antifreeze eating intake gaskets

[Diamondpilot]

OK...a question, is Dexcool the orange colored coolant I've seen used with some vehicles?

Yes, it kind of looks like Tang. There is also a gold colored coolant that Ford uses. I have not heard of any bad side effects with it.

Chris

 

[workinallthetime]

I worked for a dealer that decided dexcool was to expensive, so they bought some "dexcool compatable" stuff in a 55 gal drum. We had major problems out of that stuff, eating up heater cores, plugging up radiators, and deposites. The true dexcool units if not contaminanted at any point in life seem to really last. I think the problem has nothing to do with dexcool and everything to do with a bad design on the intake gaskets.

 

[radioman]

ok question for you workinalltime- how do you exactly contanminate the coolant system ? Also what do you think of prestone "new antifreeze" that can be mixed with any color now ? what color is it you ask ? it's GREEN! Now this scares me.

Reason I asked, I just replaced the water pump gasket 2 weeks ago on the 2000 malibu since it was leaking. What a pain at first to get it off. While I was at it, replaced the serpentine belt as well- motor mounts had to be removed.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have always hated that some designs need the motor mounts removed to replace the belt. What a bone head design. They want you to have it towed and not be able to replace the belt on the side of the road.

Chris

 

[ray66v]

The Dexcool is getting the blame, but I have had intake gaskets fail in a Malibu, a second time after removing all the Dexcool.

The truth is these are poorly designed, and poorly made engines.

Put in some aluminum powder stop leak, and drive it.

As further evidence, I have used extended life antifreeze in my 97 Villager since 2003, over 125,000 miles, (176,000 total now), and there has not been a problem.

 

[ModMech]

There is nothing *wrong* with DexCool, when used as intended it does what it's designed to do, protect the cooling system.

The problem and Texaco will never admit to it, but all the engine OEMs have papers on it starting with Detroit and Cummins in about 1998, is that if DexCool is MIXED with tap or well water containing high calsium levels, it will react wit hthe calsium to form rock-hard micro-beads. This doesn't sound terrible, but they WILL errode gaskets and seals in fairly short order.

If you use pre-mixed coolant to top up with, or never have to, it's of no concern to the vehicle owner and because of the added stop-leak properties from the factory, you will not likely have any real problems. Once you contaminate the ELC with tap or well water, you are in trouble!

If you don't want to believe me, that's fine. Detroit Diesel, CAT and Cummins have ALL published water quality papers that essentially say "Distilled water" or NOTHING for mixing with ELC (DexCool). In fact, you just about can't buy "raw" ELC from DD, CAT or Cummins. All the consumer contailers, including the 5 gallon size, are PREMIXED and premixed with distilled water.

 

[mjncad]

On a lighter note; when I was about 10 and before the EPA existed and gas stations could throw out anything and everything behind the building, my buddies and I stumbled across a partially filled jug of green anti-freeze. We decided to pee into the jug. It turned the anti-freeze red.

 

[Diamondpilot]

On a lighter note; when I was about 10 and before the EPA existed and gas stations could throw out anything and everything behind the building, my buddies and I stumbled across a partially filled jug of green anti-freeze. We decided to pee into the jug. It turned the anti-freeze red.

The things 10 year old boys dream up.

Chris

 

[427ricky]

It's just a badly designed gasket. Gm has redesigned the gasket the plastic was replaced with aluminum. And that has seamed to fix the problem on all the ones I've repaired. (3.1,3.4,4.3,5.7)

 

[crashz]

How has the Dex-cool held up in the newer modular V8 engines?

I'm a little concerned, now as I have topped off my coolant a couple times (over the 5 years I've owned the truck) on my 04 with a mix of dex-cool and tap water. All together, I may have added a quart or two to the system. Currently I have the coolant about a 1/2 inch above the mid point in the tank, which is a little over the full point. I can see the coolant level better when filled to this point as the seam in the tank obscures the level line.

As far as I can tell, I have no leaks, and no internal leaks (the level does not change) with 125,000 miles on the truck. I plan on replacing the coolant, hoses and thermostat this summer. Should I do this sooner?