GM's Dexcool Coolant

[GMTruckGuy74]

Okay all of you mechanically-inclined and talented posters, I've got a question for you. My wife's car is around 13k and we're approaching 11 months of ownership. I've been reading here and there articles or statements saying that GM's Dexcool Coolant is known to cause problems for radiators and engine parts (plastics, I think). Some sources have suggested removing the orange Dexcool coolant and replacing it with the traditional green coolant. If today's (or should I say 2008's) Dexcool coolant is not good for longevity, and since we plan on owning this car for quite some time (7 years maybe?), I was wondering if I should go ahead and get this done now. If so, what is the recommended procedure? Do I get a coolant flush? Any problems I should be aware of doing this? I'd appreciate any and all advice on this issue - whether to do it or not. Thanks in advance!!

Edited May 5, 2009 by GMTruckGuy74

[Drew Dowdell]

leave it alone.

the Dexcool issue was with older cars in the 90s that weren't originally designed for it.

[G. David Felt]

leave it alone.

the Dexcool issue was with older cars in the 90s that weren't originally designed for it.

AGREED, Leave it alone, the DEXCool is excellent and does not have the issue GM ran into in the 90's. Those that have tried to change back to the Traditional GREEN have actually run into more problems as it is almost impossible to get all of the DEXCool out of the car.

Enjoy your new baby and let the DEXCool do it's job, you will be very happy with it.

[SAmadei]

I would not recommend any change at this time.

I'm not convinced the DexCool thing is over with, but I also agree that using green is not a solution. I prefer the Prestone yellow that is compatible with both. I hate being locked into one antifreeze brand, but as it turns out, its cheaper than real DexCool.

Of course, I don't have a lot of '00-'09 cars to experiment on... but I'm watching the 2004 GP like a hawk. At the first sign of nastiness, its going yellow.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Thanks for the info everyone. I will leave the Dexcool in the G6 alone. BTW, I know what GM says about its lifespan (5 years), but should it be changed before that period? I want to keep up with the maintenance on this car, since we're financing it and likely to keep it 6-7 years (if not longer).

[Drew Dowdell]

Stick to the recommended interval.

Dexcool is generally considered to be good for 100k miles.

[Z-06]

Stick to the recommended interval.

Dexcool is generally considered to be good for 100k miles.

More like 150k. Like others say, keep it. Even after 120k on the Lumina, when I eventually changed the coolant, the color looked good.

[Daryl Z71]

I think the Dexcool used to eat the gaskets in the older cars, is what Ive heard on alot of other websites. I think it's ok now though, because I think they changed the gaskets to be plastic and have O-Rings so it wouldn't eat them anymore. I know when we changed the intake gaskets in my GF's 02 Grand Prix they were plastic. What sucked about that was it was broken and thats why it was leaking.

[PurdueGuy]

I have 3 vehicles with dexcool, all over 100k miles, 2 over 150k miles. No problems. Maintain the cooling system and it'll be fine.

[ShadowDog]

Thanks for the info everyone. I will leave the Dexcool in the G6 alone. BTW, I know what GM says about its lifespan (5 years), but should it be changed before that period? I want to keep up with the maintenance on this car, since we're financing it and likely to keep it 6-7 years (if not longer).

It's a five year coolant and doesn't require a lot of effort to drain/flush & fill. You can do simple inspections of the fluid condition over time: 1) It should remain clear; 2) It should not have particulates floating in it; 3) It should not smell with fuel, oil or have an ammonia scent. Aside from that, you can have it tested to ensure it will still perform effectively to prevent freezing or boiling.

[fightingbee]

It performs best in cooling systems with a pressurized surge tank like the G6 has. The sludge issues were usually on the cars that used a radiator cap and non-pressurized overflow tank. The newer intake gaskets have improved in as well so that they are not as likely to be deteoriate from the additives in Dex.

I personally still do just a radiator drain and refill (no flush) about every 3 years with fresh Dex and distilled water mixed 50/50 to keep fresh additives in the system. That may be overkill, but keeps the coolant fresh enough to eliminate the need for any flushing down the road IMO.

As far as using yellow Prestone to avoid Dexcool, I wouldn't bother. It and many of the other "add to any color antifreeze" coolants also use 2-Ethylhexanoic acid, or 2-EHA, for corrosion protection so it's almost the same product as far as how the plastic intake gaskets are affected.

G-05 spec. coolant for Ford or Mopar use, Peak's "Lifetime" coolant, or regular non-extended life green coolant would be the most commonly found coolants without 2-EHA if you wanted to flush and put somthing else in

[GMTruckGuy74]

Again, thanks for all of the input. I will not be changing the Dexcool until it is time, and I will make sure I get periodic checks to make sure it is still working as it should be. I appreciate all of the comments posted. I knew C&G posters would be the ones to turn to for the answer!

[daves87rs]

I've got 6 years on my Dexcool (wife's Cav), and after 55k, it still looks fine.

Because of the age of the coolant though, I will be changing it over the summer.

Also in the next week or two the Cav will get a trans service too, due to the fact that her car sees mostly city driving.

About 5-7 years sounds good for changing stuff (depending of milage though) to keep it fresh....