7 years ago I replaced my Shell low-silicate antifreeze with Havoline DexCool. I knew that silicates, phosphates, and boron were deleterious to water pump bearing seals. Since OAT coolants don't have any, I thought I would give it a try. I contacted the head of coolant research for Texaco in Houston and she told me I should have no problems, as long as I thoroughly flushed all of the old coolant out. I did that and then ran distilled water through the system, including the heating core, to make sure I purged all of it. When I proactively replaced the timing belt and water pump at 90,000 miles, I was amazed that the water pump looked brand new. I change it every 3 years with a 50/50 mixture of DexCool and distilled water. I make sure to keep the overflow tank filled slightly over the fill line, as instructed. I have had no problems and never had such a corrosion-free cooling system.
'93 Civic and Dexcool
- Thread starter TxGreaseMonkey
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JHZR2
Staff member
I think that the real dexcool issues were in engines where the radiator cap was placed diagonally, and in engines that were of older designs that werent set up right for it (like my GM 4.3, though I still use it). There are plenty of engines that run 100% and it lasts fine. Its not bad stuff just because GM made it, as some would make it out to be.
Glad you had a good experience!
JMH
Glad you had a good experience!
JMH
I've used the Havoline stuff, and more recently the Prestone version since 1997 in my 1996 Cherokee and have had no probelms with gaskets, seals, cleanliness or anything else.
GM made some lousey gaskets.
Ford had problems with plastic intake manifolds on 4.6 engines that would split and leak badly. The manifold went through a few design changes before they finally made that part out of aluminum. No one is blaming "conventional green" coolant on that.
I too have been using Texaco (Havoline) Dexcool in a non GM car and have had similar results to what was first posted. I think it is superior coolant. GM's goof wasn't Dexcool, it was not properly preparing for it and being slow to respond when people started having trouble.
Big Jim, I see that you are from T.O. I spent the best years of my life in Newbury Park. You have the best climate in the world for working on cars and motorcycles. I should have never left. My son lives in Glendale.
TxGreaseMonkey, you made one fatal mistake: you did the changeover RIGHT, thereby robbing thousands of rabidly anti-DEX-COOL BITOGers the pleasure of reading yet another evil DEX-COOL "horror" story. (Shame on you!
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By the way, JHZR2, GM doesn't make antifreeze. Mr. Goodwrench DEX-COOL is merely relabled Havoline DEX-COOL with a high dealer mark-up.
By the way, JHZR2, GM doesn't make antifreeze. Mr. Goodwrench DEX-COOL is merely relabled Havoline DEX-COOL with a high dealer mark-up.
Funny I spoke to the same lady and she gave me the same advice....get every drop of the old stuff out. I even did what you did, and ran pure water for a few days and then still rinsed some more. I started with a new radiator, new hoses, new water pump, etc
Ran death cool for 5 years, changing every two years. Engine was fine but for whatever reason my copper/brass radiator just started leaking at the solder joints...many places...pin holes...
I always poo-poo the Death Cool eats solder folks....but now I dunno. I put in a new rad and regular coolant. No issues.
Ran death cool for 5 years, changing every two years. Engine was fine but for whatever reason my copper/brass radiator just started leaking at the solder joints...many places...pin holes...
I always poo-poo the Death Cool eats solder folks....but now I dunno. I put in a new rad and regular coolant. No issues.
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