How to Mix Dexcool With Regular Antifreeze
by Sameca Pandova
Do not mix Dex-Cool with regular anti-freeze! Dex-Cool is a specially formulated GM coolant which will not mix with traditional coolants, and was used in various GM applications up through the 2004 model year. Mixture of alternate chemicals will void the GM endorsement, will degrade coolant integrity, and possibly damage the coolant system of your GM vehicle. Dex-Cool has been formulated to be orange in order to help visually distinguish it from traditional green colored coolant. Mixing green coolant will reduce the effectiveness of Dex-Cool from 5 years/150,000 miles down to only 2 years/30,000 miles.
Step 1
Purchase Dex-Cool to top off your coolant. There are several private companies that sell Dex-Cool including Shell and Prestone. When evaluating a coolant make sure it meets GM's Dex-Cool GM6277M specifications, which should be clearly stated on the bottle. You can obtain the appropriate coolant at an automotive parts supply store. If in doubt, ask a store employee to help you locate the correct coolant.
Step 2
Use a coolant exchanger to replace your Dex-Cool coolant. GM recommends coolant exchangers as the proper method to exchange the old Dex-Cool coolant in your GM vehicle with fresh coolant. Most automotive repair shops will be able to handle this service for you, and handle disposal of the old coolant.
Step 3
Take your vehicle to a shop and have the coolant drained immediately if you have mixed in other coolants. Non-Dex-Cool coolants will cause Dex-Cool to gel and become sludge, which will lead to a variety of engine problems. GM recommends any vehicle which has experienced mixing be immediately flushed twice to assure all contaminated coolant has been removed from the system.
References
Writer Bio
Based near Chicago, Sameca Pandova has been writing since 1995 and now contributes to various websites. He is an attorney with experience in health care, family and criminal prosecution issues. Pandova holds a Master of Laws in health law from Loyola University Chicago, a Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science from Case Western.
