Never use Dex Cool!

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Check your radiator cap. Lots of this slime stuff occurs when there's air intrusion into the system. It seems as though some coolants are more sensitive than others.

Prestone EL All Makes/Models seems to be an OK coolant. My Saturn has a bad cap, and even with the bad cap, the coolant looks OK after about 4 months and I don't seem any slime, but that nasty smell is starting to develop again.

You should give PEAK Global Lifetime a try, perhaps. Supposedly its a NON 2-EH formula with an enhanced additive pack to make it a fill-for-life coolant.
 
I don't recall the Prestone bottle saying it was "All Makes / Models", just that it was a 5 year extended life (5 year / 150k miles). Perhaps it is the same thing but I don't have a bottle next to me.

Both degas caps are as tight as it can be. The Ford degas system is sealed very well.
 
Sure, mine "seems" tight as well, but I know it isn't.

Was it a silver or yellow jug Prestone? Silver jug is DexCool, yellow is subject to debate.
 
There's a tight gasket seal for the Ford degas bottle caps. The only time it shouldn't be "tight" is when the thermostat valve opens to relieve excessive pressure.

I only buy the Prestone in the yellow jugs. This is "New Prestone® Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant is compatible with ANY antifreeze/ coolant – regardless of color – for use in ALL makes and models of cars and light duty trucks. This patented formula provides a high degree of performance durability and carefully balanced protection against temperature extremes and rust corrosion of all cooling system metals, including aluminum. "

I heard rumors that Ford does NOT recommend this for their vehicles... I only heard about this months after I did the switch.
 
quote:
Originally posted by metroplex:
The 81 T-bird has 5-year SuperTech "green", and I suppose that is also a DexCool clone?
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That's right - made for WalMart by Honeywell, Prestone's corporate parent. Apparently just dyed a different color - but that's also subject to debate. I'm running the same stuff in my Sonata. I'm just over three weeks away from two years with it in my car. The factory silicate fill had begun turning cloudy three months shy of two years, so I got it out and did five or six distilled water flushes before refilling with the SuperTech 5/150 dexclone. I've kept a close watch, but no problems so far - and that included a trip to Las Vegas from San Bernardino in 110 degree heat a month ago. My temp gauge needle never budged on a ten mile march out of Baker to 4,000+'. The A/C was on "high" the whole time and the cruise control was set to 70 mph.
 
Is there any reason I have to pay extra for the Prestone 5-year EL if the SuperTech 5-year is the same thing or close to it?
 
quote:
Originally posted by MarkC:
My 96 Jeep has had Dex-Cool or, more often, the Prestone version for 10 years, no problem of any kind. None.
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Still original pump so far, no weeping, no leaking, no deposits. Everything cool. Knock on wood. about 125,700 miles today.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Drew99GT:
Shelby, what are you going to do when you can't even purchase silicated green coolent anymore?
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After I push the cochroaches aside since only them and I will be around after the blast, I will do exactly what I do now. I put 16oz of RMI25 and distilled water. I don't need anti freeze because I live in no cal, and RMI25 will ensure my system doesn't rust. Of course in my Chevy's I'm stuck with Dex until the warranty expires, but after that I will do the same RMI25/distilled-water set up I do in my other cars.
 
If I told you that VW's G-12 and G-12+ are extremely similar to DexCool, and there've been no issues with it for years now, does that change anything?

Perhaps you should consider using Ford's G-05 product, which is a "hybrid" long-life coolant with no known problems, to calm your fears.
wink.gif
 
Really...First I've heard of that with G05. Was that from the factory, or was it your fill?

My new Hyundai had that from the factory (new 2005, bought it this past Feb. 2006). Not G-05, but thick green stuff, when I drained it a week after I picked it up, the silicate had slimed outta solution, and the puke tank had a water line of slime.

Rinsed it out several times with distilled and replaced with approx. 60/40 G-05 and distilled. Wonderful now, but can you imagine what happens to the poor slobs (as opposed to SLOB) that run the factory swill for the recommended 60K and beyond?

RayH's theory was that they probably used crappy water in the Korean factory, and also that in Feb 2006, with a Dec. 2004 date of manufacture, it was pretty old to begin with, even at new delivery, for a car to sit around waiting to be picked out..

I didn't think there was enough silicate to come out of solution in G-05. Any chance it was changed at the dealer to something else? I thought factory fill from Ford has been G-05 with a MotorCraft label for quite awhile? I could be thinking Chrysler, too, they use G-05.

Whatcha running in it now, Metro?
 
Any of our cars that came with Dex Cool stay on Dex Cool but I change them every 2 years.

I really do not like or trust Dex Cool.

I think Dex Cool can cause serious problems if there is a tiny air leak. I've seen Dex Cool fail and I lost a few motors quickly before I realized that Dex Cool and Redline Water Wetter didn't work well together in our Subarus and Acuras.


Nearly every other car gets switched to G-05 or stays with the factory coolant.
 
In my experience with my personal vehicles, Dex-cool works very well in providing corrosion protection, BUT, my vehicles that use it have many many times more cooling system leaks than my green coolant cars! Barrs leak to the rescue. BTW, I ONLY USE DISTILLED WATER IN COOLING SYSTEMS, mixed with whatever coolant I am using. And that includes flushing.

[ August 17, 2006, 08:50 PM: Message edited by: another Todd ]
 
If you care about your car,and if you are on this board I assume that you do care,just change your coolant every year,d.i.y flush and fill ain't that hard. End of story to dex-cool or not to dex-cool, if you are too cheap to buy quality coolant, then get a Yugo,unbelievable.
 
quote:
Originally posted by abimanyu:
If you care about your car,and if you are on this board I assume that you do care,just change your coolant every year,d.i.y flush and fill ain't that hard. End of story to dex-cool or not to dex-cool, if you are too cheap to buy quality coolant, then get a Yugo,unbelievable.
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That's the same wisdom that perpetuates 3,000 mile oil changes.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Shelby:
I'm glad you all are having no issues with your own cars, but did you even click the links or do you just not care?
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I guess I just don't care. I have had it in a lot of cars, some of them rather expensive, and have never had a problem with it. I'll take DexCool over the green junk anyday.
 
Yeah, but some hick in east Possum Trot used a dexclone with very hard well water in a rusted '49 Ford flathead V8 over four years and when the upper radiator hose cracked open, the resulting damage was obviously the dexclone's fault.
 
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