Dex-Cool

[BigCat83]

For years I've heard horror stories about Dex-Cool and engine sludging and corrosion problems.

I'm currently running Dex-Cool in my '97 Eldo (88K tomorrow) and prior to this ran Ethylene Glycol and distilled water for 20 years in Alfa Romeo and Jaguar aluminum engines without a problem.

So what do you guys think - Dex-Cool or green?

Please opine...

[GreenMachine]

This link may be of use http://www.imcool.com/articles/antifreeze-...ol-macs2001.htm

[Ranger]

Use Dex. Dex has no silicates like green coolant. Green coolant plates the water jacket with silicates which will prevent oxidation in a cast iron engine when the coolant is low and there is air in the system. As the coolant sloshes through, it washes off the oxidation particals, which settle out and over years of this unmaintaned useage, sludge forms and Dex gets blamed. An aluminum engine will not oxidize (though it will corrode).

[Cadillac Jim]

I would use what the manufacturer recommends for your car. Drain and flush the system every two to three years with DexCool, every year with green stuff. Don't even think about pushing the limits they suggest of 5 years for DexCool or 24 months for green stuff.

[JimD]

For years I've heard horror stories about Dex-Cool and engine sludging and corrosion problems.

I'm currently running Dex-Cool in my '97 Eldo (88K tomorrow) and prior to this ran Ethylene Glycol and distilled water for 20 years in Alfa Romeo and Jaguar aluminum engines without a problem.

So what do you guys think - Dex-Cool or green?

Please opine...

Traditional automobile liquid cooling systems use a mixture of ethylene glycol and water to raise the boiling temperature and lower the freezing temperature. Both Dex-Cool and the traditional 'green' products are ethylene glycol based.

The obvious difference between the two is the color of the dye. The not-so-obvious difference is the all important corrosion inhibitor chemical package. The corrosion inhibitors in Dex-Cool will allow for a relatively longer change interval. Just for the record, it is the corrosion inhibitor package that 'wears out'; not the ability to modify the freeze and boil temperatures.

Use whichever product provides peace of mind without worrying about your car's cooling system corroding away while you sleep. Just be sure to follow the appropriate recommended maintanence schedule. The horror stories concerning Dex-Cool are just stories (hearsay in the legal system) that do not include all the facts including the answer to "was the coolant maintanence schedule followed?"

[sOAPBOX MODE=OFF]

[KHE]

By all means, continue to use DexCool in your '97. Forget all the stories you've heard - most are from the 4.3 V-6 engine where owners have let the coolant level get too low and the resulting rust clogs the system. This is NOT the fault of DexCool - it is improper maintenance. If you put green coolant in there, you will need to change the coolant every two years/24000 miles instead of 5 years/150000 miles. Also, you will realize shorter water pump seal life due to the abrasive silicates in the green antifreeze.

Dexcool must be mixed 50/50 with water (distilled water is preferred) PRIOR to adding it to the system. It is not recommended to use in concentrations greater than 50/50 and never add straight DexCool to the system. 60/40 would be the absolute maximum concentration per the Dexcool container but few folks will need to use it in that high of concentration.