Green or GO-5 instead of Dex Cool >?

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crazyoildude

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I want to change the dex cool (sludged up real bad) out of a 2004 blazer with the 4.3 i will probably use the prestone flush and then fill it with either green or GO-5 instead of the dex-cool blazer has 200,000 miles what is everyones opinion?
It also has stop leak in it because last owner thought that would be a good idea because of a slight leak i will flush it and put anything except dex cool in and put the gm tablet stop leak just in case
 
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agree. G05 seems to be the closest thing to a universal coolant. (not literally) you should know all about IM gaskets, right? oh, keep the stop leak out - even the GM tabs. IMHO
 
Since you haven't relaced the gasket yet, I slightly prefer Green in this situation. It's probably slightly more easier on the silicon intake gasket. I think after you get the gaskets replaced and sealed up G-05 would be a good choice. Either Green or G-05 would be good.
 
yup - I know GM used to (maybe still does) put the tablets in. I have nothing against them - just the personal challenge of trying to seal up an engine without them. and yes, more people go from dex-cool to green.
 
IM gaskets - if not leaking now, then very soon. Fix the LIM gaskets first or you will have new coolant leaking into engine and have to do it again.

Funny, some people here swear that GM has fixed the Dexcool problems, but you have a 2004 with sludge?

Hmmm......
 
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Originally Posted By: Zedhed
IM gaskets - if not leaking now, then very soon. Fix the LIM gaskets first or you will have new coolant leaking into engine and have to do it again.

Funny, some people here swear that GM has fixed the Dexcool problems, but you have a 2004 with sludge?

Hmmm......


I'm no coolant expert but I've seen multiple people with cars who claim Dex-cool "sludged" things when in fact it was the Stop Leak tablets "sludging" it up, not the Dexcool.
 
Originally Posted By: cchase
Originally Posted By: Zedhed
IM gaskets - if not leaking now, then very soon. Fix the LIM gaskets first or you will have new coolant leaking into engine and have to do it again.

Funny, some people here swear that GM has fixed the Dexcool problems, but you have a 2004 with sludge?

Hmmm......


I'm no coolant expert but I've seen multiple people with cars who claim Dex-cool "sludged" things when in fact it was the Stop Leak tablets "sludging" it up, not the Dexcool.


Then why would you need "stop-leak" tablets if Dexccol is not a problem?

And how were YOU able to determine it was "stop-leak" tablets and not Dexcool? -- you got a gas chromatograph to analyze the chemical structure of the coolant in your garage?

Look, Dexcool has been shown conclusively to attack head gaskets and IM gaskets. Do you really think the problem has been fixed?

Knowing GM? I doubt it....
 
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GM puts Stop Leak tablets in a new car.

I know what Stop Leak tablets dissolved on the side of a radiator overflow looks like and feels like. That is how I determine it to be Stop Leak. Also, when the coolant itself still looks good, it's unlikely that there is random "sludge" in the overflow.

I have not personally (knock on wood) ever had an issue with Dexcool on my or familys vehicles. That's in 12 years of use.
 
Dexcool works very well if the following is met: The reservoir is the pressurized type and no air gets into the cooling system and the gaskets are compatible. Dexcool mostly only had promblems with vehicles that had poor gasket design and a cap on the radiator. So it was as much the gaskets and the radiator cap design as the Dexcool.

GM does not use stop leak pellets anymore, but if you have an IMG leak they might help slow it some. The only real fix is to replace the gasket.

I think GM fixed the remaining problem engines somewhere around ~'06. But if I had an older model with the cap on the radiator I probably would not run Dexcool even if I replaced the IMG.


Dexcool is probably slightly more aggresive with certain plastic gaskets than G-05 and Green especially. Plastic gaskets just plain suck for sealing coolant long term IMO. With the right gasket material and a pressurized reservoir Dexcool is fine. I think though you would need a very late model GM or certain models for that to be the case though.
 
mechanicx, do you know what year they stopped putting the Stop Leak in with new cars? I know my 2006 GTO had them in it but my fathers 2006 GMC 2500HD did not.

So far our vehicles over the past 12 years that use Dexcool have a combined 200k on them with no Dexcool problems (knock on wood). Two LSx based engines (LS2 and LQ9), a 3.1 V6 and a 3.8 V6. The 3.1 and 3.8 both have (and had) over 80k with no problems so far. We also had a 1993 Lumina with the 3.4 DOHC V6 that we converted to Dexcool with no problems.
 
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I'm not exactly sure when GM stopped using stop leak tablets. They were talking about stop using them at the factory as early as 2000, but I'm not sure when it happened. It depends on the model. They used them up until recently at dealers and still use them, but I want to say somewhere around ~07 they stopped adding them at the factory.

Sounds like you had really good luck with Dexcool. One thing is different brands of Dexcool have a slightly different formula. It seems the Prestone dexclone sludges more with air than Havoline does.
 
Hi

As I recall, 2000 m/y was the last for the tabs. The sludge people see is usually iron oxide from air getting in. I haven't seen any of this in all alu engines.

BTW, please don't assume all green is the same. Its just a dye and it can either be a conventional silicated formula or a OAT clone.
 
Originally Posted By: lght1
Hi

As I recall, 2000 m/y was the last for the tabs. The sludge people see is usually iron oxide from air getting in. I haven't seen any of this in all alu engines.


2000 definitely wasn't the last year for the Malibu or GTO as I have seen pieces of the tabs in a 2002 Malibu and my 2006 GTO.
 
Originally Posted By: lght1
Hi

As I recall, 2000 m/y was the last for the tabs. The sludge people see is usually iron oxide from air getting in. I haven't seen any of this in all alu engines.



It seems that Dexcool does better in engines with "dry" IMs and aluminum blocks, but it will still turn to sludge if there are any air leaks in the cooling system.

There is a trifecta for curing Sludecool:

1. No air leaks in cooling system.
2. Gaskets must be made of metal and designed for Dexcool
3. IMs should not have coolant circulating in them.

If all 3 conditions are met, then Dexcool could be a good coolant.
 
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