Thick gooy coolant

[Full-Timers]

Does anyone know anything about the coolant in chevys (the pink stuff) turning to a thick goo? I had a friend tell me I should change my coolant because the stuff they put in at the factory turns to a thick goo and is a real pain to clean out when changing.

[Full-Timers]

Does anyone know anything about the coolant in chevys (the pink stuff) turning to a thick goo? I had a friend tell me I should change my coolant because the stuff they put in at the factory turns to a thick goo and is a real pain to clean out when changing.

[jfb]

Just a general comment. I ignored the coolant in my Jeep Cherokee 4.0 L for MANY years. It had a gooey crud in the radiator and it took a long time to flush out when I did pay atention. I was informed that coolants will deteriorate and break down over a period of years into a "gooey" crud....

[Loren]

Any antifreeze will deteriorate over time. The "pink stuff" is a long life product and should be changed every 5 years. Regular antifreeze should be changed every two years. When the pink antifreeze came on the market there was a lot of complaints about it gumming up; reading about it back then it seems that this was caused by two things: 1, low coolant recovery tank levels allowing air to be sucked into the cooling system; and 2, tap water being used for the 50/50 mix.
The shop manual specifically states that only distilled water should be used in the cooling system, a good idea for any type of antifreeze.
Now this has been a few years since I studied this, so don't write my words in stone I WAS wrong once
Loren

[paz]

Full-Timers, if you Google Dex-Cool, you will find links to several sites that discuss the problems with the "pink stuff." There was (is) a great deal of controversy over whether Dex-Cool is safe or not. Some say it's OK, some say it's OK if you change it every 2 years instead of every 5, and some say don't use it at all. I'm sure you'll get a lot of different opinions.

From what I recall, Loren is right about the problems being linked to air and/or contaminants in the system. There may have also been more problems with some vehicle models. I have had it in 4 different vehicles now (one had over 100k on the clock when I sold it and another had almost 80k) with no problems.

[Steady Eddie]

I have had $1800 worth of bad experience with the original Dex-cool coolant. That said, my 1998 P12 Chevy Chassis (like a W20) had really clean Dex-cool coolant. And I didn't know why. Based upon my past bad Dex-cool history, I wanted to change it out (at 50+K miles) and knowing that the P12 has an air-over-coolant surge tank (not a recovery tank) and that the original Dex-cool had an aversion to entrapped air, I wanted to keep it clean, and NOT put Dex-cool back in. I have since found out that Havoline/Texaco quietly changed the formula, so that it is not so prone to gell up. Not knowing this, I went with the yellow Prestone "multi-vehicle" coolant. Had I known of the change in formula, I would have had no issues with putting Dex-cool back in it...

[Full-Timers]

Well so far after 5 years and about 30,000 miles mine still looks good. I have always kept the level up and when needed, topped it off with distilled water so I guess I am alright for now.

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Full-Timers:
... topped it off with distilled water so I guess I am alright for now. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>When I top off my coolant, I always add a 50/50 mix of distilled water and DexCool.

DexCool is designed to be a 50/50 mixture so if you continue to add water only this could upset the chemical balance.

[YosemiteBobR]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by DriVer:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Full-Timers:
... topped it off with distilled water so I guess I am alright for now. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>When I top off my coolant, I always add a 50/50 mix of distilled water and DexCool.

DexCool is designed to be a 50/50 mixture so if you continue to add water only this could upset the chemical balance. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

On the contrary, GM Dex-cool approved Prestone comes as a full strength. It says in the instructions to add distilled water for a 50/50 or 75/25 according to the manufacture.

I fixed the 75/50 to read 75/25

[Full-Timers]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by DriVer:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Full-Timers:
... topped it off with distilled water so I guess I am alright for now. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>When I top off my coolant, I always add a 50/50 mix of distilled water and DexCool.

DexCool is designed to be a 50/50 mixture so if you continue to add water only this could upset the chemical balance. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>You are correct my friend, however I think in the 5 years I have owned my motorhome, I have had to add probably 1 cup water at the most.

[oemtech]

In all the years that I have worked on my own vehicles and turned wrenches gooey coolant is a sign of severe contamination. The only solution is to drain and flush the system.

In my opinion there is no way that I would even try to run coolant 100k in a motor home unless it was on the road on consistent basis. I change mine every 2 years. $12 for coolant is cheap.

Dex Cool has a mild acid in it... Check the MSDS or the back of the bottle. Me, I just put plain only Ethylene Glycol in my system as I have for years. No, coolant related problems.

Check my web site for how I changed my coolant in my RV 100,000 Coolant Change

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by YosemiteBobR:
On the contrary, GM Dex-cool approved Prestone comes as a full strength. It says in the instructions to add distilled water for a 50/50 or 75/25 according to the manufacture. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>YosemiteBobR, Just so that there is no confusion as regards DexCool and its use in a Workhorse cooling system, the correct mixture is 50/50.

[JC2]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by oemtech:
In all the years that I have worked on my own vehicles and turned wrenches gooey coolant is a sign of severe contamination. The only solution is to drain and flush the system.

In my opinion there is no way that I would even try to run coolant 100k in a motor home unless it was on the road on consistent basis. I change mine every 2 years. $12 for coolant is cheap.

Dex Cool has a mild acid in it... Check the MSDS or the back of the bottle. Me, I just put plain only Ethylene Glycol in my system as I have for years. No, coolant related problems.

Check my web site for how I changed my coolant in my RV 100,000 Coolant Change </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

So it would be ok to replace the Dexcool in our rig with the plain jane green stuff in a 50-50 mix?

[oemtech]

JC2,

I just put plain old Prestone in or you can use the Wal Mart brand, same stuff just cheaper.... But, becareful of what you buy. Check the chemical make on the back before you buy. Wal Mart has all of the MSDS online for the various products they sell. If it says Dex Cool approved it is the same formula as Dex Cool.

Don't but the 50/50 mix as you are paying BIG for water. Also, you will have add some as the water in the system will dilute it below the 50/50 mix.