Thread: What is the final call with DEXCOOL

I dont think you will EVER get a final call on DexCool. The reason for that is that it is hotly contested whether or not there is any issues with DexCool or not. So what I offer you is my perspective and opinion on the matter and I'll let you make the ultimate decision.

1. DexCool appears to be unnaturally sensative to air, which results in the goo that you find on your radiator cap and sometimes in the overflow tank.
2. The very design of the 3800 radiator lends itself to trapping air in the cooling system. Therefore, the sensative DexCool is going to nearly always have some goo issue.
3. I resolved the air issue for the most part for my application by using a coolant filter that allowed me to fill the radiator up more completely plus I ditched Dex Cool.
4. Left unnoticed, DexCool, when exposed to air seems to solidify to some extend and gets deposited in your radiator and engine.
5. This 'grit' I believe is responsible for the belief the DexCool 'etches' gaskets and engine parts. Its not DexCool itself, its the grit formation from its exposure to air.

I offer to you the following visual evidence. When I tore down my engine, I found this deposited around the #5 cylinder. I havent pulled off the other head yet to see what may be around the #6 cylinder. Additionally, what you see in the pics is not even half of what it still in the engine







My original experience and failure that was dex cool related was my radiator. It deposited so much grit into the radiator that when I pulled the drain plug, no coolant would come out. I had it professionally flushed twice and still it would not come out of the radiator (and as you see above, didnt even affect what was deposited in the engine that I did not know about until I pulled it apart). I finally installed a coolant filter in an attempt to save my radiator:



Here is the stuff the filter was trapping from being deposited in the radiator. I now know that it was grit that was being broke loose in the engine and the filter was trapping it.



Here is what I gathered after just a week or so in the coolant filter:



So you draw your own conclusions. Some will argue that they have had no problem with Dex Cool so therefore there is no issue with Dex Cool. I submit that unless they have put a coolant filter on there to see what is circulating in the engine or have pulled their engine apart to see if there are any deposits then no such claim can be made. Dex Cool does what it was designed to do; perform as an engine coolant. However, its inherent sensativity to air coupled with the design issue of the 3800 radiator have led me to conclude that product will never see the light of day in any vehicle I own.

I agree with Syn on this, You probably won't get a final call on it. I run the Prestone all makes/all models stuff. I don't care what the reason is that you get the mud when using Dexcool, I no longer use it. I never heard of the mud from the green.

Thats been my biggest argument on this. No matter what you say, no matter whether you have had the sludge or grit issue or not, the fact remains I have never ever seen that issue with any other coolant.

Regardless of all that, it did not cause the gaskets to fail. My opinion on the rest has been previously expressed.

I will agree with that, that DexCool didnt cause the gasket failure, that is because they are made of plastic. However, I sure would be curious as to what the effect is on them by the grit that circulates. I have seen pictures of metal etching supposedly from the use of DexCool but nothing that tied the gunk it deposits in an engine to the etching, but it seems like a fairly logical conclusion.

For now I hold to the position that while DexCool may not be directly responsible, that grit that it deposits could play a role.

And, Blown, please tell me, what is the difference between Dex and the All Makes/All Models? You have a EG based coolant without any silicates or phosphates, with organic acids for corrosion protection. Kind of the definition of Dex-Cool, isn't it? And never heard of the mud from the green? Can you seriously have never heard of the green snot of death? The silicates can (and do) settle out forming a sludge at the bottom of your radiator.

Dex has it's positives and it's negatives. It's main negative is that exposure to oxygen completely destroys the anti-corrosion barrier that the organic acids create, causing rust which forms the infamous dex-sludge, as seen in the pics posted. As long as you keep the system full and know how to bleed it, Dex should work fine. That's not to say that there's not better alternatives on the market, such as the G-05 spec. It combines the long life and the cooling efficiency of an organic acid coolant with the immediate protection of a traditional coolant. There isn't (and never will be) a "final call", make up your own mind.

my 99 gtp had a flush at 70k miles and then another flush at 140k miles. I have the motor apart now(heads and all) and i didnt find anything like that in mine. I did both coolant flushes my self and had a good look at what came out. I also pulled the rad and flushed it by it self and again i didnt get anything like that. I am going to stick with dex until i see the problem my self

as i've stated prior, my opinions are completely parrallel to those of scottys.... i've seen the devistation and paid the repair bills that came from it... i will never use dex...and i will always state my case.... and for those who say if you moniter yor system and bleed regularly.... i ask, why bother??? just switch to something that isn't harmful, theres so much else to spend your time on than worrying if your coolent system status