antifreeze GREEN or RED

[Fredless]

Originally posted by BLLDOGG:
use factory and maintain it properly like it should be.

X2. Couldn't agree more. I'm sticking with Dexcool. It might be coincidence but after I flushed the dexcool out after 110k or so and put the green stuff in, my intake gaskets started leaking and after I replaced those, oily coolant ran down my block and there was oil in the coolant...My passenger side headgasket had cracked. Probably coincidence, but my friend is a mechanic at Autoway chevy here in Tampa and says GM insists on using Dexcool for that reason...that if you use the dexcool and switch to regular green 30k change interval stuff, gaskets wear down.

However, I did have a lot of miles so I'm leaning towards coincidence...but I'm sticking with Dexcool. It worked just fine with 110k on it.

[93threefour]

DO THE FACTORY RECOMENDED PROCEDURES

They didnt give you a manual in the glove box to keep you entertained. For those of you still underwarranty and have coolant problems you WONT GET WARRANTIED! simple enough It is not what the factory recomended.

MAINTAIN your vehicle! plain an simple. Take care of it, it will take care of you dont intermix the two either or you will have gaskets start to go as stated above. GM didnt spend millions of dollars in R&D to just be able to say run the pink(orange,Red) stuff because it is more expensive. The tested it and if you maintain you shouldnt have any problems.

[Red]

lol, are there still people under warranty? I wanted to say that i still only have about 48k on my 2000, so maybe thats why i havent had any problems so far.

[Silver 99 Camaro]

Originally posted by 93threefour:
DO THE FACTORY RECOMENDED PROCEDURES

They didnt give you a manual in the glove box to keep you entertained. For those of you still underwarranty and have coolant problems you WONT GET WARRANTIED! simple enough It is not what the factory recomended.

MAINTAIN your vehicle! plain an simple. Take care of it, it will take care of you dont intermix the two either or you will have gaskets start to go as stated above. GM didnt spend millions of dollars in R&D to just be able to say run the pink(orange,Red) stuff because it is more expensive. The tested it and if you maintain you shouldnt have any problems.

Absolutely. In most cases leaks, chunky crap, corrosion is caused by contaminated coolant from mixing the two or other substances getting in there. Or simply not changing it when you're supposed to.

[hockeyman]

^^Sorry guys. Read my post above. I started having that gunk at around 7,000 miles. Well before any coolant changes should have ever taken place AND my car was bought New. There probably isn't too many people here on this board who takes care of their cars more than me. My three cars get top-notch maintenance in every aspect of the word. Also, I've already put over 8,000 miles on the green coolant and still no problems. Maybe it's mechanic error... Did you ever "burp" the system after changing/flushing coolants? You know that if it's not done properly, it can cause the engine to overheat, thus causing premature wear on gaskets?

As for the manual in the glove compartment: I write in it for my maintenace records...thats it! GM put the red crap in thinking that it would last for 100k and it turns out it was total J U N K ! Read the lawsuits above.

I've already changed the coolant in my wife's '05 Mailbu to the green coolant because her car was new last year and had some small red gooey chunks floating in the rad at 8,000 miles. Her car went BACK to GM for a bad front rotor, and the mechanic there told me that he changed the coolant to green in his '03 Vette (still under warranty) because of the crappy dexcool. He says everyone who knows cars complains about it.

[disclaimer]
Throwing my opinion(s) in the air people. No flame intended.
[/disclaimer]

[shenanigans]

96 cavalier with dexcrap, turned to sludge around 75k... 25k before the 100k limit it says.

I changed mine at 45k. I woudl have switched to green stuff if I wasn't worried about just a teenie little bit of dexcool still in the motor mixing iwht the green stuff.

imo dexcool is crap.

[98Camaro3.8]

I know some people have problems with it, but I've got 93,000 miles on Dexcool with no probs.

[hockeyman]

Eric: Prestone makes an antifreeze that says it's compatible with all coolants on the market. I'm unsure if I'd test it though....

Matt: I don't know why I've had problems with it. I too know a few people who haven't had any issues with dexcool yet. My experience though tells me it's not good stuff to have in any of my engines. <jmo>

[shenanigans]

I have seen the new stuff that works with both...

I want to see real world tests, but I figure as long as I keep a close eye on my stuff I should be ok.

[ChronoGN]

I use the green stuff because the orange Dexcool started sludging up in the radiator and my waterpump went out right after that. I switched to normal green coolant and havent had any problems since.

[guy]

i also switched from dex cool because of the sludging with only 15000 on the car

[BobbyZ72]

I wonder why its slugging up for some of us? What t-stat are yall running? When i bought this car a few months ago the radiator was a mess, i changed it and the t-stat to the 165. My 95 silverado "bought new" and changed tstat to 160 after a few days and has never had a problem. every thing is clean like new on that truck, 145,000 miles. Maybe 210 is too hot for dexcool?

[David8399]

I work at Turan-Foley Chevrolet and i will tell you the dexcool is crap. Everyone i work with will tell you the samething. but i am happy they put it in there all those broken parts feed the kids.

[V6Bob]

"I wonder why its slugging up for some of us? "

My guess (it's only a guess) is that Dexcool is really sensitive to contamination. Maybe, if the system stays perfectly clean and only distilled water is ever added, it works. But if it gets even a little contaminated....

5 years, 35K miles for me and no sludge.

[ December 15, 2005, 11:12 AM: Message edited by: V6Bob ]