Coolant Question

[Dudeit]

I have read the posts regarding the problems with the old mixture of Dex-cool. I am about to change my coolant for the first time. I have a 2004 AWD Chevy Astro. Does anyone know if I would have had the newer non corrosive version of Dex-cool from the factory? Thanks

[astroturf]

Dudeit, I just changed my 05 Astro coolant. It had the second gen stuff so to speak. Yours will have the newer version also. I went with a flush, then a Prestone product. I think whatever Product you use, regular maintenance is the key. Oh, and by the way, Welcome to the forum. Jim

[rev_les]

Agreed , it wasn't so much the Dexcool, as it was the contamination of the Dexcool. If you changed it once a year, just like the plain 'ol green stuff, it was fine.

[01safari]

yup,

Thats where I think my troubles came from. I knew 5 years on Dex was too long. It was even suggested by a chevy dealer mechanic to dump the Dex as soon as it was out of warranty. So I figured that at 3 years I would do a drain and fill. The thought was that it was shorter interval than recommended, and by not completely flushing it, the dilution method would be good enough. After all I only dive about 5,000 - 8,000 miles a year. I continued that every several years. A few weeks ago my van started smelling like an old LT1. Then "marking its territory". Needless to say, I flushed it, did the cooling systen rebuild, and filled it with the green stuff. We will have to wait and see if that was the right thing to do.

[01safari]

oops, double clicked

[rev_les]

you can't go wrong putting the plain old green juice in it.

[astroturf]

you can't go wrong putting the plain old green juice in it.

Rev, That's where you would be wrong. The design and reason for DEXCOOL was to eliminate the use of green due to silica found in green. It's the silica which is detrimental to moving components, i.e. water pumps, etc. Hope this clears it up. Jim

[rev_les]

The silica is only a problem when it precipitates out of solution,again, from contamination. Goes back to regular maintenance

[OrlandoAstro]

I bought my 99 Asty with 153,000 on the odometer and having owned Dexcool nightmares before, I knew that it was a good idea to keep an eye on the coolant. Around 185,000 or so, coolant began to 'disappear,' being burned internally via a leaky lower intake gasket. Every Dexcool vehicle I've owned has sprung a lower intake gasket leak, so it was no surprise. I replaced the gasket and filled the system with the Prestone yellow "Mixes with any Color" coolant and have had no problems since. In fact, I only had to replace the original radiator about a week ago at 325,000!!! Not bad, I'd say. I refilled the system again with Prestone yellow with no worrries that it will cause any problems.

[Zebediah III]

I run Mango Kool Aid in my radiator and Mobil One synthetic washer fluid and still have the original wiper blades on my 71 GMC, they are like new and it's got just over 7,924,677 on the ticker! It was featured in November 2013's issue of Pravda when I got an award from Vladimir Putin for crossing the Polar ice cap in reverse with three regiments of rabid Kazak terrorists chasing me with stolen trenching tools. As long as you go to a Gypsy shaman and get your cards read regularly and avoid fluids that are directly opposite one another on the colour wheel, you should be OK.

[Van529]

(It was featured in November 2013's issue of Pravda.)

That was you?, awesome

[Lumpy]

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Lump

[pauldeere]

Nothing really wrong with the Dex-Cool Anti- Freeze itself. The problem was that G.M. advertised it as a "Life Time" anti- freeze. This and this alone was the basis of the class action law suite against G.M.