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ACDelco DEX-COOL® is an ethylene glycol based fluid that provides maintenance-free protection against freezing and boiling but also against corrosion. Extended coolant life, often for the whole life of the engine or vehicle, is obtained through the use of virtually non-depleting corrosion inhibitors.
DEX-COOL is a specific type of antifreeze, found in select brands of coolants, created using organic acid technology. The manufacturers as well as General Motors have claimed that DEX-COOL can extend the service life and function of your vehicle.
Technically, you can mix coolant types, but before you go ahead and do it, let’s cover some things. … Currently, many coolant producers make solutions that aren’t Dex-Cool but are safe to mix with Dex-Cool. Make sure to read your manual and the label on the coolant that you would like to add thoroughly.
I recommend Yellow. Prestone extended life. Either 50/50 or cut it yourself with distilled. It is GM certified as a DEX Cool replacement and can be mixed with Dex Cool (don’t mix it outright, drain it, just that what does not drain out it’s ok when it intermixes).
Prestone® Dex-Cool® Premixed LongLife® Antifreeze/ Coolant has been approved by General Motors under their DEX-COOL® specifications and is compatible with other DEX-COOL® approved coolants.
The Colors of Coolant
What color is Dex-Cool®?” It’s true, coolant liquid comes in different colors, most commonly green (orange for Dex-Cool®). Each color is a unique formula that should not be mixed. The below chart will help you decipher which fluid is in your vehicle.
If you want to change over to the traditional coolant from Dexcool (I would, I’ve gotten to see some of the damage it’s done on fairly new vehicles) then you need to flush the system. How I’ve seen shops do this is to start the car up and let the engine run a bit to build the coolant pressure.
In the 1990s, GM introduced an engine coolant called Dexcool. It’s supposed to last 5 years or 150,000 miles, but there have been problems with this coolant. Cooling systems that use Dexcool exhibit more acid buildup and rust in the system when the coolant level gets low and oxygen is allowed to enter the system.
Dex-Cool uses a combination of organic acids as its corrosion inhibitors (OAT – Organic Acid Technology). GM believes that it provides better corrosion protection than regular green coolant for cooling system composed of different metals (primarily iron, aluminum, and brass), and provides a longer 5-year service life.
Dex-Cool is a specially formulated GM coolant which will not mix with traditional coolants, and was used in various GM applications up through the 2004 model year. Mixture of alternate chemicals will void the GM endorsement, will degrade coolant integrity, and possibly damage the coolant system of your GM vehicle.
The truth is, color is not a reliable predictor for what type of coolant you have. For example, OAT coolants are usually orange, yellow, red or purple. … Then the older IAT coolant is green. Coolants that manufacturers sell can confuse matters even more, like Honda’s blue coolant.
It’s perfectly backwards compatible if you want to do that. But you really don’t want to mix them, it’s not that good of an idea to mix them. If you want to have the correct coolant added for you, consider YourMechanic. They will be able to come to your home or office to perform this service.
The term “Universal Coolant” seems like a contradiction because of all the different antifreeze requirements we just described. Even so, universal coolants are formulated to mix with virtually any coolant. The makers of these product say their antifreeze can be safely used in any year, make or model of vehicle.
additionally, dex-cool is not a diesel coolant, whereas green, with the proper additive package, can be made into such. another option if you are completely flushing is to possibly try the Zerex G05, it is rated for diesel engines, and is long life.
Some people believe that they can mix the two. This is a mistake and can lead to expensive repairs. The two coolants should never be mixed together as they do not react well. When mixed together they can form a thick, jelly-like substance that can completely stop all coolant flow which can lead to overheating.
Dex-Cool® is an OAT, an ethylene glycol based antifreeze that is nitrite-, borate-, phosphate-, nitrate-, amine-, and silicate-free with the same metal wear protection as an IAT antifreeze. Dex-Cool® is trademarked by GM. HOAT (Hybrid Organic Acid Technology) Mixture of OAT and IAT antifreeze.
The new Ford coolant is OAT and is not compatible with DEXCOOL. You cannot go by the color of coolant anymore an have to use only the one that meets the specifications of your vehicle. Using the incorrect coolant can damage cooling system components and cause engine components damage or overheating.
Phosphated HOAT coolant is usually recommended for use in vehicles manufactured in Asia, such as KIA, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota vehicles. Due to heat transfer issues, Asian car manufacturers require the use of this type of coolant.
I’ve had good luck flushing dex sludge from heater cores using vinegar. I generally flush most of the crap out and then soak the core with 100% vinegar for a few hours/over night and then flush with water some more. I repeat until it runs fairly clean.
For years the DexCool coolant used in GM Engines ate the Intake Manifold Gasket. It caused a 100% failure rate in gaskets used in the 3.1 and 3.4 V6 engines. They later changed the gasket to a newer part number, but were on the hook for 10,000 intake gasket replacements.
GM still uses Dex-Cool coolant and there is no longer a problem with gasket coolant interaction. So contrary to the ranting, DexCool IS the recommended coolant for GM engine.
Dex-Cool is now used in almost 40 million vehicles sold by GM since 1996. … On its website, the company now also warns owners to consult their vehicle “owner’s manual for the type of coolant right for your vehicle” and never “mix one type of coolant with the other.”
While the manufacturers of these coolants recommend only using them in an aluminum radiator, as opposed to the copper/brass radiators, we still don’t recommend them in our all-aluminum radiators. … We recommend the traditional yellow/green coolant because it has always worked for us.
There is green antifreeze and orange antifreeze. … These days you can actually get yellow antifreeze, blue antifreeze, pink antifreeze and more. The fact is, mixing these liquids is not safe.
Well, you use the coolant that is specified in your owner’s manual. If you just need to top it up, the recommendation is still the same, however it is unlikely to cause any serious problems if you add a litre of a different type of coolant, as long as you follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule.
Water by itself can’t do the job of antifreeze due to its lack of boiling and freezing point range and its inability to protect your vehicle’s engine. Plus, it doesn’t absorb heat as effectively. In the case of an absolute emergency, you can use water in your coolant rank.
A faulty radiator cap, coolant additives and stop leak products, mixing a different coolant into Dex-Cool, running low on coolant or using Dex-Cool in an engine not approved for its use can all cause oxidation and corrosion that forms as a sludge.
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