dex-cool

Thank you for the correction Ian. Do the precipitants just remain suspended and not cause a problem or is the amount insignificant?

Regards, JR

Read the "Important" boxed note.

Also, the Service Bulletin states that you can mix them for "recycling" and goes on to "imply" that before you can reuse "waste engine coolant" in a vehicle, it must be "recycled" to include the addition of approved inhibitor packages...using approved equipment (to do perform what tasks/processes I wonder...).

Then, read again the "Important" boxed note.

Franko

That's just GM's usual CYA bullshit. Doesn't really mean anything.

Ian

Not really, the problem is the reactivity with the aluminum/castiron mixe with coolant. GM tried using Dexi with more inhibitors rather than a higher consentration of antifreeze from day one like they should of. Back when Mazda first came out with the rotary engine and its aluminum block, they reconized the problem from day one and shipped cars with a

80% antifreeze mix. I guess GM's bean counters desided that they could save a several million dollars a year on coolant costs in production if they stayed with a 50% mix ratio and tried to make Dexi do the job instead. Like I have said before with Dexi consentrations of 60% and more I have had no problems at all and my overflow and radiator tank is clean as a whistle after 6 years and it has never been changed nor do I plan to anytime soon. (it has about a 70% mix in it)

-----------------

You can't believe everything you read. You can't believe everything you hear. You can't believe everything you see. Oh dear, what's a man to do nowadays?

Oh well, mix the orange and green at your own risk. Use non-distilled water at your own risk.

Franko

for

reuse

"recycled"

Ethylene Glycol is Ethylene Glycol. The only difference is the color and a few additives and who said anything about using non-distilled or hard water roo?

-----------------

Yes, Snoman, you've already repeated this bullshit line about increased antifreeze strength a number of times. You sound like a broken record. And for your own info, the engines with cast iron blocks have far more issues with dexcool then the all aluminum engines. How do I know this? I work on them all day long, unlike you.

Ian

You are certainly welcome to listen to/believe the GM corporate line. You seem to think that "that" one bulletin is the only one that GM has ever released on Dexcool. Think again.

I don't mix orange and green coolant. There is no reason for me to do this. But.....I do run across lots of vehicles during my day that have had green added to the orange. Guess what? The sky doesn't fall, islands don't slide into the sea, and the coolant doesn't "gell"! If it's been contaminated for too long, the customer simply has to treat their dexcool cooling system as though it had the older green coolant in it. That's it, that's all. And while distilled water would be nice, GM's stance on the issue is to use "clean, drinkable water". That's it, that's all!

Ian

I've had to thoroughly clean out my brother's S-10 Blazer's cooling system which was caked, and I mean CAKED (besides overheating) because his mechanic decided to mix the green stuff (didn't say which brand) with the orange that was already in his truck (I called him and he confirmed it). Four (4) drain/wash-with-citrus-solvent/flush/back flush cycles that took me almost two (2) hours. No problems after he stayed with just the orange.

My neighbor's S-10 Sonoma was starting to cake and gel up but he had the local GoodYear service center drain/wash/flush/back flush after I told him that the green no-frills stuff he added may be the culprit. No problems after he stayed with just the orange.

No, the sky didn't fall but it was a mess both times. So, I speak from personal experiences.

My 6.5TD Tahoe has been running great with just the orange. My 6.2 Sub has been running great with just the green.

That GM bulletin came out long after white papers discussed the ups and downs of mixing green with orange without following proper recycling processes. You were right about the bulletin being a CYA. Nevertheless, the bulletin was released because of concerns raised and issues reported by people in the industry (manufacturers, suppliers and consumers).

I've learned much from your postings and replies. A bit presumptious of you, though, to think that you know what I (and others) seem to think. You should stick to the mechanical aspects of vehicles and leave psychoanalysis to people who are trained in that field because having your foot in your mouth kinda takes away from the former. Perhaps you should think a little before "speaking."

That's it, that's all!

simply

And while

the color and

non-distilled or hard

Wow....two vehicles with the engine that had the "most" problems with dexcool and "caking"....or whatever else you want to use to describe the mess that happens in these engines. This is not enough experience to be an expert on the matter and proclaim that the problem is mixing the two coolants. That's not the problem, and never was with this particular engine. There was a serious problem with the 4.3 and it's addressed in a number of bulletins that were released by GM. It's the "only" GM engine that has to be flushed out with a very nasty cleaner and neutralizer combination. Ok, there is one other vehicle, the Equinox has to have the same procedure performed, but this has to do with a horrible smell that emanates from the cooling system on these vehicles. For some reason, the water part of the coolant in these vehicles has been contaminated and "rots".

I'll make you a deal, I won't tell you what you are "thinking" and you stop drawing false conclusions from your experience with two vehicles. Sounds fair to me.

Ian

What is it about the 4.3 that wouldn't/couldn't or didn't happen to any engine? Or did GM ever say what it was? I'm very curious, plus there's a 4.3 in my Sonoma.

Those were just two of the more recent ones, as in this past July, mentioning only GMs to not complicate the topic. I can see now how you rate others by the number of oil changes they have done compared to you. You really ought to stick to just your mechanical expertise, Ian. That sounds fair, eh? Looking forward to more of your troubleshooting/problem solving tips and techniques, though -- drawn from experience, like Snoman, but diametrically opposed views. This NG was never this interesting...

Franko

Blazer's

(besides

green

after

up

green

problems

So, I

neutralizer

"thinking"

I'll delurk for this. Yes, the man is a credit to this newsgroup. After the outstanding tech. help he went out of his way to give me concerning a timing belt change on the evil 3.4 DOHC GM engine, I'm convinced he flat knows his stuff when it come to the General's engines. And I'll take his word on the coolant that circulates in them, too. Relurking.

Garrett Fulton

From

"Many engine manufacturers currently use a new product. This orange antifreeze is an extended life antifreeze that increases the useful life of engine coolant. It is ethylene glycol-based but contains a different type of corrosion inhibitor that has a much longer life than silicates, phosphates and borates. Orange antifreeze contains organic acids that protect engine parts from corrosion.

Don't mix the green, silicate-type antifreeze with orange antifreeze, Donald adds. The organic acids in orange types will cause separation of silicates in the green type, which greatly reduces corrosion protection.

Orange antifreezes are useful coolants for five years or 100,000 miles in vehicles manufactured after 1995. They can be used in older vehicles if all of the green antifreeze mixture is thoroughly flushed from the system first. Useful life is about four years or 60,000 miles in older cars."

OAT coolants should NEVER be used in a cooling system that has soldered components such as radiators and/or heater cores. The organic acids will eat the solder. HOAT coolants are safe to use since they contain a much smaller dose of organic acids.