If it was the coolant we would have seen it pop up on those. That to me says if gasket issues cropped up later it was the gaskets not the coolant. The LT1s never had much in the way of coolant leaks definitely not gasket ones and far as I know 96 was the first year for Dexcool and the LT1 that year used the same gaskets as earlier years. I think the "dexcool problems" are a combination of stupid people both owners and service folks putting in green, the stopleak tablets GM began using with the 150K mile coolant interval and some poor quality gaskets.Ī lot of the 96 Impala owners complained about it clogging the heater cores but being the last year for a real Impala a LOT of them were stored, the storage lets the stopleak precipitate out and clog things. That said I just buy the Yellow mix with anything since I for a few years in between had a 94 wagon and it was just easier to keep a couple gallons of mix with anything onhand than separate green and Dexcool. Back in 00, I had the Dexcool flushed out of my 00 Silverado 5.3 and put Prestone green in it because my mechanic recommended doing so because of problems with Dexcool gelling and clogging-up radiators, heater cores, block passages, etc. I know that no dealer will put up with this shit so I plan on taking it to my friend who is a mechanic.I never had any trouble with Dexcool in my car or my wife's 2003 3.4l Impala which had original coolant till LIM gaskets at 142K miles and that problem seemed to be a torque issue not a gasket degradation issue. I plan on keeping this car for a long time and don't want to have to sell it at 100K miles! (I kept my Grand AM for 13 years but sold it at 100K miles out of fear of these problems)ġ) Has GM changed the gasket materials to be compatible with Dex-Cool?Ģ) Has anyone used the Voltmeter test ( ) or a Refractometer to measure the state of the coolant?ģ) My most important question: flushing and filling the system:Ī) Regardless of the tests in 2) above, I plan on changing the coolant every 2 years will it void my warranty?ī) My goal is to thoroughly flush the old coolant out and run distilled water 2-3 times in the system until it comes out clear then add pure Dex-Cool to the residual distilled water until I get a 50/50 mix then top off with pre-mixed 50/50 Prestone Dex-Cool. I'm sure there are other reasons for the controversy surrounding Dex-Cool but I'm just going to ask a few questions for the future in hopes of getting some help from the experts around here. Needless to say, if you mixed different coolants out right, you were toast. ![]() flushed dex-cool and filled with green coolant) developed sludge and early corrosion that is because the flushing procedure was not thorough and residues of old coolant remained in the engine. Engines that got exposed to a mix of different coolants (e.g. In those cases, if the drivers did not top off the system (because they never checked it, out of trust in the extended life of the coolant), their gasket and water pump seals blew due to overheating.ĭ) Dex-Cool is incompatible with other coolants. I am not sure if GM has changed the material with which they build their gaskets if not, this problem might persist on new engines.ī) In extreme weather areas, Dex-Cool degraded faster than the recommended 5 years/150,000 miles, causing early corrosion and water pump and gasket failures.Ĭ) For some reason, certain engines ran low on coolant without having obvious leaks (can't figure out why). After doing some research, I've boiled the problems down to these few bullet points:Ī) The gaskets were made of a plastic material that was incompatible with Dex-Cool. Low coolant levels can lead to overheating, which can damage your engine. First, it is circulated throughout the engine to the radiator to keep your engine at a stable operating temperature. Your engine coolant, also called antifreeze, serves several purposes. ![]() It's a great advancement in engine and coolant technology however, the early engines that used this coolant developed problems with their gaskets, pumps, radiators, etc due to various reasons and led to a huge class-action lawsuit that was settled last summer 2008. Zerex 1 Gallon Orange 50/50 Antifreeze/Coolant - 888374. Dex-Cool is a silicate-free, orange coolant designed by GM to last 5 years or 150,000 miles. Slowly add a 50/50 mixture of GM Goodwrench DEX-COOL or HAVOLINE DEX-COOL and clean, drinkable water to the radiator until the coolant level is at the base of the radiator fill neck. After 10 minutes at idle, the temp inside wouldnt be too bad, and once driving it got hot right away. If Coolant other than DEX-COOL or HAVOLINE DEX-COOL is added to the system the engine coolant will require change sooner at 50,000 km (30,000 mi) or 24 months. ![]() I just bought a brand new G6 GT Coupe and thought I would start this thread regarding the notorious GM coolant "DEX-COOL". In previous winters my 06 impala would heat up nice and toasty inside fairly quickly, especially when I used the remote start.
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