Dex Cool Problem....

[30thAnnGAGT]

I find it funny that GM says there is no problem and that dex-cool isn't a problem.....This was posted on another website by one of the members.

I recieved a call today from a employee who works with class action suits. She asked me many questions regarding the Dex Cool product. When it failed in my car, how much it was to get fixed, etc. She asked me to fax over the bill for it. I told her about the Grand Am Clubs that I belong to and She told me to have them call her and explain the event, and to also fax over the info.

Ask for, Emilia Fednan
Phone number = (866) 981 - 4800

[Themeneea]

i have had it in 2 cars, and no problems. just becuase theres a law suit doesnt mean anything.

[mikem220153]

What Themeneea said. :agree:

121,000 miles of Dex cool.

[Neckro211]

176,000 miles with dex cool. Still rockin on:cool:

[30thAnnGAGT]

Perhaps it's been more of a problem on the 3400's. I've known literally about 100 people that have had gasket problems. I would advise that everyone check theirs for leaks.

This has not been the 1st time a lawyer has contacted an owner about this problem. 2 others that I know of have been contacted by different agencies.



Just trying to help out the community. :roll2:

[Red99GAGT]

Originally posted by 30thAnnGAGT
Perhaps it's been more of a problem on the 3400's. I've known literally about 100 people that have had gasket problems. I would advise that everyone check theirs for leaks.

This has not been the 1st time a lawyer has contacted an owner about this problem. 2 others that I know of have been contacted by different agencies.



Just trying to help out the community. :roll2:

Hey man I appreciate what your doing. What specefic area should the leak be coming from? I have a very slow leak of coolant/oil coming from the LIM gasket. Almost about that time to change it. I already changed my water pump at 50K. Had all kinds of gunk in there, the same stuff you see when you pop off your coolant reservoir cap.

[30thAnnGAGT]

The water pump usually is the 1st thing to go. You'll find the leak 99% of the time coming from where the lower intake meets the head, on either the left or right side of the front of the motor.

I'll post pics in the morning to show you exactly where to look.

Every once in awhile you'll see it from the upper, but the lower is the main area. If you see oil or coolant from that area, you know the gasket has failed.

Unfortunately this has become quite the common problem

[mikem220153]

Hey man I appreciate what your doing. What specefic area should the leak be coming from? I have a very slow leak of coolant/oil coming from the LIM gasket. Almost about that time to change it. I already changed my water pump at 50K. Had all kinds of gunk in there, the same stuff you see when you pop off your coolant reservoir cap.

If you have an external leak from the LIM, your riding on borrowed time. I have seen most external leaks come from the areas under the throttle body and the power steering pump. I did see a couple leak from the area where the LIM mates with the end of he head. In any case, like I said if it is leaking, get it fixed asap.

[93GASE3300]

Dexcool doesnt really cause any problems it just poor craftsmanship from the factory. I work on Cadillacs for a living and we have been having problems with water pump covers. For some reason the aluminum in the cover decides to warp and eventually they leak. Is it improper torque from the factory or just poor quality in parts? I dont know all I know is the intake manifold is common probrably for the same reason it is for the cadillacs and some day maybe someone will tell us whats going on but I highly doubt that dexcool has anything to do with it

[HondaHater]

I have a 94 GT with a 3100 V6 in it. I put dex cool in it when i changed my radiator about 12K miles ago. Not a problem yet...in fact my car runs cooler with it.

About the leak.......the leak where the head meets the manifold has been a problem on the 2.8L, 3.1L, 3100, and 3400 V6s since 1982 when the 2.8L was introduced in the Citation....Ewwww what a bad car..lol. Anyway...the problem is GM uses plastic head gaskets and that leak has formed on all my cars that have had one of those engines...I'm on the 4th engine from that family (3 cavaliers with 2.8L and my 3100 GA) now and it leaks as well. Not a problem....haven't seen a drop missing from my coolant or my oil....it's very very very slow. I'm sure it can get bigger for other people...but thats the problem...a plastic gasket. GM does not have a replacement part for this and still installs the plastic gasket in the 3400. Go figure..lol

Autozone, Napa, or whatever part store you have will have the updated gasket...a rubber one.

[Themeneea]

The water pump usually is the 1st thing to go. You'll find the leak 99% of the time coming from where the lower intake meets the head, on either the left or right side of the front of the motor

i thought the problem that the lawsuit was about was the coolant, not the gasket. it seems like if a lawsiut was to happen, it should be about the gasket and not the coolant. It would probly be easier to prove a bad gasket then bad coolant.

[30thAnnGAGT]

I stand corrected. This comes from one of the designers of the 3400. (Straight from the horses mouth)



Adam,

I recieved your letter on 9-9-03 about the "Dexcool issue" that you have described.

The issue at hand has been of concern to us at GM. We do know of the gasket problems that owners of 99+ Grand Am equipped with the 3400 have faced. The issue of the gasket failure has not indeed to be found to be the fault of Dexcool. However, it has been found that due to leaking gaskets, which have been redesigned and engineered for the 03 model year, Dexcool does cause problems when mixing with oil in the engine itself.
Dexcool, because of containted properties, in the engine, mixing with the oil, will harm main bearings, and may indeed lead to premature engine failure.

My advice to you and your club is that 3400 owners do indeed check their gaskets to ensure non-leakage, and if leakage is found, that the vehicle be serviced by a GM autorized technician as soon as possible.

If I can be of any more assistance to you in this matter, please contact me at the following e-mail address.

-Name and E-Mail address witheld for security purposes

[HondaHater]

What about everyone else since 1982 that has had the same problem???

[mikem220153]

Well considering the lower intake gaskets are the same between the 2.8, 3.1, 3100, and 3400, I would say the gentleman from GM was trying to sidestep the fact that this has been an ongoing problem for all these years.

Imagine the implication for General Motors if they or one of thier representitives was to admit that these gaskets were faulty for the last 21 years!!! It would open them up for leagal action that could cost them millions of dollars.

As for his reference to Dex Cool mixing with the engine oil and causing damage to the main bearing; this is true anytime you expose the main bearings to any kind of contaminant!! That includes the green coolant.

[Themeneea]

i thought that GM made a new gasket that fixed to problem a few months ago?

[mikem220153]

Actually, I think it was Fel Pro that came out with the new gasket. In the letter 30thAnnGAGT got from the GM rep he said it was redesigned for the 03 model year, which meant GM would have to have started producing it in 2002 or earlier.

[HondaHater]

I agree with mike...that's what I was trying to say in my previous posts on this topic.....What about the rest of us??? I think GM should recall the cars with problems...I don't care if it cost them millions of dollars.

Also yes felpro is the gasket i was talking about that you can get at autozone.

[DangerMouse]

Had my LIM gasket go out at 36k...

*sigh*

I've never owned a bigger POS than this car. Even my '82 Escort was more reliable and less expensive to keep running.

[rixGAphx]

1. My water pump went out at about 35k, was replaced at the local Firestone service center under extended warranty. I knew nothing about Dex Cool at the time, just added distilled water when topping up previously.

2. I knew nothing about this LIM leaking issue when I sent my GA in to Pontiac for some other damned thing.
The mechanic said the Intake Manifold Gasket was leaking, and need to be replaced under the extended warranty.
I naively said, "Okay, do it.
"Why is it under my extended warranty and not on GM's nickel? Sounds like a pretty fucl<ed engine design to me."
The mechanic gave me a dirty look.

3. All of GM's claims and reasons for Dex Cool are crap, IMO.
What good is a 100k antifreeze when the WP quits (and leaks all) at 35k, the LIM gasket leaks at 50k, and the radiator tank bulges and splits at 75k?

Now I use Prestone environmentally-friendly stuff (propylene glycol). No problems.

[gagt98driver]

Originally posted by mikem220153
If you have an external leak from the LIM, your riding on borrowed time.

I'd rather have an external leak than an internal LIM leak. At least with the external its simply "leaking out" as opposed to leaking into the oil and causing all sorts of wonderful lubrication problems.

[mikem220153]

gagt98driver wrote:

I'd rather have an external leak than an internal LIM leak. At least with the external its simply "leaking out" as opposed to leaking into the oil and causing all sorts of wonderful lubrication problems.

From my experience, If you have an external leak, you will get an internal leak. When the internal leak happens, the possibility of significant engine damage is very high.