I am not trying to start a war. I like this forum and want to be happy while readding it.
I am just asking for Mr. Jones's theory.
I have seen a number of vehicles, most have been s10 and s15 for some reason. Customers would complain thatthe heater was not working. The problem would be the rust colored sludge plugging the heater core. When asked the customer did nothing nor had previous problems with the cooling system and the fluid levels would be at normal levels. Also these vehicles would have between 50 and 80 thousand miles. And I have used Dex-Cool with no prob. I like it cause its RED!
What do you think the problem could have been? I would just like to know so if I come across this again I might be able to help remedy it.
Now I am not knocking egineers
Egineers are not flawless. If they were we might have the perfect automobile. The technichians and weekend mechanics see more of what happens than an engineer could. Thats why they have to take data, feed back and coments so they can improve. This happens every where. Every thing we have started in one area and has improved. If it was perfect to start why would it need improvment.

 

The following article is sure to interest everyone. The bottom line is that this usually happens when the vehicle has been operated for an extended period of time with low coolant levels, usually in excess of 20,000 miles. One item often overlooked is the radiator pressure cap which if it isn't functioning properly, can allow coolant into the reservoir when hot but not draw coolant back into the radiator when the engine cools down. If this happens we have a low coolant level in the engine with unprotected metal surfaces. The air in the system and unprotected metal sets up a rusting condition and it can be severe. GM has a technical bulletin to address this and it is 99-06-02-012D. Just because the coolant change interval is extended does not negate routine inspections and verification that all vehicle systems are working properly. These are the facts but your opinion may vary!

Check this out. http://www.imcool.com/articles/antif...l-macs2001.htm

 

I have not read the article yet but I will.
What you say could be very much true. But it seems to be only happening to vehicles with dex-cool. I have not seen this prior to the dex cool use or in any vehicle not using dex cool. So is it the dex cool or a problem with GM's cooling systems?

 

I read the article and as I posted the vehicles I saw it in most and thier suspected vehicles. It is human nature for a company to stand behind thier product. It happens all the time. But I have yet to see a vehicle come back after I replaced the dex with another coolant. And I used dex in my 84 Camaro with no problem. Lets just say the problem with the dex is in the vehicle. If you replace the coolant and things go fine with it afterwards then the problem must be with the dex cool. Not that dex cool is bad but the use of it in some vehicles.
As for blaming contamanents, I have opened some cooling systems and seen stuff that looks like poo poo in them. But they did not suffer from the problem related with the dex cooled vehicles.

 

Every body is talking about it but I have actually been experiencing the problem. I bought the dexcool for my 3.4L V6 thinking that it would be better for it and I was wrong. It does not take even 1,000 miles for the dexcool to turn to sludge. I had to buy a prestone flush kit and run it for at least an hour. It still doesn't seem ok. I now have a intake manifold gasket leak and water comes from the cowl above the hood, drops down and gets into my engine if I don't remember to put a piece of plexi over the engine while it sits. I had to also replace my plugs. I am not sue happy but I do believe I deserve compensation since their product caused all the problems.

 

I have experienced it working in a shop but have never found it to damage intake gaskets, plugs or the cause of water coming from above the hood. You might have a hard time proving dexcool caused all that. But if you do, let us know.

 

i bought some of that dex-cool stuff but, i could'nt figure out if i was suppose to mix it in my oil or drain the oil out and replace it with the dex-cool. so i drained all the oil out and poured the gallon in. my car ran fine for about five minutes and now the damn thing won't run at all. LMAO. sick

 

i'm gonna punch someone at the dealership... right in the face.

i took that crap out of my car a few years ago, and they insisted i put it back in.

now what?

dammit![:@]

 

yeah I was about to post a topic asking if someone has an idea what this could be.. but I've got a problem.. I've got some brownish red crap in my fluid, and it looks like peices of silicon.. and a leak somewhere! i have to top it off every couple of days, it starts running at 210°+ after a couple days. Does this sound related to Dex-Cool?

 

There's to many sides, to many papers written and to many "unkown's" to either condemn or praise Dex-Cool.

I only do know that in my personal experience working on cars every day for the last 16 some years that I have never seen a vehicle line with more cooling issues than GM.

Now, the 3100/3400. **** poor intake gasket design that has been super-seded more times then I can remember. Once they are swapped I've seen them run beyond 200K with no issues.

Blazer/S-10PU 4.3L intake problems. They shouldn't have eliminated a few bolts, nor should they have made them so lightly torqued.

Full size Chevy Trucks. 5.7liter from 96 til 00. Another **** poor engineering idea of eliminating the two center bolts on the intake. Taking the total from 12 to 8 to hold it down. Dumb. Intake literally warps and presses the edges out leaking coolant outside the engine if your lucky, and inside if your not. Heater Cores. I've seen problems if people don't flush the system regularly. And big problems if they've allowed contamination to the system.

Buick 3800 in FWD config. **** poor intake design with the EGR passage to close to the coolant, melts, fills the motor with coolant and hydro-locks it and empty's your wallet for heads if your really lucky, most likely a new long block.

All said and done, is it Dex-Cool's fault? I don't know, hard to say when so many other lines from GM have zero cooling issues. My TrailBlazer just clipped 100K and it hasn't had any issues. My 95 little Blazer, 176K and a water pump and radiator. Common failures on all vehicles after extended use and miles. Personally, I think it's a combo of a radical cooling idea (100K between flushes is to much), less then perfect engineering, and less than regular maintenance on the customers part. Put all those together and you've got trouble.

I do know that for me, whenever I see one of GM's problem childs that have a issue I flush the entire system and refill it with Peak Global. If the customer requests it to be refilled with green. No problem, I am happy to oblidge, I haven't had issues with transfering it to green if the customer understands that a different maintenance program needs to be followed.