im flushing my gf's d15b7 civic's cooling system of the green crap and replacing it with dexcool, replacing the lil waterpump, and replacing the thermostat all at once to fix her overheating problem. where is the thermostat on these motors?

 

Why are you replacing the green with DEX? I've always thought ill of the Dexcool, because of its tendency to clot and break down, and ruin the radiator. But the thermostat housing is located on the passenger side of the block, the bottom rad hose runs right to it, just trace it back. If you're doing the water pump, do the timing belt while you're in there, just because.

 

^timing belt is good, its the first thing i checked after i got it for her since i'm used to VAG motors and they are known for timing belt failures. and for the DEX comment, the green stuff is extremely corrosive on aluminum and will turn your cooling system into a nasty goopy mess. there's a reason the VAG and gm cars and many new cars do not use it.

 

i dont think dexcool is a good idea in a honda

 

i would love to know why there's so much DEX hate here. i would put g12 in it like i use but the stuff is like 25ish a gallon. oh and thanks for the pic

 

Google Dexcool lawsuit, and you will see why. Rusty sludge is never a good thing. GM is fighting thousands of vehicle owners that hate how DEX destroyed their cars.

 

Dexcool's properties cause it to precipitate solids, so unless you're adding it to a brand new radiator, filling with Dex from the start, then it will plug the channels inside your radiator, and it also tends to eat away at rubber seals.

 

if u look on the front of dexcool container there a BIG GM LOGO not HONDA... IF anything go to honda and get there coolant... dont use dexcool im sorry to say that's just stupid

 

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...nt-amp-Testing and thank you mwaedow for an actual educated answer. but i beg to differ on this as it has been tested. im not saying that dex is the best by any means, but i think it would be better than the green stuff. if i change to dex then i would use a coolant system flush kit, then run dex, drain, run dex, drain and then dex for good. but my reason for wanting to run dex is that many audi/vw owners use it as an alternative to the expensive g12 coolant with no problems at all

 

I've never had a problem running regular Prestone in my Honda. I've owned mine since 2002, and have never had to replace the radiator, and it is still clean as a whistle inside. I guess the key is flushing and replacing often enough so that whatever coolant you use doesn't wear out and break down, leading to corrosion and clotting. I know Dexcool isn't recommended for Hondas. It is, however, propylene glycol, like the Genuine Honda coolant, while green is ethylene glycol. I'm no chemist, so I don't know what that really means, but I've just seen so many GM cars that had coolant system problems that I'm biased against the stuff.

 

red dex cool = iron block etc

green coolant = aluminum blocks ex. HONDA


ur not supposed to you use the green stuff in GM's the same way ur not supposed to use the red in Honda's

 

^but green is more corrosive on aluminum than dex

 

a lot of people make the mistake of buying pure antifreeze, likely to save money, and diluting it themselves with tap water. That causes a lot of issues with mineral buildup, and then they blame the coolant. That's why the 50/50 premix is ideal, because they use distilled water when they produce the stuff. I don't know, I just don't know anybody that uses dex in their Honda, and mechanics will steer you away from it if you ask them. It has a bad reputation.

 

in the end its your motor... you can put whatever you want in it. just search on here and you find threads about it. but as of right now your the only one standing behind DeX take it for what its worth.

only time i ever used that was when i had a sc400 and i couldnt use green coolant

 

eh i guess im the only one who paid attention to the actually corrosive experiment but ok. and your right i am the only one standing behind it, and im the only one without a honda too. but until someone who runs or has ran dex in their honda chimes in we get nowhere, opinions mean nothing. mdeadow is the only person who has contributed anything with a fact

 

no need to get offensive... its ok to be wrong sometimes. i dont really care what experiment you claim proves dex is good for honda's cuz in the end... your the tool that came on here cuz you couldnt find a thermostat

 

I don't understand where running DEX-COOL in a Honda came from. It's recommended for GM vehicles, and even then most I've encountered switch over to Extended Life Prestone after their warranty has expired. The DEX-COOL I encounter always reeks, and looks cloudy and nasty...and I've seen a couple. If you want good stuff to run in your Honda, go to your local Honda dealer and pick up some Honda Genuine Coolant. If you don't want to spend the money, save some and pick up a couple gallons of Prestone Extended Life instead. Don't run GM coolant in a non-GM vehicle. Hope this helps.

 

sorry iv'e never worked on a motor thats so small. if ya add a couple liters you'll be up to par with a suzuki forenza but you have "V-tec just kicked in yo!" to help ya huh?

-but for those who actually helped, thanks for the info and not being like this douche

 

I have to say that you should go with dealer recommended fluids. Example you shouldn't use Dot 4 brake fluid in a Dot 3 system. So back to the point unless you know more than the R&D department at Honda, you should just use the recommended fluids in the car.

Don"t dis the variable valve timing and lift electronic control, V-TEC

 

prestone yellow ftw

 

i think ill just leave the green stuff in since so many people have ran it for years with no problem

 

each year a car manufactuer spends billions of dollars in research finding out which oil works best in that engine, which type of coolant, which octane rating gives the best performance and MPGs, which way to route the belts and hoses and a big number of other things. I have always used what the manufactuer recommended. They recommend it for a reason. Now I have used DEX, good product as long as u get a coolant flush every year at the minimum. The chemicals in DEX will eat through materials instead of causing corrosion. Here is an example. I owned a 96 chevy pickup, friend owned a 97 chevy, same engines. I changed my coolant every year, my friend did not. he had his truck about three years and got a leak from the intake manifold gaskets, he was gonna put in shop would have costed him 1100 bucks, we changed them and just added more coolant. about three months after his radiator had a leak in the bottom. changed it. then he sold the truck. I still own my truck and I do not have a single cooling issue. There is some technical service bulletins from GM that show the the reason for the intake gaskets leaking and the radiator is all due to the coolant. Although GM recommends the coolant be changed every year. the chemicals in the DEX are a whole lot stronger than the ethylene glycol materials. The only advice that I have is if you are really wanting to use the DEX, just be sure to flush systems regulary. DEX will also eat plastic faster than any other coolant on the market. I always go with what the manuf. says to use, it saves a headache in the end, especially if the car is under a warranty, improper use of coolant will void the warranty. even though the car is probably not under warranty since this is being posted in the 92-00 civic section. My response is not meant to steer you away from DEX-COOL, this is just my experience with it. Hope this helps you out. and honestly i really do not think that the DEX will solve any issue with the cooling system, the reason the car is overheating is maybe the water pump. Have you done a leakdown test on the engine? It may have a blown headgasket. Hope this helps you out

 

Man, you need to step back a few steps and reread the entire thread. Nobody here started attacking or name calling, it was you. As for dex in your gf's honda, go for it if you stand behind it so much, then give us a recap in a yr as to how well it worked out for you. It is your car and your call. The experienced honda guys were just trying to help you out an their fluid recommendations and experience.
If you dont like what they had to say or dont want to listen, that is your choice, but there is no reason ever bad mouth someone who is trying to help you. Remember, you came to use for help and advice, not the other way around.
FYI, I have been running the green stuff 50/50 premix in every honda I have owned since 1990 and never had a failure. If you follow the maintainence schedule and Honda recommended parts and fliuds than your Honda will reward you with yrs and miles of trouble free operation. Just food for thought.

 

quoted for troof!

 

This started off as such a simple thread. One day later we've managed to offend and demoralize several people. Thank you Honda-Tech, for being my primary source of entertainment.