coolant question
#1
11-01-2008 | 02:24 PM
coolant question
ok so i know my rover only gets dexcool. got it. tracking. my question: what name brands do i look for when i walk into local auto parts store? what color is the fluid?
just wanna make sure im giving my rover the best stuff.
thanks guys! (and gals! - do we have any gals present here anyway?)
just wanna make sure im giving my rover the best stuff.
thanks guys! (and gals! - do we have any gals present here anyway?)
#2
11-01-2008 | 03:06 PM
#3
11-01-2008 | 03:31 PM
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 25,707
Likes: 105
From: Denver, Colorado
#4
11-01-2008 | 03:41 PM
RE: coolant question
Actually, one of the good things about apublic online forum is that people can express their feelings and personal experiance/knowledge about a particular product.
I used to sell anti-freeze. I know alittle something about it. I am not a expert but I do know that DexCool is junk. Yes it came in DII's from the factory, yes if it is already in your truck you must use it.
But my personal opinions are mine to give just like yours are yours to give.
I used to sell anti-freeze. I know alittle something about it. I am not a expert but I do know that DexCool is junk. Yes it came in DII's from the factory, yes if it is already in your truck you must use it.
But my personal opinions are mine to give just like yours are yours to give.
#7
11-01-2008 | 09:20 PM
RE: coolant question
Well here are the facts, DexCool becomes corrosive IF it is not properly maintained.
DII's came with DexCool from the factory, DII's have a unususally high head gasket failer rate.
Land Rover recommends changing the coolant every 45,000 miles or 36 months, whichever is sooner.
GM switched to DexCool (its their product) in themid '90's. Late '90's and early 2000's they had a high failer rate of intake gaskets and clogged cooling systems.
GM switched to a different gasket material and the problem went away.
GM intake gaskets would fail around 110,000-120,000 miles.
DII head gaskets go around 80,000-90,000 miles.
I sold bulk coolant to both indy shops and dealer's. Indy shops was a easy sell, one coolant that covers both gas and diesel engines, 150,000 mile warrenty for gas and 500,000 miles for diesel over the road trucks.
Dealers were a hard sell because they were required to use factory coolant.
Most of the mechanics at the dealers have their own shop at home in a pole barn behind the house.
I sold lots of coolant to these guys.
90% of the mechanics that I talked to told me that DexCool was junk and was the reason for the class action lawsuit against GM back in the late '90's. It clogged cooling systems and ate intake gaskets.
During my training (every time a new product came out we were trained to know all about it and the compeition) they explained to us about O.A.T. coolants (DexCool for one, their are others). Organic Acid Technology. Organic, it is safer for the enviroment, you get in a accident and destroy the radiator all the coolant ends up on the ground.
Acid to help prevent scale, calcium and lime build up.
Technology to combine "natural" and acid together.
Now the best way to prevent any problems is to change your coolant often, you can use DexCool, just change it every two years.
Old style green coolant can be used but is not the best for all aluminum engines, change it once a year if used in a all aluminum engine.
The "global" coolants are good for all, they are the best of both worlds, they combine the acid free of the green with the protection that a aluminum engine needs. I would still change it every two years.
I use Peak Global Lifetime 50/50 premixed and change it every two years.
You can use whatever you like, I dont like DexCool. To many stories from mechanics telling me of blown gaskets and clogged cooling systems on DexCool equiped cars and trucks. These stories were mostly from GM dealer mechanics.
You are actually supposed to check the PH balance of DexCool once a year reguardless of miles. PH is off, change it.
I also sold it to quick lubes because our coolant was safe for all cars and trucks, for topping off and flush and fill. It is very hard to see in the coolant resevoir because it is a light yellow color and after a complete flush and fill very hard to see, looked like water. Almost clear. Looking at the "sight glass" on a big truck or farm tractor you could not tell if it was full or not. You had to open the radiator cap, a big complaint from my customers.
Put two and two together, DII's came with DexCool, DII's blow head gaskets. What more proof do you need?
DII's came with DexCool from the factory, DII's have a unususally high head gasket failer rate.
Land Rover recommends changing the coolant every 45,000 miles or 36 months, whichever is sooner.
GM switched to DexCool (its their product) in themid '90's. Late '90's and early 2000's they had a high failer rate of intake gaskets and clogged cooling systems.
GM switched to a different gasket material and the problem went away.
GM intake gaskets would fail around 110,000-120,000 miles.
DII head gaskets go around 80,000-90,000 miles.
I sold bulk coolant to both indy shops and dealer's. Indy shops was a easy sell, one coolant that covers both gas and diesel engines, 150,000 mile warrenty for gas and 500,000 miles for diesel over the road trucks.
Dealers were a hard sell because they were required to use factory coolant.
Most of the mechanics at the dealers have their own shop at home in a pole barn behind the house.
I sold lots of coolant to these guys.
90% of the mechanics that I talked to told me that DexCool was junk and was the reason for the class action lawsuit against GM back in the late '90's. It clogged cooling systems and ate intake gaskets.
During my training (every time a new product came out we were trained to know all about it and the compeition) they explained to us about O.A.T. coolants (DexCool for one, their are others). Organic Acid Technology. Organic, it is safer for the enviroment, you get in a accident and destroy the radiator all the coolant ends up on the ground.
Acid to help prevent scale, calcium and lime build up.
Technology to combine "natural" and acid together.
Now the best way to prevent any problems is to change your coolant often, you can use DexCool, just change it every two years.
Old style green coolant can be used but is not the best for all aluminum engines, change it once a year if used in a all aluminum engine.
The "global" coolants are good for all, they are the best of both worlds, they combine the acid free of the green with the protection that a aluminum engine needs. I would still change it every two years.
I use Peak Global Lifetime 50/50 premixed and change it every two years.
You can use whatever you like, I dont like DexCool. To many stories from mechanics telling me of blown gaskets and clogged cooling systems on DexCool equiped cars and trucks. These stories were mostly from GM dealer mechanics.
You are actually supposed to check the PH balance of DexCool once a year reguardless of miles. PH is off, change it.
I also sold it to quick lubes because our coolant was safe for all cars and trucks, for topping off and flush and fill. It is very hard to see in the coolant resevoir because it is a light yellow color and after a complete flush and fill very hard to see, looked like water. Almost clear. Looking at the "sight glass" on a big truck or farm tractor you could not tell if it was full or not. You had to open the radiator cap, a big complaint from my customers.
Put two and two together, DII's came with DexCool, DII's blow head gaskets. What more proof do you need?
#8
11-01-2008 | 09:38 PM
Three Wheeling
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From:
RE: coolant question
That's what I was looking for...
In my limited time with DexCool, I haven't had any problems... I had a Caddy that took it and never had any issues... My Dad has had 2 GMC trucks that have it and no issues - and let's say he doesn't even follow the recommended service intervals, much less change his DexCool every 24 months
...
HOWEVER, I do know that the GM's had problems that some independent mechanics here attributed to the materials in the engines... Aluminum heads and cast iron blocks... They believed that the DexCool eventually broke down the heads and combined with the DexCool to form aluminum oxide - sandpaper... They believed this was the reason for the break-down of the gaskets...
I don't know either way, but any information and opinions are appreciated... I was planning on a yearly change since I add Purple Ice in the summer for towing in the hot New Mexico weather...
Jonathan
In my limited time with DexCool, I haven't had any problems... I had a Caddy that took it and never had any issues... My Dad has had 2 GMC trucks that have it and no issues - and let's say he doesn't even follow the recommended service intervals, much less change his DexCool every 24 months
...HOWEVER, I do know that the GM's had problems that some independent mechanics here attributed to the materials in the engines... Aluminum heads and cast iron blocks... They believed that the DexCool eventually broke down the heads and combined with the DexCool to form aluminum oxide - sandpaper... They believed this was the reason for the break-down of the gaskets...
I don't know either way, but any information and opinions are appreciated... I was planning on a yearly change since I add Purple Ice in the summer for towing in the hot New Mexico weather...
Jonathan
#9
11-01-2008 | 09:46 PM
Three Wheeling
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From:
RE: coolant question
Okay, so now I'm in the information gathering mode (bored on a Saturday night - I have kids, so I have no life!)
I found a website and thought this was interesting - has anyone actually tried this?
from http://www.getahelmet.com/jeeps/maint/dexcool/
As for deciding when to change your antifreeze, don't go by miles or you WILL certainly have seal and mechanical failures. One interesting spec I found is to use a multimeter. You put your negative probe to the negative post on your battery. You then place the positive probe in the neck of your radiator, making sure that the positive probe touches nothing but the antifreeze. Make sure the coolant is warm but not HOT (this is for SAFETY reasons as well as accuracy of your readings. Always be careful when opening the radiator cap on a warm engine). Your readings (regardless of negative symbol on readout) should be:
* 0.2 V to 0.5 V - antifreeze is still good
* 0.5 V to 0.7 V - antifreeze is borderline
* 0.7 V or greater - antifreeze is unacceptable.
I found a website and thought this was interesting - has anyone actually tried this?
from http://www.getahelmet.com/jeeps/maint/dexcool/
As for deciding when to change your antifreeze, don't go by miles or you WILL certainly have seal and mechanical failures. One interesting spec I found is to use a multimeter. You put your negative probe to the negative post on your battery. You then place the positive probe in the neck of your radiator, making sure that the positive probe touches nothing but the antifreeze. Make sure the coolant is warm but not HOT (this is for SAFETY reasons as well as accuracy of your readings. Always be careful when opening the radiator cap on a warm engine). Your readings (regardless of negative symbol on readout) should be:
* 0.2 V to 0.5 V - antifreeze is still good
* 0.5 V to 0.7 V - antifreeze is borderline
* 0.7 V or greater - antifreeze is unacceptable.
#10
11-01-2008 | 09:49 PM