Bye, bye Deathcool

[foghorn23]

After reading all the wonderful comments about Deathcool (Dexcool) on this and other sites I decided to be a little proactive and get the red stuff out of the old 5.3 and replace it with traditional Prestone. Just wondering how many of you guys have changed over from Dexcool to something else and if anyone has experienced engine problems as a result of running Dexcool. Thanks

 

Vroten

[asepgrad98]

It was a goood idea to change your 3yr old dexcool but i would have put dexcool back in. It has never been been 'proven' to cause problems and does have superior corrosion protection.

 

:puts on flame suit:

[LarryE]

No problems out of Dexcool here either...

 

 

Some ppl have a lot of time on their hands to trace down problems to antifreeze

[mello98zss]

I have owned 5 vehicles with Dexcool and no problems yet. From what I have read, run your coolant level low and you will have problems, but if you keep the system full, have a good radiator cap and flush it every 3-4 years you should be good to go. In October I had the dealer flush and fill my '98 Camaro, replaced the old Dexcool with new. I did notice a drop in the position of the temp needle after. This was the first flush on the vehicle (following the 5 year/100,000 GM recommendation) and the dealer found no problems. I did always check to make sure the level in the overflow tank was correct.

[MCourson]

Same here, 5 vehilcles, no problems. When the '57 got a new engine and radiator we even started to run Dexcool in it.

[lrymal]

....I did always check to make sure the level in the overflow tank was correct.

YES! And in our case with our high mileage fleet trucks, there have been no water pump failures. The older trucks had a record of needing water pump replacements at about 80,000 miles. These were pre-DexCool vehicles.

 

Regarding placing DexCool in older vehicles, such as the '57. In all the "Deathcool" debates that I have read, seems that the correct engine and head gaskets have to be used or something, or you get electrolysis corrosion or something??? In short, the engine has to be "made ready" for DexCool to gain the benefits, otherwise you have problems. This is probably where the DeathCool flame fests originated.

 

In short, for the engines that are "made ready", the benefits are certainly there, with the high milesage, water pump protection. and superior cooling ablitlities. But DexCool hates air, and is compromised when mixed with the Green Stuff.

 

I've been very pleased with it. Cannot remember what year that the new trucks, include Dodge, started having 100% compatible engines for the DexCool (Dodge has their own name for it).

[JayMan]

Seems I have read that the only folks having chronic DexCool problems were those who NEVER checked their cooling systems. In some cases, the coolant level was 6 inches below the neck.

 

Sorry, but if you abuse a vehicle like that, I don't care what you run for coolant, it will fail.

 

I bought into the "Deathcool" hype and last summer took my 2000 Sierra to a local Chevy dealer to have the system flushed. I had also experienced a "gurgling" noise in the heater core but forgot to mention this until AFTER they were done flushing.

 

They let me watch the flush. It came out clear as water, no murky stuff or residue at all. I had them change the block heater and thermostat and both looked like new. They refilled with the proper mixture of DexCool, though after bleeding the system they actually filled the surge tank to the top, not to the "cold" mark.

 

The Chevy dealer sure didn't mind taking my money, though he said on his own truck he might flush every 4 years, not 5 as recommended. When I mentioned the "gurgle" he suggested I keep the surge tank topped off. He even gave me a 1 liter jug of premixed DexCool and told me to try to top off the surge tank the next morning.

 

I couldn't get all of it in the next morning, but when I started the truck, the gurgle was gone. Has never come back either.

[Black02Silverado]

Not sure if this is caused by the Dexcool, according to the other Venture owners they say it is. Anyway our 02 Venture had 29k on it and the overflow tank was not the bright orange color but a little off an dark. Took it to the dealer and they did a leak check. What they found surprised me. The heads on my 3.4L V6 were warped. So off they went to the machine shop to get resurfaced.

 

The dealer had the van for a week and installed the reconditioned heads with what they said is an updated gasket for the heads and intake. Ones that are compatible to the Dexcool.

 

I'm just glad that it was all under warranty and I didn't have to pay for it. I even got to drive a new Trail Blazer around for a week. Not a bad ride at all.

 

The van has been running great since and I keep the overflow tank topped. It isn't a pressureized tank like on the Silverado so I don't know if that has anything to do with the Dexcool going bad sooner since it does not like air according to most I have talked to.

 

If you research Dexcool you will find that the 3.4 engines seem to have the most problems and it is in the intake area at the most. I have not heard of a problem with the GM V8's having any problem.

 

I figure if you just keep it flushed once every 2 to 3 years and keep the tank topped all should be well.

[BlackSilver]

I have 5 vehicles with DexCool --- 2 of them over 150,000 miles on the clocks --- and haven't had a single cooling system problem. Flushed the two high-mileage ones last summer, changed out thermostats on them, and both looked like brand new. Refilled 'em with DexCool.

[lrymal]

...What they found surprised me. The heads on my 3.4L V6 were warped. .....they said is an updated gasket for the heads and intake. Ones that are compatible to the Dexcool. 

 

I'm just glad that it was all under warranty and I didn't have to pay for it. ...

Well, yeah, that 3.4 GM V-6, also the 3.1..... There has been some really bad blood spilled over on those motors within the past six years or so due to the intake manifold dripping coolant. My other favorite trucks have been GrandAm GTs. I can't recall the cause, but usally DexCool has been labeled as the problem by many of the list posters when it really has been faulty head gaskets and warped heads.

 

I used to belong to those lists. Man, they'd get off on a tangent. One guy had a Grand Am that had a faulty hose that leaked and blamed it on DexCool, claiming the standard Preston Antifreeze fixed his hose and made his 3.4 feel faster, netting him about 15 RWHP, because the "density" of the antifreeze was now freeer-flowing than "DeathCool". One guy asked him how he got that much horsepower to his rear-wheels. The poor kid said he had it dynotested after removing the DexCool. The point is, the GrandAm is a front-wheel drive car.

 

Anyway.........

 

Great that your repair job has your buggy happy. Although with our high mileage rigs, we sorta let them go to about five years on the flushing, I certainly would think three should be the norm. Not sure why...... Just makes me feel better. Sorta like telling GrandPa to stop smoking when GrandPa is 93.

[MCourson]

Regarding placing DexCool in older vehicles, such as the '57. In all the "Deathcool" debates that I have read, seems that the correct engine and head gaskets have to be used or something, or you get electrolysis corrosion or something??? In short, the engine has to be "made ready" for DexCool to gain the benefits, otherwise you have problems. This is probably where the DeathCool flame fests originated.

Yup Dexcool was planned to go in it before the block was even hot tanked.

[k1500chevy97]

No problems with the dexcool here either .

 

Just remember dont mix the dexcool with regular ol antifreeze

[Tucson_02Silverado]

At 230K miles the 83 Caprice wagon's 350 swapped in at 90K miles ran Dexcool no problems (iron block, iron heads). Wagon is still running with other owner at 275K now (still Dexcool). 88 GTA Dexcool running since 29K miles, sold car at 110K miles, new owner at 150K miles still Dexcool still no problems, (L98 iron block, Alloy heads)

 

 

Only thing(s) I do, is NO tap water only distilled bottled water even at flush. Flush every 3 years, including block drain, with new belts and hoses regardless of condition.

 

 

So like most other things that there seems to be a highly divided numbers over a subject and/or product is that a lot of opinions are of the "my brother's friend uncle grandma's granddauther son-in-law" experiences. I see a good number of people with newer type cars of all makes that let leaks go unrepaired. Just making sure it's filled with tap water, or the green stuff they still happen to have. Which the green mixing in itself isn't the cause, the green stuff does break down into acids.

 

Any leak some how some way is letting air into a system. Air is one mighty catalyst for deteriation to have it's ugly way. Oil loss to some degree can be explained as burn off/blowby, but coolant loss shouldn't happen unless there is a problem...it's a closed system.

[SnakeEyeSS]

dosen't the 5.3 have aluminum heads? I've heard mechanics in magazines talk about prestone oxidizing the aluminum on BMW heads to the point where sandblasting might not even work. I forgot what the ingredient is that does it. UIn fact I some presto9n in a while back before I knew about this, plan on getting a flush with good old, expensive BMW antifreeze. $13 a gallon, but since you only need it every 2-3 years, no big deal.

[SnakeEyeSS]

Only thing(s) I do, is NO tap water only distilled bottled water even at flush. Flush every 3 years, including block drain, with new belts and hoses regardless of condition.

is there a trick to flushing at home with distilled water? Because every kit I know of for home is using the water hose. Only way I can think of is taking a few gallons of distilled to the fast lube and having them stick that in their macine instead of the usual tap water.