Antifreeze/Dexcool

[Billy_ocean04]

I went to a hole in the wall oil change place because I don't like doing my own in the winter and the guys go to fill up my resivoir with antifreeze and I stopped him and said whoa buddy!!! Dex cool only. What works better? I've seen some tahoes with antifreeze. Will antrifreeze damage anything??

 

[haks310]

Tahoe has ran green for 89K miles without problems. Believe it came from the factory like that.

If you read up on Dexcool you will see it has gained the name of Deathcool. A lot of guys blame it to contributing or even causing the famous intake gasket leak. You will hear that it eats up plastic nd gaskets over over time. And a lot of guys even do a coolant flush on brand new trucks filled with Dexcool and replace with regular antifreeze.

I think if you keep your cooling system running at its best; doing regular pressure tests and changing out the coolant when need be, you should be fine. Wheter it is retular antifreeze or Dexcool.

 

[AtomicHoe094]

couldnt of said it any better haks.

 

[cam3439]

I heard that GM found out about this problem and reformulated the dexcool around '07. If you change it within reasonable intervals then you should be fine. The problem with the different coolants is that once they start to break down they start to turn acidic. This then starts to eat everything it touches until you do a clean and drain of the old fluid. I have dexcool in my '02 Z71 Tahoe, it hasn't had one leak yet, and it now has 170k on the odometer (knocking on wood).

 

[Tahoe03mm]

the main thing is it should be phosphate free

 

[ChrisInWI]

Also I've heard that the extended life stuff (dex) has enzymes in it that help it last so long that will become instantly neutralized/dead/useless the minute they come in contact with any regular green antifreeze.

 

[mossyoakman827]

dex will defenatly cause intake gasket problems been there replaced that if it were mine id drain and flush the system and run green

 

[Billy_ocean04]

Thanks everyone for all the info. I plan on doing a flush and getting some fresh fluid in the radiator this week.

 

[haks310]

Also I've heard that the extended life stuff (dex) has enzymes in it that help it last so long that will become instantly neutralized/dead/useless the minute they come in contact with any regular green antifreeze.

Yeah, you dont want to mix this stuff unless it is stated that youn can. Mixing Dex with green will sludge up your cooling system and engine It turns into a muddy substance, not good at all.

 

[rucr8z2]

dex cool went from a really orange look to more of a pinkish look after the reform. Never had any problem with either except when green is mixed in with it. Then if left in, it turns to a crap brown and totaly gunks up all coolant passages and will never stay clean again. The reason most vortecs intake leaks is from the plastic and rubber gaskets (getting old and cracking).
Felpro gaskets has a updated rubber incased steel gasket that will never leak like the old plastic gasket...