Should I use dex-cool for an aluminum radiator? I looked at the instructions on the dex-cool and it says to use this with the GM engines that have an aluminum block. I was wondering if using dex-cool would be better than the green stuff. What is everyone else using with their aluminum radiator?

 

NO! Dex-cool was originally created as a long-life coolantfor engines with aluminum parts (heads, blocks, etc), but over time GM figured out that it really doesn't work; the long-term aluminum protection simply isn't there. They're in the process of phasing it out for something that actually does work.

I'd use standard Prestone with some Water Wetter, and change coolant every 2 years at least.

 

wow, strange. I have been using the dex-cool with my Buick for years and didn't really notice anything different other than it looks like it always has rust in it because of the dex-cool color - maybe that is the GM strategy, you wouldn't know if it had rust or not

 

Yeah, it's nice like that. I wouldn't go to the trouble of trying to flush out a dex-cool system and convert to standard ethylene glycol (mixing the two is BAD - creates a sandy substance that clogs everything up), but I wouldn't trust it to anywhere near 100k miles.

 

The best thing for aluminum in engines is the proper mix of water and a/f(or water wetter, basically does what the a/f does). Just use distilled water, preferably deionized. It prevents the aluminum from corroding, especially where there are dissimilar metals such as aluminum heads on an iron block etc.

 

you couldnt pay me enough money to use dexcool in anything, ive seen cars and trucks come into the shop with only 40 or 50,000 miles and you take the radiator cap off and the antifreeze is a mud brown color!, the stuff is blocking up heater cores severely corroding radiators so bad if you try to flush the cooling system they leak like a sive afterwards, i even had some where the antifreeze was so bad it actually ate away the impeller blades on the water pump causing overheating problems. this stuff is junk!

 

I am with "67mustang302" on this. The other elements in water can cause a problem. Maybe best to buy a premix.

 

I wouldn't use dexcool myself either. And not just cuz it's orange.

 

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