Is Prestone Yellow jug/yellow juice Dexcool?

[Pablo]

It does say "extended life" on the jug, but I thought that was just marketing jive.

I have suceeded in being cornfused. I don't want Dexcool. If I did - I would buy it.

 

[Scimmia]

That's a subject of much debate in this forum. Most people think it's the same thing, just dyed differently, but others argue that's it not the same. I think everyone agrees, though, that's it's an OAT coolant, and silicate and phosphate free, which makes it a dex-clone in my book, whether it's the same as their licensed product or not.

 

[Pablo]

That sucks. I should have just bought Amsoil coolant rather than trying to save a buck.

 

[The Critic]

No, it's an entirely different formula. But it's still silicate/phosphate-free, which I personally prefer.

I doubt Amsoil's formulation is significantly different, anyway, as most extended-life coolants on the market today use very similar ingredients, though Amsoil uses PG instead of EG. The different "base" is really "irrelevant" as to the problems associated with DexCool, anyway.

I personally use Prestone All Makes All Models in the Saturn and it works perfectly fine. The previous fill was Prestone DexCool (red) for just over two years. The DexCool was cloudy and had a bunch of clumps in there, but I didn't install the DexCool, so I was unsure how the product was installed, which could've made all the difference in the world.

When I installed the yellow juice in the Saturn, I just drained the block and radiator, refilled with tap, ran it for 10 minutes, drained again, then refilled. To my surprise, the color has been perfect and I see no clumps of any kind in there. Only a slight strange odor that seems to be common with many coolants.

 

[Ray H]

I concur with Scimmia. Prestone yellow-jug extended life antifreeze/coolant is not an "entirely different" formula. Prestone lists the active ingredients on both its yellow-jug dexclone and its fully licensed DEX-COOL. They're identical. There may be minor unlisted differences or just the dye color, but in neither case do whatever differences that allegedly exist justify the the uncompromisingly authoritive, "entirely different" pronouncement.

 

[The Critic]

Here we go again...

The strength/type/concentrations of those ingredients may be different...

 

[The Critic]

Btw, if the two were really identical formulas, then why would Prestone tell me that I could only use Prestone All Makes All Models to top-off the coolant in a vehicle requiring Toyota Super Long Life, but either the "Universal" or "DexCool" product could be used for a complete flush/fill?

 

[Steelers]

Pablo, if you really want to save a buck keep an eye on AA weekly adds. Recently ran their brand All Makes/All Models extended life coolant for $4.44 a gallon. Otherwise, I buy Supertech at around $5.60 a gallon.

 

[Drew99GT]

How do you know Critic??? From the guy you talked to on the Prestone hotline!! Your screen name is very ironic when it comes to Prestone.

The main ingredients and corrosion protection package are essentially the same. If it wasn't, it would list it on the backs of the jugs and Ray H would be able to decipher it.

 

[Ray H]

Hey, I represent that statement!