Added DEXCOOL in coolant.....now what?
 

My coolant was low so i topped it off with dexcool which I use in my wife's Jeep. Maybe half a quart or so. I stumbled upon a few threads that say that dexcool is terrible for rotaries. Is a small amount really going to matter? I 've read it is supposed to mix well with the regular stuff etc., etc. I want to know how many of you out there use this stuff.

No one i dont think, you could have just dumped water or pee in there.

I have been running Dexcool for 3 years now in two TIIs and have not seen any problems.

dexcool can only be used in vehicles that are designed for it. I heard that it can eat some aluminum etc on cars that aren't made to use it. RX-7's love the plain old prestone.

Are you all positive that dexcool is bad?

You can form your own opinions, but this is what I got...

http://fc3s-pro.com/TECH/MODS/COOL/ctype.htm




-Ted

Dexcool....the red stuff?
 

You mean the red coolant? It was originally supposed to last 5 years, 3 years longer than the green stuff. Well, in short time that stuff turns to an acid form. It eats away at aluminum, and evrything else. I have seen a couple of newer chevrolets that had heater core fittings rotted out because of this JUNK. If you spill any on you after draining a system, you will probably feel it burning your skin. The only cars I would ever use this stuff in is the people I DON'T like. These are just my experiences with this crap!

Is Water Wetter safe?

Okay here is my experience with Dexcool:

A little over a year ago I put a new(rebuilt) engine in my car and I decided to go with Dexcool for coolant. After a couple months I was working on my car and tragedy struck: an injector clip fell down one of the intake runners and I did not know it, so when I put my engine back together and started it: pop! it took out one of the side housings and one of the rotors.

I was really bummed since it was a new engine. But I sent it back to Atkins to have the engine repaired. Anyway after they tore it down they asked me about the coolant I was using because it wasnt working very well. There was already excess corosion in the water jackets. So I went back to the regular green stuff on the new rebuild.

Also I figure I would rather flush my system once a year anyway. Rather than let it go 5 years like the Dexcool stuff is supposed to last.

Dexcool was introduced and originally intended to be used in Chevy engines that were entirely cast iron OR a very SPECIFIC type of aluminum castings found in the newer GM compact and luxury cars( The 3800 V6 engine for example) DEXCOOL SHOULD NEVER EVER EVER BE USED IN A VEHICLE THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE "USE DEXCOOL ONLY " STICKER UNDER THE HOOD! In fact, Ford doesnt even use dexcool(I find this suprising) . But in response to your original question. You should flush your coolant immediately and replace with a 50/50 mixture of ethylene glycol and distilled water. I dont care how small of an amount of dexcool it was, GET IT OUT OF YOUR CAR.

i bought the new prestone coolant and i think it contains dexcool...so does that mean the stuff is gonna ruin my car? should i drain it and put the regular prestone in? im starting to panic..please let me know

Interesting comments from Prestone customer relations.Other things to note:
Instructions on the container of Dexcool recommend mixing with clean tap water,not distilled or demineralised water.Could this be a problem.
Grade 7 chemistry tells you that aluminum resists acid attack,but is dissolved by strong alkali(sodium hydroxide).That's why youalways acid bath clean aluminum components.

I use the factory mazda coolant with normal tap water and change the coolant every year.

Thanks for all the responses. I did a little more research and found that according to Havoline they have had reports on silicone or rubber components failing with extended use of Dexcool. They don't have a clear explanation for it yet since it is also ethylene glycol based. One theory was that the silicates present in regular coolants forms a protective coating on the rubber/silicone. The downside to it ofcourse is the deposits building up in the system due to the silicates. Dexcool is silicate free which could explain o-ring failure in some cases. As far as the stuff being corrosive to aluminum, it is interesting to note that Dexcool is supposed to be ideally suited for aluminum radiators.
Refering back to my original post, I am inclined to think that a half a quart of the darn thing ain't gonna hurt but I will stick to the ol' green stuff from now on.

hey but does the new prestone with dexcool screw up our cars?? i put it in yesterday after i flushed the thing, and dont wanna end up paying a load in the long run.

Fred

Mixed opinion so far. I read 3 emails about t2's dying within 20k miles and 3 others saying they have been using it for 3 years or so without problems. I say, it is not an immediate concern but when you get a chance, flush the damn thing

My nieghbour is a GM mechanic, these are his comments on DEXCOOL.
1: not very friendly when mixed with dissimilar metals
2: Likes to eat rubber seals
3: Its molecularly smaller than regular antifreeze/coolant, so it tends to leak alot more, especially when used in older vehicles

My own observations based on my GM Savanna with dexcool :
1: water pump seal went at 35,000 miles
2: Chronic leaks from the blockheater
3: gummed up thermostats
Every GM truck I have seen with dexcool has a leaking block heater, and coolant leaks on the intake manifold seem to be a problem..
My neighbour strongly recommend against using it in a rotary, he thinks it will do something to the water seals, or make them start to leak, he says that dexcool tends to act like a solvent in engines that previously used standard glycol, and it starts leaks... Play safe..Max