My truck is in the dealer shop right know getting my injectors replaced under warrenty, and they say that my water pump is out and quote me at $950 to replace it. I called around and found it cheaper at $615. My question is "Whith over 129000 miles on my truck should I keep using orange coolent or swichth to the cheaper green stuff? How bad would it be to mix both together? Would it hurt anything? thanks for any input.:D

stay with the dex cool you don't want the green stuff in there

why is that?

I call BS. I flushed the Death Cool out of my truck as soon as I got it. You don't want to mix the two, but I won't run the Death Cool.

Moving to Maintinence...

I will not run the green stuff ever, no problems with Dex cool, 5 trucks with combined milage of almost 900k miles, water pumps changed at 140k at the earliest and 185k at the latest....Dex Cool iw what the manufacture says to run so I do run it....btw never mix the two, it will cause major leaks

I think the orange is better but you just need to change it more often than the 5 year 100,000 miles. It seems to turn to acid after about 3 years and starts eating up gaskets. Hoses and other parts seem to last forever if the orange stuff is changed regular. If it is recommended for your vehicle use it, but the 5 yr 100,000 miles is BS.

Either will work, the orange is probably better since it's the latest technology. However, don't mix them they are not compatible. If there is any doubt about being able to get all the green out, just continue with the green, it'll work fine.

Stick with Dex and distilled water. It's superior to the green stuff and has caused no issues in the Dmax. I usually drain and replace every 2 years or 50K and spin on a new coolant filter. It stays as clean and clear as orange kool aid.

DO NOT MIX DEXCOOL WITH GREEN COOLANT! It cost us over $1,000 to replace the oiler cooler assembly, which was eaten away by the mixture. Stick with dexcool, and/or distilled water.

Stick with Dex and distilled water. It's superior to the green stuff and has caused no issues in the Dmax. I usually drain and replace every 2 years or 50K and spin on a new coolant filter. It stays as clean and clear as orange kool aid.

Coolant filter? Where is that?

Coolant filter? Where is that?


Wherever you decide to mount it, mines in the area where the 2nd alternator would be. Do a search, the instructions are here on the DP.

Is Dex-cool generally available or only from a GM dealer?

Wherever you decide to mount it, mines in the area where the 2nd alternator would be. Do a search, the instructions are here on the DP.

Oh, another mod. My wife will kill me.

Is Dex-cool generally available or only from a GM dealer?

Dex-cool compatible coolants all over the place. I think Havoline makes it for GM. So If you use that brand, you're probably stock though all the majors make a compatible coolant. As to wether one is better than the other I don't know, but I doubt it.

I would only use Dexcool with Dexcool, the "all types" coolant IMHO are not fully compatible. Every place that sells auto suplies will have "Dexcool" coolant.

I dont understand all the hating on here about the green coolant ?
Dexcool has shown itself as incapable of the extended usage that GM originally bragged about. Just because GM put it in as factory fill doesnt mean its the greatest thing since sliced bread. GM expected to make a fortune off of their new special coolant and it turned out to be a bomb because it doesnt last as long as it was claimed to, just ask anyone with an older 4.3 V6 or a mid 90's 350 that had to put intake or head gaskets on. Properly maintained, a green coolant will stay servicable just as long as Dexcool.

I would only use Dexcool with Dexcool, the "all types" coolant IMHO are not fully compatible. Every place that sells auto suplies will have "Dexcool" coolant.

I dont understand all the hating on here about the green coolant ?
Dexcool has shown itself as incapable of the extended usage that GM originally bragged about. Just because GM put it in as factory fill doesnt mean its the greatest thing since sliced bread. GM expected to make a fortune off of their new special coolant and it turned out to be a bomb because it doesnt last as long as it was claimed to, just ask anyone with an older 4.3 V6 or a mid 90's 350 that had to put intake or head gaskets on. Properly maintained, a green coolant will stay servicable just as long as Dexcool.


WTF? GM didn't make this stuff, Texaco does. They may make money if you go to the dealer to buy it, but who does that? The problems with the 4.3 and other engines rear intake gasket was not the coolant. There were numerous reports of other problems with the 4.3 including heater cores plugging up and engines overheating. All of those turned out to be radiator cap issues, not coolent issues.

For a more indepth explanation go here: http://www.imcool.com/articles/antifreeze-coolant/dexcool-macs2001.php

I would only use Dexcool with Dexcool, the "all types" coolant IMHO are not fully compatible. Every place that sells auto suplies will have "Dexcool" coolant.

I dont understand all the hating on here about the green coolant ?
Dexcool has shown itself as incapable of the extended usage that GM originally bragged about. Just because GM put it in as factory fill doesnt mean its the greatest thing since sliced bread. GM expected to make a fortune off of their new special coolant and it turned out to be a bomb because it doesnt last as long as it was claimed to, just ask anyone with an older 4.3 V6 or a mid 90's 350 that had to put intake or head gaskets on. Properly maintained, a green coolant will stay servicable just as long as Dexcool.

If the green stuff only lasts "just as long" as the DEX, why would you switch to it? Particularly since the General specifies DEX in your truck. I don't hate the green stuff. I use it in the vehicles that require it. I use the pink stuff in my truck. Just because the magic isn't as strong as anticipated doesn't mean it's bad stuff. Whatever color it is, I don't trust it past two summers.

Two summers in our Taurus and the green stuff is brown. Two summers in our Duramax and the pink stuff comes out looking like new. Maybe there is some magic in there. Maybe changing it every two years is overkill but it's relatively cheap compared to an engine or radiator. Besides, I live to tinker.

If you take your truck in for a blown gasket or overheating or a water pump or whatever that stuff better be pink or the dealer is going to void your warranty. Reson enough for me to keep the pink.

Dexcool is licensed by GM and they were the ones that developed it. Texaco is one of the companies that pay the royalties in order to produce ans sell it. While GM didnt manufacture it I believe its still their baby.
I never heard anything about radiator caps being the culprit in the failures, everything I ever read said that the Dex was to blame. The story I picked up on was that it dropped out sooner than GM said it would and caused the failure due to its early deterioration. I believe there was a class action suit about that.
I dont think Dexcool is bad, I just dont think its any better than typical green coolant.
I characterize Dex as the mean kid on the playground, it doesnt play nice with anyone else. I would only mix Dex with Dex.

I also keep the dex in my D-max for warranty purposes. I dont know if anyone has challenged warranty claims with a truck that has been converted, I would be interested in hearing about how that went. As long as my D-max is under its 5/100,000 engine warranty I will keep Dex in it just because I dont need the grief from the dealer. I did however switch my 99 over when I got the truck a couple of years ago. As long as it stays clean I can monitor it and add balancer to keep the PH correct.

We had an 04 Taurus at work that we flushed with only 2 1/2 years and 30K miles on it and the coolant was full of rust, I was surprised at the amount of rust and the poor condition. I think maybe its because Fords rust form the inside out ?

Scott

Dexcool is licensed by GM and they were the ones that developed it. Texaco is one of the companies that pay the royalties in order to produce ans sell it. While GM didnt manufacture it I believe its still their baby.
I never heard anything about radiator caps being the culprit in the failures, everything I ever read said that the Dex was to blame. The story I picked up on was that it dropped out sooner than GM said it would and caused the failure due to its early deterioration. I believe there was a class action suit about that.
I dont think Dexcool is bad, I just dont think its any better than typical green coolant.
I characterize Dex as the mean kid on the playground, it doesnt play nice with anyone else. I would only mix Dex with Dex.

I also keep the dex in my D-max for warranty purposes. I dont know if anyone has challenged warranty claims with a truck that has been converted, I would be interested in hearing about how that went. As long as my D-max is under its 5/100,000 engine warranty I will keep Dex in it just because I dont need the grief from the dealer. I did however switch my 99 over when I got the truck a couple of years ago. As long as it stays clean I can monitor it and add balancer to keep the PH correct.

We had an 04 Taurus at work that we flushed with only 2 1/2 years and 30K miles on it and the coolant was full of rust, I was surprised at the amount of rust and the poor condition. I think maybe its because Fords rust form the inside out ?

Scott

I can speak from personal experience. My 2000 S-10 developed crud in the bottom of the overflow tank and the radiator started leaking when the truck was 3 years old (but way past the mileage warranty). The radiator shop told me about the radiator caps. Along with replacing the radiator and flushing the system, they put on new cap. I still have the dexcool in it and haven't had any problems since.

Stick with Dex and distilled water. It's superior to the green stuff and has caused no issues in the Dmax. I usually drain and replace every 2 years or 50K and spin on a new coolant filter. It stays as clean and clear as orange kool aid.

Where did you get your coolant filter setup

Where did you get your coolant filter setup

For more info google Duramax Coolant Filter (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=duramax+coolant+filter)

Baldwin 5134 filter with a CFB5000 base ... filter also crosses to WIX .. It's plumbed as a bypass across the heater core inlet/outlet hoses using 5/8 x 3/8 tee's (available from NAPA) .. Greg Landuyt (lubricationspecialist.com) was selling a kit .. came with a bracket to mount the filter in the second alternator postion ..

Where did you get your coolant filter setup

Here's a coolant filter thread on the DMax install. It's now closed but is still has some good info. :)
The filter install is inexpensive at about $50 and money well spent IMO.

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103163&highlight=Coolant+Filter+Trash

Never had any problems with dex in any of my GM vehicles from the mid 90's to now. Tom S. is correct... the radiator caps leak and allow air into the system which then turns to goo. My 97 S-10 was fine up until the day I sold it in 2003. Had a 97 454 dually with no problems other than the damn heater nipple wihch rusted in the intake manifold. 01 2500HD- no problems. 06 2500HD0- no problems.

ONLY mix dex with distilled water, never tap water- has too many dissolved minerals that will plug up your system. Air leaks cause dex to turn to goo. As others have said, properly maintained either coolant type will perform fine.

Has anyone tried the Evans NPG cooling fluid. If so how did you go about draining the water based coolant out of the block and heater core?