Dexcool vs All Vehicles

A

altaylar

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Title says it all.
I recently started another thread inquiring the best dexcool product, but I figured perhaps one of those "all vehicles" products would be a better choice?

There are a couple more threads on this, but I could not find a definitive answer, so here we are. In case relevant, the I am looking to change the coolant both on a Hummer with Vortec 6000 (2003), and 1.5lt tubro engine (2023) both spesificying Dexcool
 
altaylar said:
Title says it all.
I recently started another thread inquiring the best dexcool product, but I figured perhaps one of those "all vehicles" products would be a better choice?

There are a couple more threads on this, but I could not find a definitive answer, so here we are. In case relevant, the I am looking to change the coolant both on a Hummer with Vortec 6000 (2003), and 1.5lt tubro engine (2023) both spesificying Dexcool
Click to expand...
I dumped the dexcool in my cavalier as it was leaking. I flushed the system and went with an all makes and models coolant. What do you have with a 1.5 turbo? It's so new I'd leave the dexcool in. If the hummer isn't leaking I'd just keep using dexcool.
 
Nothing wrong with dexcool. I’ve run it even in vehicles that were factory specified for it, but the engines not initially intended/designed, for the last 25 years without any bad effects. UOA allowed me to early capture a leaking LIM gasket though, so that was repaired…

That said, if you trust in 2-EHA, an option might be Prestone North American orange, since that is, to my understanding, a 2-EH variant that uses the latest cor-guard. Or at least that was my understanding when I looked at it a few years ago…

Peak also makes a North American orange that might be good. May push the chemistry a bit beyond mid-90s, I don’t know if that’s the case, but that again has 2-EHA.

If you’re looking for an orange oat without 2-EHA, I’m not sure if there’s one out there…. But the 6.0 and other engines should be designed to run it with no ill effects…. So why not just use dexcool?
 
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Dexcool and Prestone All Vehicles both contain 2-EHA. I’ve been using Dexcool on my 3/4 Suburban with a 6.0 for 17 years , changing every 5 years. It still has the original radiator, water pump and heater core. For my 20 year old Ford Taurus I use Prestone 10 year All Vehicles but didn’t own the car from new. Original rad and heater core.

Dexcool is advertised as a 5 year coolant. The new GM owners manuals say to change Dexcool at 6 years. The Prestone All Vehicles is advertised as a 10 year coolant. You can change at an interval you are comfortable with. By the way, I will use Dexcool and Prestone Dexcool interchangeably. It’s easier for me to pick up Prestone Dexcool.

Why not decide like this. If you have a GM vehicle, run Dexcool. If you have any of the other vehicles and you are OK with 2-EHA, run Prestone All Vehicles. 😀
 
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Multiple GM vehicles on DexCool taken over 200k miles with no cooling system issues, IE pumps, radiators. Only issues were those notorious high mileage leaks on the quick connectors GM uses. Had 2 3.1 V6 with the bad intake manifold gaskets leaking into the oil but that was a gasket issue on those early '00 motors not the coolant even though the DexCool got the blame not the gasket material. No further issues with updated gaskets and Dexcool in them with big mileage.
 
97prizm said:
I dumped the dexcool in my cavalier as it was leaking. I flushed the system and went with an all makes and models coolant. What do you have with a 1.5 turbo? It's so new I'd leave the dexcool in. If the hummer isn't leaking I'd just keep using dexcool.
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It the Equinox engine. It is a 2 year old vehicle with only 4k Miles, but i did not like the way its fluid look, its almost like small metallic dusts were floating on top.
 
The Prestone version of Dexcool is now approved for 10 years. Here is the premixed version I picked up by accident. I’ll be taking it back for concentrate. Notice the 10 year use recommendation.

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I've used Prestone Platinum AMAM (Cor Guard) across multiple vehicles. Honda (×2), Jeep (×1), FIAT (×1) and VW (×1). I just top up as needed, no drain and fill. Systems stay clean and pristine. I am rather vigilant about keeping them topped up right to the max fill line at all times. Modern cooling systems seem to work best by keeping the return tank full and air out of the system.
 
All my gm and Toyota vehicles in the past , when it was time, I replaced the stock coolant w all makes all models only because the concentrate was less expensive than OEM. All vehicle had zero coolant issues.
 
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I've been using cheap house brand all makes all models since 2007 and not one single issue. Top off, drain and fill or full flush...doesn't matter, it works just fine in any scenario.
 
Snagglefoot said:
Dexcool is advertised as a 5 year coolant. The new GM owners manuals say to change Dexcool at 6 years. The Prestone All Vehicles is advertised as a 10 year coolant. You can change at an interval you are comfortable with. By the way, I will use Dexcool and Prestone Dexcool interchangeably. It’s easier for me to pick up Prestone Dexcool.
Click to expand...
I'm wondering about these 'recommendations'. Most AMAM coolants like Supertech still claim 5 years/150K miles. As Snagglefoot shows in post # 11, Prestone now claims 10 years/ 500km (approx. 360K miles) for their Dexcool. Prestone claims 15 years/ 500K miles for it's 'Platinum' and MAX coolant, Peak claims 15+ years/500K miles for their 'Titanium' and lifetime for their PGL both of which use Denatonium Benzoate rather than 2-EHA. I'm wondering why coolants that use virtually the same chemistry can have such differing recommendations?

I agree that in a well designed system you could change coolant at "an interval you are comfortable with" and never have any issues. My comfort range is about every 4 years which I'm even doing using PGL in my Focus.
 
I was told that the Dexcool and antifreeze Stellantis uses in their vehicles like Jeep and Ram are interchangeable and basically the same thing now days. I know where I work, they use Dexcool in Ram pickups!
 
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altaylar said:
I recently started another thread inquiring the best dexcool product, but I figured perhaps one of those "all vehicles" products would be a better choice?
Click to expand...

They are usually the same. Meaning the "All Vehicles" and Dexcool are OAT type (or maybe P-OAT??), something like that. use either one with confidence.
 
Dexcool is a trademark. Not sure if “All Vehicles” is trade marked. In the case of Dexcool vs Prestone All Vehicles, the commonality is the presence of a small amount of the corrosion inhibitor 2EHA and the majority being ethylene glycol.

I suppose the All Vehicles name can also be used other makers using other chemicals but Dexcool and Prestone All Vehicles use 2EHA.
 
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