Dex-Cool compatable Prestone

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mkIIIman089

Supramania Contributor
Mar 30, 2005
3,061
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36
Ohio
hey guys, I bought a PWR radiator and some new coolant (have not used it yet) I was about to get toyota red however, the rediculous stealership wanted 20 bucks a gallon for it! I don't have the money to spend on something so expensive that, god forbid, if something goes wrong I'll have wasted. I got the Prestone 5/150 stuff "quick fill" and it seemed to be the best buy. However, after reciently reading about it here and on SF; it can be very very bad for the system. If supposedly the system has had toyota red in it (all I can actually determine was that it was red) and I did not use the "extrended drain intervals" will it still gum the crap out of my system? Should I just return the stuff and go to the stealership to get some red?

I don't even know for sure. Is the standard toyota red coolant the concentrate you need to mix with distilled water or is it the pre-mixed stuff? Originally I had thought that it was the 50/50 pre-mix; but if all I need is the 75 cent/gallon distilled water with like 2 bottles of red, then its about the same price anyway.
 
lagged

lagged

1991 1JZ
Mar 30, 2005
2,616
0
0
38
new rochelle
my car had toyota red, i put dexcool compatible orange shit in there and had no ill effects.

ill probably keep using the dexcool stuff since its whats been run through my car already and at this point, and old coolant has probably been flushed out.
 
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mkIIIman089

Supramania Contributor
Mar 30, 2005
3,061
0
36
Ohio
I have actually already flushed out my block and head with the dex cool, before I read some people had problems with it, by funneling it down the hose on top of the head. Just if anyone was wondering.
 
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Silvasoup

New Member
May 12, 2005
143
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70
Florida
I have heard some bad things with people using Dexcool orange when you have used other coolant types and have not flushed out the old stuff very well. For this reason I decided not to switch to Dexcool. However I have been using the green stuff with distilled water because it is readilly available and inexpensive even though many don't like it. The best is still Toyota red with distilled water. As long as the system is flushed often I think you can use almost any coolant type with pretty good results. I am sure there are many out there that will disagree with this as there are differing opinions on every topic.
 
mk3forme

mk3forme

New Member
Apr 5, 2005
1,022
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Lexington KY
I agree with Silva as the most important thing to do is flush the coolant every two years or say 30,000 miles. Dont trust the high endurance stuff and hold off on the flush as I think this will cause problems down the road. Im also reading quite frequently as well that its always best to use what was already used in your car and dont mix. I guess thats kinda hard if you dont know the history of your ride, and whats in there now huh.
 
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jaydm16

New Member
May 2, 2005
76
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Hey I could be wrong be I'll try to explain this as to how i understand it.

Different coolant colors are different. Coolants lubricate and protect against corrosives as well as heat exchange. Each color is slightly different and is not recommended to be swapped around. I work for Ford and I know they DO NOT want you to mix cooants (duh) as well as swap to a different color.

I had a 240 s13 that kept over heating. So I did an old school flush of the cooling system.

REDLINE WATER WETTER IS SWEET. It slightly lowered the temps on my 240 and on my buddy's vr6 it lowered the contant operating temperature by 4 or 5 degrees (he has a digital temp gauge from the factory).
 
bgrieger

bgrieger

New Member
Mar 30, 2005
206
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52
Toronto
I ran dexcool a couple of years back and no problems. I have since swapped it all out when I put in the Koyo for Toyota red and water wetter. Only downside of water wetter is the slightly oily mess in the overflow bottle, but aside from that, it works as advertised.
 
TurboWarrior

TurboWarrior

New Member
Apr 1, 2005
763
0
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41
Canada
drjonez said:
1. dexcool sux....ever wonder why GM is phasing it out?

2. toyo red is NOT dexcool. it's merely red colored "normal" coolant.
Click to expand...

i flushed my system and im using dexcool now. I think they are phasing out dexcool because of all the warranty issues with people mixing oldschool coolant with dexcool all the time and because they are one of the only ones that require a special coolant which turns people off. but if you have some inside info lmk.
 
mrnickleye

mrnickleye

Love My Daily Driver !
Jun 8, 2005
825
0
0
Mojave Desert, Ca
Right out of MOTOR magazine, which I get each month.
Most manufacturers have their own type of coolant, so new car buyers think they have to go to the dealer to get the 'right' stuff. $$ for them. Color is added to the coolant, which is actually clear, so its not always a good indicator as to what you've got in there. Mixing types is not very good for the system, but doing a thorough flush will allow you to run any type. The major brands are making a coolant that is compatible with ALL coolants. Manufacturer warranty issues are moot.

Me recommend:

A good flush can be done by one of the machines (like at my shop), or ....at home by removing the thermostat, and lower hose from the radiator. Use a rag to help seal the garden hose, and flush from the lower hose up out of therm housing. Do the same with the radiator, bottom up. Its a good idea to flush the heater core too by removing one hose and applying the garden hose. Continue until only water comes out.

Replace thermo and cap with new ones ($20). Cut off the toggle on the thermo and open that hole up by drilling it to a 4mm hole. This will allow trapped air to escape to the radiator top.

When I did my valve job last month, my heater core gurgled for 3-4 days, then purged itself of air.

Hoses??? Hey...if it don't seem good, don't skimp, it could cost alot later.

I live in the desert, so I run a 60/40 mixture (60 Coolant). Extremes are 110* (or more) in summer, and teens* winter.
 
DEFIANT 7M

DEFIANT 7M

101MM stroke of INSANITY!
Mar 30, 2005
620
0
0
55
Nashville/Miami
Do not use Dex-Cool!! It has a very corrosive effect on aluminium. Use a coolant that is phosfate free. Ever seen aluminium turn black? For you guys saying no problem using it! You are on borrowed time, water pump failure, heater core leaks any coolant failure = BHG!!!
 
glntom

glntom

New Member
Apr 13, 2005
91
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63
Glenwood, AR
Dexcool is supposedly the culprit in all the intake gasket problems GM has had lately......the only thing with dexcool left in it here is my 2002 Z71 which is still under 100,000mile warranty. The piston slap will kill it before dexcool has a chance to.
 
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