Dex-cool and my 02 wrangler

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DontBlink

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I just bought a 2002 wrangler X(93,000 miles) a couple weeks ago from a chevrolet dealership about an hour away. i checked the jeep over good and everything seemed clean and fresh fluids.

Then i ran across an antifreeze thread(and this is when i started to stress myself out). i seen my 02 jeep took special antifreeze,then im thinking how clean my antifreeze looked and remembering i got it from a chevrolet dealer that would mean they had "dex-cool" on stock, which i heard and read all the horror stories about that stuff.

So after some searching trying to figured out what i got in my jeep(the dealership wasnt any help) im still stumped since the factory jeep antifreeze is close to the same color.

Im unsure what i should do with my antifreeze if it is dex-cool, flush it and hope new jeep antifreeze dont gel when mixed with the old stuff? leave it in and if its dex-cool wait till it eats gaskets away? like i said earlier i stress myself out with "whats gonna happen to my jeep next" scenarios.

heres some pictures of what the coolant looks like.

IMG_2637.jpg


IMG_2638.jpg


IMG_2639.jpg


IMG_2640.jpg


Thanks
Eric
 
Just thinking about used car lot psychology here. I really doubt a used car lot would bother to change the coolant on any vehicle they take on trade. The most they would do is an oil change, and to correct any obvious and glaring problems with the vehicle.

That being said, unless they are hiding something, I doubt if they changed the coolant, and if anything it was the previous owner.

There are pink coolants on the market that change color when they are spent. They are the normal ethylene glycol variety despite the color. I wouldn't really worry about it. The color looks good and it was probably changed within 20-30k miles. In looking at your reservoir, it doesn't look like dex-cool because judging from my truck, dex-cool is more orange. It could be dex-clone though.
 
By the way, I have 500k km's worth of experience with Dex-cool, including on a 5.7L vortec (known intake manifold leaker). No problems.
 
The vehicle should have had in in G-05 in it from the factory which is orange, or close to the same color as Dex-Cool. The color in your pics looks redish-pink. Other of your pics look more orange.

Given that G-05 and Dex-Cool look very similar it could be either. But I agree that unless the old coolant looked really bad the dealer would not change the coolant.

But Dex-Cool requires an airtight system, down to no leaks, good radiator cap and the overflow container must be non vented (or air will get in). So even if Dex-Cool worked flawlessly in GM cars (it doesn't), it might not in other cars with a vented overflow.

I have not seen test strips that will tell what AF is in the radiator (but they would seem a good idea to invent).

You can either assume its G-05 and carry on, or flush it very well (assume it was Dex-Cool) and go back to G-05.

I have a 2001 Jeep and my AF is green so I think someone converted the G-05 to the old green stuff.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald


But Dex-Cool requires an airtight system, down to no leaks, good radiator cap and the overflow container must be non vented (or air will get in). So even if Dex-Cool worked flawlessly in GM cars (it doesn't), it might not in other cars with a vented overflow.



I don't buy this.
There is no such cooling system as non-vented.

Quite a number of vehicles use pressurised expansion tanks, which means that the tank cap is a pressure cap and there will be about a litre of air in the bottle at any given time for expansion and these vehicles come with Texaco Long Life (OAT) from the factory.
I've never heard of a coolant issue with these vehicles and I own one, (250,000km) with another on OAT for the last five years too with a 'conventional' cap and recovery tank. (150,000km)
 
Thanks Rick! I think you just solved all the dexcool-related problems experienced by THOUSANDS of GM owners over the past decade or so. We can just ignore the big brown gobs of sludge, and they'll go away... seeings how we've apparently just imagined them.

Maybe if GM ignores the Dexcool class-action lawsuit, it'll go away, too.
 
Originally Posted By: onion
Thanks Rick! I think you just solved all the dexcool-related problems experienced by THOUSANDS of GM owners over the past decade or so. We can just ignore the big brown gobs of sludge, and they'll go away... seeings how we've apparently just imagined them.

Maybe if GM ignores the Dexcool class-action lawsuit, it'll go away, too.


I'm questioning the 'wisdom' on this board that says air reacts with OAT coolant.
There are literally tens of thousands of vehicles that have coolant systems with an air gap above the coolant that run carboxylate acid inhibitor from new.
It appears that the only vehicles that have problems are certain US made passenger car models from GM with dodgy gaskets, yet the conventional wisdom on here blames the coolant and air in the coolant ??

Cummins, DD MTU, Isuzu, MB Trucks, International and CAT approve or use Caltex/Texaco Long Life coolant from new.
Has anyone heard of large scale OTR trucks having wholesale cooling system failures thanks to OAT coolant ?
 
So lets say the intake gaskets were craap to begin with and the DexCool did not cause the gasket failure, but the gaskets just failed on their own. Once the gaskets failed air was let in and sludge began to form. Also some cases where a bad radiator cap let in air. But there are too many reported cases of Dex-Cool sludge to assume they were all from a neglect of proper maint.

The net in my mind (after warranty concerns) is that there are two other coolants (G-05 and Peak Global) that cost the same (roughly) and do just as good a job, and can be found pretty easily (NAPA for G-05 and Walmart for Peak Global) that I see no need to risk using Dex-Cool or a Dex-Clone (Prestone all makes/models).
 
Can anyone point to an article or a test that says Dex-Cool does something better than a G-05. Other than a warranty. If not, why risk it.

Sure there are thousands of people who have no problems with Dex-Cool and maintain their cooling system properly. But if one slacks off then there is the chance that sludge will start to build. That same risk does not exist with a G-05.

Also when a system is filled with Dex-Cool sludge its VERY difficult to remove if not impossible. Nothing like cleaning up a neglected old green antifreeze system which is not difficult with a simple flush.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: tdi-rick






Has anyone heard of large scale OTR trucks having wholesale cooling system failures thanks to OAT coolant ?

Yes.


references ?
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Can anyone point to an article or a test that says Dex-Cool does something better than a G-05. Other than a warranty. If not, why risk it.

Sure there are thousands of people who have no problems with Dex-Cool and maintain their cooling system properly. But if one slacks off then there is the chance that sludge will start to build. That same risk does not exist with a G-05.

Also when a system is filled with Dex-Cool sludge its VERY difficult to remove if not impossible. Nothing like cleaning up a neglected old green antifreeze system which is not difficult with a simple flush.


Tried sourcing G-05 here a few years back from a major Valvoline and Cummins parts supplier and it was akin to trying to extract teeth. They really had no idea of what I was talking about. The other coolant you mention is unheard of in these parts.
Chrysler is nothing more than a blip on the local radar, and most nearly all off the shelf long life coolants here are OAT based.

AFAIK Holden (GM's outpost in Oz) have only been using OAT coolant for the last four years and again, I haven't heard of the sludge issues here, not that really means anything.
 
Originally Posted By: tdi-rick
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: tdi-rick






Has anyone heard of large scale OTR trucks having wholesale cooling system failures thanks to OAT coolant ?

Yes.


references ?
Just what I've seen at the Radiator shop I work at.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: tdi-rick

I'm questioning the 'wisdom' on this board that says air reacts with OAT coolant.


It's one of a few theories. I've be searching websites to see if anyone has attempted an chemical explanation of what it is in DexCool that would cause it to react to air like that.

You mention OAT antifreeze being used in trucks without issues. It may come down to how similar these are to DexCool. Of course, Prestone is a Dex clone or very similar, and it's one of the most widely used antifreeze.
 
Originally Posted By: PeteTheFarmer
Originally Posted By: tdi-rick

I'm questioning the 'wisdom' on this board that says air reacts with OAT coolant.


It's one of a few theories. I've be searching websites to see if anyone has attempted an chemical explanation of what it is in DexCool that would cause it to react to air like that.

You mention OAT antifreeze being used in trucks without issues. It may come down to how similar these are to DexCool. Of course, Prestone is a Dex clone or very similar, and it's one of the most widely used antifreeze.


I think people would agree that Dex-Cool and air are bad, but unsure if air effects all OAT antifreezes.
 
Toyota and Honda's HOAT coolants are subjected to open systems with no issues - Honda hasn't even heard of a pressurized surge tank, while the few Toyota "closed" systems only exist in the Lexus lineup and the inverter cooling systems in the Prius and the Camry/Highlander/Lexus hybrids.
 
I'm not too keen on my GM knowlege, but I'm assuming the Vortec 8100/454 is an all-iron design with an "open" surge tank.
 
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