The further adventures of #2613

[CFI]

Makes me wonder if, back at the factory, the foam was added to the box before it was installed.

I worked in the auto industry for years. If you ever wonder “how did they do this at the factory?” the answer is always “they did it before installation.

[DMCVegas]

Why Dexcool is not a Bad Coolant

Bill explains the real story about DEXCOOL

That was an awful video. On many levels.

1. Blames GM for introducing DEXCOOL into incompatible cooling systems.
2. Then blames customers for operating said failure-prone cooling systems.
3. DEXCOOL says it's good for 150,000 miles.
4. Dude then recommends replacing DEXCOOL at half of that expected service life.
5. Continues to then blame customers for being irresponsible despite following the recommended intervals.

That wasn't informative as much as it was an apologist trying to justify his failed loyalty to a defective product.

He literally blames everyone and everything else, including the manufacturer themselves, to defend DEXCOOL.

[Ron]

That was an awful video. On many levels.

1. Blames GM for introducing DEXCOOL into incompatible cooling systems.
2. Then blames customers for operating said failure-prone cooling systems.
3. DEXCOOL says it's good for 150,000 miles.
4. Dude then recommends replacing DEXCOOL at half of that expected service life.
5. Continues to then blame customers for being irresponsible despite following the recommended intervals.

That wasn't informative as much as it was an apologist trying to justify his failed loyalty to a defective product.

He literally blames everyone and everything else, including the manufacturer themselves, to defend DEXCOOL.

OOPS-
At first I was wondering why you said "that video" when there are two -- I screwed up the 2nd one's link.
I had a similar take on the 1st one.

Here's the correct link for the 2nd one (for comparison as intended):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWnOBahaK5Y

[Timeless]

That was an awful video. On many levels.

1. Blames GM for introducing DEXCOOL into incompatible cooling systems.
2. Then blames customers for operating said failure-prone cooling systems.
3. DEXCOOL says it's good for 150,000 miles.
4. Dude then recommends replacing DEXCOOL at half of that expected service life.
5. Continues to then blame customers for being irresponsible despite following the recommended intervals.

That wasn't informative as much as it was an apologist trying to justify his failed loyalty to a defective product.

He literally blames everyone and everything else, including the manufacturer themselves, to defend DEXCOOL.

F that guy. Another person trying to get clicks on YouTube.....

[bayouboy]

Ah so the OEM unit was ok. I've read they're a very low failure item and that was the case for you. I suppose I will just have to get my hands on another module to test mine.

Once I got my DeLorean running (It had not run in 4 years when I purchased it) It would die when it warmed up. When it cooled down, it would start again and repeat.

I was fortunate to have a friend who is a former television repairman (in the days when people still did that). He tested the resistance from the pickup unit inside the distributor. The resistance was 16,000 ohms when it should be about 600. I think he was able to measure the resistance inside the ECU box behind the drivers seat. I seem to remember that changing the pickup unit was tedious (not to mention that you have to remove the plenum to get to the distributor. While you're in the "valley of death," you should consider changing everything that can be replace while you're there. That was 14 or more years ago, so I may have the facts a little screwy.

I'm in a very humid climate too, so that may have something to do with these failures.

[carbob81]

I've never seen Dexcool plug up anything, it does eat some sealing surfaces and gaskets with age.
Maybe not the best option but the problems may track back to GM purchasing side and the lowest cost per car more than anything else.
Interesting that the video bears a Mahle tag. A very good world class company. That is very confusing along with their polices of posting things.
Mahle does not built engines, they make pistons at a level no one else does. They have no expertise in manifolds and gaskets.
I do not get this video. Some as side of right, some ........
Is a Delorean allergic to this coolant?
If used can you define failures? Let's do real world and not guesses off the net or rumors.

How has this gone bad in the car we love and symptoms?
Bob

[DMCVegas]

OOPS-
At first I was wondering why you said "that video" when there are two -- I screwed up the 2nd one's link.
I had a similar take on the 1st one.

Here's the correct link for the 2nd one (for comparison as intended):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWnOBahaK5Y

No worries, man. The second video was indeed better in terms of both installation, as well as people who were not blaming customers.

That said, it still proves that DEXCOOL is a garbage coolant. Yup, OAT antifreeze is here to stay, but the other universal formulas don't have these same problems as what DEXCOOL has. Even so, I'll still stick with the traditional green ethylene glycol antifreeze.

I've never seen Dexcool plug up anything, it does eat some sealing surfaces and gaskets with age.
Maybe not the best option but the problems may track back to GM purchasing side and the lowest cost per car more than anything else.
Interesting that the video bears a Mahle tag. A very good world class company. That is very confusing along with their polices of posting things.
Mahle does not built engines, they make pistons at a level no one else does. They have no expertise in manifolds and gaskets.
I do not get this video. Some as side of right, some ........
Is a Delorean allergic to this coolant?
If used can you define failures? Let's do real world and not guesses off the net or rumors.

How has this gone bad in the car we love and symptoms?
Bob

DEXCOOOL clogging things is probably that stuff pulling off chunks of the cooling system. That would be my guess. But as we've seen, only DEXCOOL systems seem to have these problems. The universal formulas don't have these issues.

And yes, the DeLorean doesn't like DEXCOOL. Now yes, overheating issues are what killed my car. Yep, I had some overheating issues, so the headgasket I can't blame on DEXCOOL. But, a few months after the initial replacement of the water pump and the O-rings on the Y-pipe, along with installed silicone hoses, I noticed that I started having a nasty film build-up all over my windscreen...along with a slow consumption of coolant. Yet clean engine oil. So I'm pretty sure that DEXCOOL ate my heater core.

[Ron]

No worries, man. The second video was indeed better in terms of both installation, as well as people who were not blaming customers.

That said, it still proves that DEXCOOL is a garbage coolant.
...

+1
I was sold as soon as he said GM knew it ate only one kind of their gaskets.

[Farrar]

Less than two years out, my remanufactured starter motor is already beginning to fail. I turn the key and get "clang" instead of the engine starting. First it happened occasionally, and now it's happening most of the time. Boo. Hiss.

As time goes by and I gain more experience, I have less and less faith in remanufactured anything. My daily driver is on its third PCM because when the first one failed, a remanufactured unit was installed that was already bad before they put it in: I got a call from the dealership that it wouldn't take a program and they had to order a second replacement. The same car is on its third fuse and relay box because when the original failed the remanufactured one went in and failed in less than a year. These are "factory refurbished" parts, by the way.

The engine in #2613 is not as old as the rest of the car, but it's only ten years younger. As time goes by I'll probably have to rely on more and more remanufactured parts...

[dn010]

My reman starter would also clank repeatedly, started with once in a while to about 5-10 times turning the key until it would actually engage. Turned out to be a loose ground for me, maybe this is your issue as well.