Jim Grant's Tech Tips
'96 Chevy Silverado, Intake Manifold Leak
Q:
The intake manifold gasket failed in my '96 Chevy Silverado. What caused
the leak? Was it the incompatibility of the Dex-Cool anti-freeze and the
gasket or mixing the red Dex-Cool antifreeze with normal green antifreeze?
- John Bradley
A:
First, you should never
mix the GM type red/orange colored antifreeze Dex-Cool with the green
anti-freeze that most people are familiar with. The green anti-freeze
will cause the red/orange Dex-Cool to degrade and not perform as designed.
Now there are some concerns that you should be aware of. We have found
that Dex-Cool, which is rated for 5 years or 100k miles, is not always
making it to the 5 yr. or 100k mark. This coolant can go bad and when
it does it gets real nasty and creates a pile of problems. I guess what
I'm saying is do not be lolled in to believing that service is not required.
Regular testing and inspection of the cooling system with Dex-Cool is
a must. As we all know, what works great in the lab often has contrasting
results in the real world.
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