Propylene Glycol as Anti Freeze ?? Mindless rave...

2002 Monte Carlo LS 3400 engine Dexcool 44,000 miles. Out of warranty

I'm nearing the 5 year anniversary of Dexcool and the dealer recommends doing a Flush and Fill. I've noticed a little sludge buildup (more like a waxy silicone sludge) in the radiator neck where the coolent doesn't reach... there have not been any coolent leaks or loss of coolent in the car.

Several options here ....

The dealer will flush and fill the system for $ 225.00 He wants to continue using Dexcool.

Another shop will completely flush and refill the system with the green stuff...ethylene glycol. Cost will be about $200.00

Looking on the web, I found propylene glycol, which is biodegradeable. I'm thinking about draining and flushing the system myself and using this

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Particularly noteable is the part where if a intake or head gasket leaks, damage to the engine might not be immediate.....and because the 3400 engine is prone to intake manifold leaks..... would this is an advantage ?? (not that I would run the engine with water in the oil, but this is a known problem area.).

I like the fact that propylene glycol is much more environmentally friendly than either Dexcool or Ethylene Glycol.

Any good advice here ???

Thanks !!

Peter

Reply to
Peter
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Yep.. sure have some advice.

Learn another word other than DEALERSHIP:'

Talk about 'hump and dump'

Propylene glycol is environmentally friendly, nontoxic, and biodegradable.

It is only slightly poorer as an antifreeze than ethylene glycol. SLIGHTLY.

The important components are the additive packages.

DexCool is arguably not the best formulation on the market.

If you want to know more, ask

Reply to
hls

engine with

Called the 800 number and found some information.....

Product is only available through special order...this is not something stocked by your everyday auto shop.

! gal of Propylene Glycol Anti Freeze $25.00

1 bottle of anti freeze Additive $ 8.93.

2 ounces of additive must be added every 6 months. My impression is that the anti freeze does not require periodic replacement.

There is more information on their old website....

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Reply to
Peter

If the product was free, increased you gas mileage by 300%, and made women lust for you, it would still not work as long as you have to put in the additive every 6 months. Probably 98% of owners would forget, not care, spill or drink the additive, but NOT get it into the radiator.

Randomly ask a few people when was the last time they changed: wiper blades, air filter, fuel filter. Probably the last time they added anything to the radiator.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Propylene glycol is not non-toxic. It is, however, less toxic than ethylene glycol.

Reply to
Hairy

Good plan! Lack of cooling system maintenance is the #1 cause of engine failure. Prestone has a Flush&Fill kit, less than $10, and it is a simple installation. Using this kit allows the system to be back-flushed. Look into the Peak brand Global Anti-Freeze 50/50 mix. It uses both EG and PG along with a good corrosion package. As far as being enviromentally friendly or being toxic: recycle your old antifreeze! Worried about leaks.....drop in some GM cooling system sealant tabs (about $2 at any AC/Delco parts store). Doing this job yourself should cost less than $50!

Dave S(Texas)

Reply to
putt

You are correct that it is not nontoxic, but is relatively nontoxic.. Many soft drinks contain propyleneglycol, to give them a smoothness and body. You would never do that with ethyleneglycol.

Ever ethyl alcohol is not nontoxic, exactly, but most of us consider it to be that. Some Sunday mornings have caused us to re-evaluate that perception:>)

Propylene glycol costs maybe a third more than ethylene glycol. If someone is charging $25 bucks for a gallon of PG antifreeze, they are humping you.

Reply to
hls

There are at least two other brands of propylene glycol based anti-freeze on the market, both of which are widely distributed in auto parts stores and many big box stores:

Sierra

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Prestone Low Tox

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No need to mail order anti-freeze!

John

Reply to
John Horner

engine with

First of all, ethylene glycol and propylene glycol are antifreeze, but coolant is more than just antifreeze but also anti-corrosion additives to prevent the EG or PG from causing corrosion.

Second, while Dex-cool usually contains EG, I believe Texaco still makes a type containing PG instead, and they have nitrate-free versions of both as well.

I would not have much faith in the claims made by Neo because they don't sell coolant to any auto makers, and there are no independently run, independently funded tests of various coolants.

I doubt that Dex-cool caused any silicone coating because it probably contains no silicon. But it is designed to leave a waxy anti-corrosion barrier on the interior surfaces as a substitute for the silicate commonly used for this purpose.

Reply to
beerspill

The organic acid component is supposed to provide the basis for the general corrosion protection for DexCool, and as you say it is supposed to provide an anticorrosive film.

Silicate,in other technologies, is used for protection of aluminum and was not included in original DexCool.

The newer HOAT technologies are improvements, but time will tell if they are as good as the old green stuff

Reply to
hls

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