The vehicle in question is a 2011 Silverado 2500 6.0 (gas).
And let me start by saying... YES.... I did a bunch of searching already and YES...I know I am going to get plenty of "just use Dexcool" responses....
But I am sorry, I can't help myself... I have to obsess over this, at least a little bit.
Having recently done a cooling system flush/maintenance/upgrade/etc to my wife's BMW and countless hours of coolant research for that project (which ultimately lead me back to BMW OEM coolant), my mind is much to overstimulated with coolant information to simply lie down and be run over by the Dexcool bus.
Here is what I find interesting....
With a little research there is vast information regarding the reasons BMW uses its specific G-48 coolant. For example moderate silicate content due to type of alloy block, phosphate free and Nitrite free, etc, etc. Mercedes also has fairly good information regarding the specific coolant (which either is or is similar to G-05) and plenty of substantiating evidence to stick with the factory formulations.
In short, I am quite impressed with both G-48 and G-05 coolants and they seem to work very well in the respective applications they are intended for. I have not read anything bad about either BMW coolant or Mercedes coolant, other than the cost and availability which drives people to search for alternatives.
And that bring us to GM and Dexcool... There are plenty of horror stories with Dexcool. Plenty of claims or ruining intake gaskets, head gaskets, brown sludge, corrosion, can't touch air, so on and so on...
AND YET, when I ask what I should run in my Silverado... I am going to get plenty of responses "just stick with Dexcool"
OK, fine.... why? Why should I use a coolant with a tarnished reputation? Tell me about the metallurgy of my heads and radiator and how Dexcool is the only formulation that can resist corrosion... Or that the specific formulation is designed to reduce cavitation around the cylinder liners like a diesel... or maybe that the cooling system is inadequate so Dexcool has super duper heat transfer technology that makes it more efficient...
Doesn't anyone think that maybe one of these other coolants is better? Or is it that since it a GM, nobody really cares?
I will tell you that my distrust for Dexcool is stemming from flushing the coolant in my diesel genset. I had put in Dexcool, since I had a couple of jugs laying around, figuring that it would probably be better than old school green. I later learned this is not true, and had been meaning to change it for a couple years, but I will say the the Prestone Dexcool bottle says good for all other vehicles (or something like that). You would not believe the sludge, rust and stuff that was growing... YES growing, in the cooling system. Really disappointing....I would have been better off with Seawater, at least I would have had a reason for jellyfish to be in there!
Clint