Best Coolant For 97 5.7L?? Dexcool Is Bad??
October 16th, 2011, 9:36 PM
#1
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Best Coolant For 97 5.7L?? Dexcool Is Bad??
I am being told by many mechanics that the Dexcool is not good for gaskets or metal on the 97 Chevy/GMC 5.7L engines. Has anyone experienced this, and what did you switch to?? If you switched, do you change it more often??
Thank You.
Thank You.
October 17th, 2011, 12:00 PM
#2
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Well I have heard the same thing about it eating up plastic turkey trays and such. It came original in my 96 Lumina, I flushed it, and put regular glycol alcohol (green) back. I also have a 2000 Suburban with dex-cool in it. It was flushed, and refilled with dex-cool last year. I've had no issues with it.
October 17th, 2011, 8:06 PM
#3
the dex cool nowadays has been reformulated to be not so corrosive, so its safe to use without worrying about corrosion. also, most anti freeze companies are making a "universal" type antifreeze that is safe to mix with green or dex cool.
October 19th, 2011, 5:07 PM
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A reliable source at a GM dealership told me that DexCool is "ideal" for late-model GM vehicles - and is the only coolant ever used in my 2004 Silverado. He said that you can use either the 'green' stuff or DexCool, but that you should never mix the two.
Supposedly, they contain slightly different ingredients and one will try to 'break down' the other which can lead to problems in the cooling system.
October 25th, 2011, 11:50 AM
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Well I have heard the same thing about it eating up plastic turkey trays and such. It came original in my 96 Lumina, I flushed it, and put regular glycol alcohol (green) back. I also have a 2000 Suburban with dex-cool in it. It was flushed, and refilled with dex-cool last year. I've had no issues with it.
See comments below on mixing.....
A reliable source at a GM dealership told me that DexCool is "ideal" for late-model GM vehicles - and is the only coolant ever used in my 2004 Silverado. He said that you can use either the 'green' stuff or DexCool, but that you should never mix the two.
Supposedly, they contain slightly different ingredients and one will try to 'break down' the other which can lead to problems in the cooling system.
Supposedly, they contain slightly different ingredients and one will try to 'break down' the other which can lead to problems in the cooling system.
The difference is that the OAT coolant has rust inhibitors that last 100,000 miles or more, whereas traditional coolants have rust inhibitors that only last 50,000 miles or so. And if you mix the two types of coolant, nothing terrible is going to happen -- nothing is going to blow up or melt -- but a mixture of the two types of coolants won't have as much rust protection as either one individually.
SAE (the Society of Automotive Engineers) states that you can mix up to about 15 percent traditional coolant in your OAT coolant before you have any real effect on the corrosion inhibitors. So if, for example, you just top up your OAT coolant with a few cups of traditional stuff, nothing's going to happen. But if you go beyond that 15 percent threshold, then it makes sense to EVENTUALLY drain out the coolant and fill it up with all one or all the other.
SAE (the Society of Automotive Engineers) states that you can mix up to about 15 percent traditional coolant in your OAT coolant before you have any real effect on the corrosion inhibitors. So if, for example, you just top up your OAT coolant with a few cups of traditional stuff, nothing's going to happen. But if you go beyond that 15 percent threshold, then it makes sense to EVENTUALLY drain out the coolant and fill it up with all one or all the other.
Newer vehicles may be fine with DexCool I would have no way of knowing, nor is there any proof that my problem and others is caused by the DexCool for certain.
IMHO I would not put DexCool any anything.
October 25th, 2011, 6:41 PM
#6
dex cool certainly did get a bad rep within the first few years of being on the market. and rightly so. it was found to be corrosive on aluminum parts especially. and if you were unfortunate enough to mix ethylene glycol with it you found out how bad it really was. the federal government, mainly them boys at the EPA, all but banned dex cool, only allowing it to remain on the market with extensive reformulation and testing. basically now, dex cool is the "environmentally friendly" coolant. nowadays, it is more than safe, and becoming a more common practice, to mix green and dex cool with no issues. NOW, mixing only applies if the old formula has already been drained, and your entire system completely flushed! if this has not been done, do not mix!!!!!
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