Dexcool sludge...

[imapoboy2]

I noticed a sludge starting to build up in the coolant tank of my '01 GA GT. I looked online at information on Dexcool coolant. Many people are having problems with it and I even found where there has been a class action lawsuit initiated over it. When I flush the radiator, can I put regular ethylene glycol coolant in or do I need to put Dexcool back in? Also, is Dexcool as bad as some believe it to be?

Po 'Boy

[nice96gt]

There have been many attempted class action lawsuits but nothing has actually happend with them. As for the dexcool vs green coolant, either will do. The green stuff now a days is better quality than say back 10 years ago. There really hasn't been any real proof that dexcool is bad so you could just put that back in if you want. Personally I have been in your shoes and I put the green stuff in instead of dexcool, and it didn't make any difference.

[rixGAphx]

All of the ethylene glycol manufacturers, whether 'conventional' (green) or 'extended life' (orange, like DexCool brand), allow mixing of up to 10% of one with 90% of the other.
They all caution that mixing reduces the life (from 'extended' to 50k miles 'conventional').

WTF good is 'extended life' 100k coolant, when the GA blows a water pump or radiator or head gasket every 40k miles and dumps the coolant on the roadway??? :banghead:

I use 'Sierra' enviro-friendlier polypropylene glycol, so at least when something breaks I'm not poisoning the local dogs and fishes.

Good luck.
-Rick