where there is still liquid fluid.

<-- former tech.

Sometimes people take their radiator cap off, see some orange crusties (from the dried out dex-cool), and think, "oh no, my engine is rusting away",. when in fact, its just some dried dex cool on the radiator cap.

I've used dex cool for years in my previous GM vehicles and never had a problem with it.

 

[BUTCH1]

To set the record straight and to get rid of all the FUD. Mixing dex cool with "normal" anti freeze wont turn anything to acid, sludge up your radiator, or anything like that.. Its just an old wive's tale.

There are rumors that mixing DEX-COOL with standard green (non-OAT) coolant causes a chemical reaction that produces sludge in the cooling system. According to the DEX-COOL manufacturer, however, "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." From the wikipedia entry..

So, in closing, the only "bad" thing that will happen by mixing dex cool and regular coolant will be that you now have to change the coolant every 2 years instead of every 150k miles, until you go back to just pure dexcool.

I've heard too many stories about how bad mixing the different types to even think about taking that chance so I flushed and re-filled with Dex-cool and I also don't believe Dex can last that long so after 3 years 45K/miles I flushed, you only do it every 3 years it's pretty cheap insurance IMO.

 

[exdeath]

The thing you have to watch for is mixing ethylene (typically green) with propylene (typically gold) coolants.

 

[motorking]

My '05 2.8L CTS uses Dex-Cool and I want to do a coolant flush. Does it matter if the coolant I buy is OEM or some other stuff?

Good Morning Howard,
I am the technical manager at Prestone. We make dex-cool for GM and many other automakers. Whenever you see a licensed dex-cool product (meaning it has the GM logo on the bottle) it meets or exceeds all GM ASTM specs for dex-cool. Despite bad publicity, dex-cool has emerged as the very best cooling system technology. Even Ford and Chrysler are adopting it use in 2011. Many european manufacturers have already switched over. Good luck with your coolant change and if you need any help or instructions let me know at jay.buckley@honeywell.com

 

[videogames101]

Legit?

 

[motorking]

Legit?

I sure am. I have been doing technical automotive training and engineering work for Fram, Prestone and Autolite for the last 18 years. I also own a repair shop, motorkingracing, in Shelby Twp, mi. I have been a ASE certified master tech for over 25 years. I am at your service when it comes to cars! Computers? I am humbled by you guys. The speed the technology changes makes cars look slow in comparison.
:biggrin:

 

[halik]

I sure am. I have been doing technical automotive training and engineering work for Fram, Prestone and Autolite for the last 18 years. I also own a repair shop, motorkingracing, in Shelby Twp, mi. I have been a ASE certified master tech for over 25 years. I am at your service when it comes to cars! Computers? I am humbled by you guys. The speed the technology changes makes cars look slow in comparison.
:biggrin:

Ha crazy how companies are starting to notice forums and such. I've seen a similar reply by one of the head guys at Deeza (auto parts manufacturer from turkey) after someone posted that they're Turkish prisoner made parts.

I've got a couple of gallons of Prestone extended life dex cool in the S4, haven't had an issue yet.

 

[RU482]

what about the stuff that says it can be mixed with anything?
/ha