So im replacing my radiator hoses pretty soon and the cap too. I was wondering if since dex-cool builds up black gunk in the radiator would it be possible that if i flush out the radiator system that i could use regular antifreeze or is it mandatory that i need to use dex-cool?

 

Generally speaking, if you flush it out, use green when you put it back in. Don't use All Make though if you can help it, it doesn't perform quite as well as the old stuff.

 

I would put dex back in. It truthfully isn't bad stuff as long as you don't let it get low, and that you don't actually wait 5+ years to service your cooling system.

 

my vote is on green just make sure you flush the system very well before using green. dex-cool some say its good and some say it is not, when i tore my engine down and seen all the sludge i will never use it again IMO.

 

You can use whatever you want in the car, if you do switch coolants make sure you flush it thoroughly, if you use the green with dexcool it will sludge up. I have dexcool in mine, as long as you maintain it, it shouldn't be an issue. But don't wait 5 years or 150K to do so.

 

The only reason why they make it seem like dex-cool (orange) is bad for your engine is because of the plastic intake gaskets that GM used that get mangled after time from the corrosiveness of dex-cool. Honestly, if you havent had those gaskets replaced yet I would definately consider replacing them with the revised aluminum gaskets along with the upper gasket before you do a coolant flush on the car. You dont want those coolant passages on the gaskets to swell up and cause a coolant leak into the cylinders or worse, have coolant mix with the engine oil. But ya, like a couple of the guys here wrote don't wait more than 5 years to replace the antifreeze. Would also switch out those coolant elbows that go into the tensioner to the aluminum style ones along with a new thermostat for proper maintanence. Only do this if you plan on keeping the car for a few years.

 

i agree with tech87, my car has 100k and the intake gasket is leaking and the throttle body, its a 01, so its all getting replaced, and i will continue to use dex because im not gonna let it get to the point of that again like the previous owners

 

Thats real pride right there ladies and gentlemen