Paranoid right now

[Chris2000]

I can't sleep because i've been doing research for about 3 hours now. I have a 2.4 and i'm leaking coolant from what my dad and I believe is the thermostat gasket which we think is on the side of the head (Drivers side) behind the ECT sensor.

I've been searching around and reading dex cool eats gaskets and all these leaks and they cost so much, etc. Please tell me that the 2.4 does not have this problem and that what my problem is, really is the thermostat gasket. I pay for college and everything else so I have almost nothing.

:cry:

[Oldsman]

ive never had any issues with dexcool with the 2.4 so no need to worry probably just the o-ring went bad on the water neck. Like i said that isn't the thermostat just the water neck.

[[ion] C2]

It's not Dex-Cool.... more newbs blaming it on everything.

It's just the Water Outlet. There's an o-ring in there. Also one on the metal line that comes out of it. I wouldn't mess with that one though unless that's the one that's leaking. Real PITA to seal. Two bolts hold the water outlet to the head... not a big deal...

[Chris2000]

C2;530103']It's not Dex-Cool.... more newbs blaming it on everything.

It's just the Water Outlet. There's an o-ring in there. Also one on the metal line that comes out of it. I wouldn't mess with that one though unless that's the one that's leaking. Real PITA to seal. Two bolts hold the water outlet to the head... not a big deal...

Wasn't blaming it on the coolant. I was only writing the information that I found. I know it wasn't the coolant because why after 10 years would it just damage the car now.

[[ion] C2]

I wasn't calling you a newb, I was calling the people you found while searching around newbs blaming everything on Dex-Cool. Dex-Cool isn't to blame for eating the gaskets; any coolant would. It's the shitty gaskets that allowed themselves to deteriorate. The LD9 used higher quality components that are not affected by coolant.

[Nate's Alero]

C2;530106']I wasn't calling you a newb, I was calling the people you found while searching around newbs blaming everything on Dex-Cool. Dex-Cool isn't to blame for eating the gaskets; any coolant would. It's the shitty gaskets that allowed themselves to deteriorate. The LD9 used higher quality components that are not affected by coolant.

incorrect, the only coolant that utilized OAT(organic acid Tech.) is dexcool therefore it ate the nylon in the gasket, so it is not to blame the gasket, as it is to blame both

[[ion] C2]

I suppose so.

Sneaky edit Chris2000.

[Chris2000]

C2;530110']I suppose so.

Sneaky edit Chris2000.

Meh, fighting with other members to me isn't worth it. We're all friends here and occassionally in the same boat.

[Nate's Alero]

suppose,that's what everyone says....lool

[cherrington17]

Meh, fighting with other members to me isn't worth it. We're all friends here and occassionally in the same boat.

some idiots just like shooting holes in the boat they are standing in... :glare:

[zzyzzx]

There is also some questioning if the Dex-Cool that you can by today would even eat gaskets vs the original formula, should that be the case. Hoever I have not seen any evidence of this. Anyway according to wikipedia (which I don't believe:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antifreeze#Organic_acid_technology

Organic acid technology

Certain cars are built with Organic Acid Technology (OAT) antifreeze (e.g., DEX-COOL[11]), or with a Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT) formulation (e.g., Zerex G-05[12]), both of which are claimed to have an extended service life of five years or 240,000 km (150,000 miles).

DEX-COOL specifically has caused controversy. Litigation has linked it with intake manifold gasket failures in GM's 3.1L and 3.4L engines, and with other failures in 3.8L & 4.3L engines. Class action lawsuits were registered in several states, and in Canada,[13] to address some of these claims. The first of these to reach a decision was in Missouri where a settlement was announced early in December, 2007.[14] Late in March 2008, GM agreed to compensate complainants in the remaining 49 states.[15]

There are rumors that mixing DEX-COOL with standard green (non-OAT) coolant causes a chemical reaction that produces sludge in the cooling system. According to the DEX-COOL manufacturer, however, "mixing a 'green' [non-OAT] coolant with DEX-COOL reduces the batch’s change interval to 2 years or 30,000 miles, but will otherwise cause no damage to the engine."[16]

According to internal GM documents, the ultimate culprit appears to be operating vehicles for long periods of time with low coolant levels. The low coolant is caused by pressure caps that fail in the open position. (The new caps and recovery bottles were introduced at the same time as DEX-COOL). This exposes hot engine components to air and vapors, causing corrosion and contamination of the coolant with iron oxide particles, which in turn can aggravate the pressure cap problem as contamination holds the caps open permanently.[17]

Typically OAT antifreeze contains an orange dye to differentiate it from the conventional glycol-based coolants (green or yellow). Some of the newer OAT coolants claim to be compatible with all types of OAT and glycol-based coolants; these are typically green or yellow in color (for a table of colors, see [4])


And even with your engine, I'd be paranoid too. My 1999 V6 only has 25K miles on it, and I'm paranoid just the same.

[zzyzzx]

According to internal GM documents, the ultimate culprit appears to be operating vehicles for long periods of time with low coolant levels.

So according to GM, it's the owner's fault for ignoring the dash light?