DEXCOOl or GREEN

Pull the thermostat, reinstall the housing without a thermostat(temporarily), disconnect the upper radiator hose, stick a garden hose in the radiator, start the Jimmy, turn on the water to keep up with what's running out the radiator hose(have a couple 5gal buckets to catch the dex-cool, let it run for a while to flush out the system thoroughly, turn off the hose and truck, pull the lower hose to drain most of the system, reinstall both hoses, install new thermostat(and gasket), poor in straight green anti-freeze with engine running till you get a 50/50 mix...have a nice day!

FYI...I have heard talk that the makers of Dex-Cool and all other 'red' anti freeze are facing a law suit for blown head gaskets directly related to the 'red'. Also, everyone that I know that has gone green has noticed a drop in top running temp AND an increase in heater output during the cold months. I have experienced exactly that, personally!

Hmm, sounds like a good idea to switch to green than considering this truck has 91k on it now, maybe that would save the head gaskets.

then again the more heat output would be nice with two kids

This truck has got a leak, and I havent had the time to stop and look at it, all I know is it never overheats, but I do see small amounts onthe driveway after its sat all night. I'm thinking the canister has a crack in the bottom, it dont leak when its running so I guess when you shut it off what little bit gets pushed back up leaks out.

That would be the expected result of flushing the system, whichever color you use.

Dave

The Reason they got low and air in the system is BECAUSE they it has Started eating the GASKETS and leaking Slowly..

Anothe GM ploy to make u think u are in the WRONG .. it can only get low if there is a LEAK !!

No one has any

I was running green in a clean fresh flushed system and went to red hearing all the BS about how great it was...went back to green and would never keep it in any vehicle I am in charge of. So your theory that its because I flushed red form the system and it got better no matter what I put in is wrong.

If you like red then run it...I am just speaking from what I know and from what I discuss with people that are in the know. If you like red, great. You don't need to be verbally aggressive to someone with a different opinion(though I know I have been from time to time myself).

Also, everyone that I know that has gone green has noticed a drop

So, I suppose "everyone that I know" went through the same process you did. Green in a freshly flushed engine to red and back to green. Kind of stretches your credibility, don't ya think? Unless you can provide some proof that green transfers heat better than red, in a noticeable way, I'll just take your story for what it's worth.

Dave

Stretches my credibility in what way? Are you saying you know everyone in this newsgroup except me, so you believe everything everyone in the newsgroup says except me? Everyone in this newsgroup and all others has to be taken on their word and on faith that the speak the truth.

There shouldn't be. At least I've never seen it. I think that's a convenient excuse. On the s/t trucks with the 4.3 engine, the problem was with the radiator cap. It's been re-designed.

Ian

one with no problems. The

times in the past 13 years

few degrees off the 1/4

the water pump in it last

Has the red stuff been available for 13 years? I thought it had a late-90s debut.

Good point. Only been available since like 95 I think

Available in Saturn vehicles, the rest of GM didn't start using it corporate wide until (IIRC) 1996

Ok my mistake of the originality of the 'red'. I didn't buy the truck new but I do know the original owner and I have the maintenance records for everything tho. He never mentioned anything about the fluid changeover just that it was done regularly

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I'd definitely do a visual inspection ASAP.

Naturally, just because one sees coolant on the groud every morning doesn't neccesarily mean the dreaded "Intake Gasket Issue".

Plastic recovery tanks aren't exactly bulletproof, and the connections on them are somewhat wimpy also. On my '97 Tahoe, all the hose at the bottom of the Recovery Tank had was a cheap plastic squeeze clamp on it, and I had to once replace it with a Stainless Clamp, as I was dripping from the underside of the Tank.

There's usually a brass tube that goes inside the plastic tube on the bottom of these tanks. It prevents the plastic tube from being crushed when tightening down on the clamp. Make sure it goes back in its rightful place. Mark