Dex Cool

[spbutler]

I see this hasn't been brought up for a few years so here goes. I have a 2004 Silverado 6.0 Litre with almost 20,000 miles and I'm going to flush and fill the coolant. I have been reading recent and past stories of Dex Cool nightmares on the internet and so I'm asking for input, good or bad on this coolant. There is no apparent radiator cap so I'm not sure how the inside of the radiator looks until I pull the hoses when I do the flush. It's hard to tell by the resovoir.

[dlstewart01]

I see this hasn't been brought up for a few years so here goes. I have a 2004 Silverado 6.0 Litre with almost 20,000 miles and I'm going to flush and fill the coolant. I have been reading recent and past stories of Dex Cool nightmares on the internet and so I'm asking for input, good or bad on this coolant. There is no apparent radiator cap so I'm not sure how the inside of the radiator looks until I pull the hoses when I do the flush. It's hard to tell by the resovoir.

 

I have used Dexcool since it came out for many thousands of miles without any issues. I will change every 3 or 4 years and keep the system clean and tight. Most people neglect their trucks, let air get in the system or mix coolants and then blame the Dexcool.

[spbutler]

What do they mean by letting air get in the system? Isn't air getting in any time you open the resovoir or radiator cap?

[Nytemare]

Have Dex in my truck...its an 03 with 60K miles...I don't think the system has ever been flushed. Had it checked a few months ago and its good for -30*C and it is still well within spec for pH. There is no scale, slime sludge or anything in the reservoir, and the coolant is a nice pinkish orange color. I am going to do a flush soon though...I don't want it to drop out of spec and start corroding anything. I will definitely use the Dex again..its been good to me.

[spbutler]

Looks like this was affecting V - 6 Engines more than anything else. http://www.dexcoolsettlement.com/notice.pdf

I'm not sure what the difference would be between the V-6s versus the V-8s.

I will flush the system this weekend and put the Dex Cool back in to keep the warranty good and update this post as to the condition of the system.

Here is another link with a few horror stories but the verdict is still out for me until this weekend.

 

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/gm_dexcool.html

[telo]

I see this hasn't been brought up for a few years so here goes. I have a 2004 Silverado 6.0 Litre with almost 20,000 miles and I'm going to flush and fill the coolant. I have been reading recent and past stories of Dex Cool nightmares on the internet and so I'm asking for input, good or bad on this coolant. There is no apparent radiator cap so I'm not sure how the inside of the radiator looks until I pull the hoses when I do the flush. It's hard to tell by the resovoir.

 

You'll have no problems with Dex. Some of the past (even some current) problems have been due to mixing of coolants and gasket materials in older models. I have heard nothing about current problemsFlush the system thoroughly and replace with dex. If you need to add some in the future only add Dex. The "air" in the system that is talked about is aimed at making sure you have the system filled properly.

 

Quit worrying!

[alwcurlz]

I see this hasn't been brought up for a few years so here goes. I have a 2004 Silverado 6.0 Litre with almost 20,000 miles and I'm going to flush and fill the coolant. I have been reading recent and past stories of Dex Cool nightmares on the internet and so I'm asking for input, good or bad on this coolant. There is no apparent radiator cap so I'm not sure how the inside of the radiator looks until I pull the hoses when I do the flush. It's hard to tell by the resovoir.

 

Only 20,000 miles on an 04? Wow, that thing must be like new!

 

DexCool coolant is good for 100,000 miles. My truck has had DexCool it's whole life and hasn't had any problems in over 147,000 miles. I'm thinking people don't like DexCool because it's more expensive for their vehicle as theirs leaks. It's like the people who don't like synthetic oil because they can't get the motor rebuilt properly due to the protective coating it leaves behind.

[alwcurlz]

I see this hasn't been brought up for a few years so here goes. I have a 2004 Silverado 6.0 Litre with almost 20,000 miles and I'm going to flush and fill the coolant. I have been reading recent and past stories of Dex Cool nightmares on the internet and so I'm asking for input, good or bad on this coolant. There is no apparent radiator cap so I'm not sure how the inside of the radiator looks until I pull the hoses when I do the flush. It's hard to tell by the resovoir.

 

I have used Dexcool since it came out for many thousands of miles without any issues. I will change every 3 or 4 years and keep the system clean and tight. Most people neglect their trucks, let air get in the system or mix coolants and then blame the Dexcool.

 

 

+1

[bossier62guy]

I see this hasn't been brought up for a few years so here goes. I have a 2004 Silverado 6.0 Litre with almost 20,000 miles and I'm going to flush and fill the coolant. I have been reading recent and past stories of Dex Cool nightmares on the internet and so I'm asking for input, good or bad on this coolant. There is no apparent radiator cap so I'm not sure how the inside of the radiator looks until I pull the hoses when I do the flush. It's hard to tell by the resovoir.

 

IMO you'll be wasting your time and money changing it out this early. I just flushed my 02 for the first time a few months ago at 77K miles and the stuff that came out looked as good as what I put back in it.

[telo]

As Nytemare noted above, the Ph level is an important factor in the change interval. Dex is no more expensive than the green, unless you're buying that really cheap shit green stuff

[Steiner]

A combination of air getting into the system and the gasket material they used in the 98-02 vortech motors caused the dexcool to deteriorate the intake manifold gasket. There was a class action lawsuit a while ago, although I don't know what happened to it. Anyway GM changed the gasket material and I haven't heard of any problems from any vortech engines manufactured after 04.

 

- Steiner

[dlstewart01]

A combination of air getting into the system and the gasket material they used in the 98-02 vortech motors caused the dexcool to deteriorate the intake manifold gasket. There was a class action lawsuit a while ago, although I don't know what happened to it. Anyway GM changed the gasket material and I haven't heard of any problems from any vortech engines manufactured after 04.

 

- Steiner

 

That was on the 3.1, 3.4 and maybe the 3.8 V6s. I don't believe any V8 trucks were involved in this.

[gave20]

I see this hasn't been brought up for a few years so here goes. I have a 2004 Silverado 6.0 Litre with almost 20,000 miles and I'm going to flush and fill the coolant. I have been reading recent and past stories of Dex Cool nightmares on the internet and so I'm asking for input, good or bad on this coolant. There is no apparent radiator cap so I'm not sure how the inside of the radiator looks until I pull the hoses when I do the flush. It's hard to tell by the resovoir.

 

IMO you'll be wasting your time and money changing it out this early. I just flushed my 02 for the first time a few months ago at 77K miles and the stuff that came out looked as good as what I put back in it.

 

 

 

Is the coolant change interval 5yrs or 150K miles?

 

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[96chevy7.4L]

According to a friend that works in a automotive machine shop the dex is okay in 04 engines on up. I changed mine over to green. BUT I had to flush it completely. The coolants don't mix like has been stated previously. In engines made PRIOR to 04 it has been his experience that it errodes intake gaskets and basically fills the water jackets with SLUDGE slowing down flow. Just an opinion based on experience.

[dlstewart01]

According to a friend that works in a automotive machine shop the dex is okay in 04 engines on up. I changed mine over to green. BUT I had to flush it completely. The coolants don't mix like has been stated previously. In engines made PRIOR to 04 it has been his experience that it errodes intake gaskets and basically fills the water jackets with SLUDGE slowing down flow. Just an opinion based on experience.

 

I wonder why the 1991, the 1996, the 1998, and the 2001 I had was never affected......... I had zero issues with the Dec-Cool or gaskets in any of them.