I have never seen orange antifreeze/coolant in a Cummins, but the truck I bought from my wife's grandad has orange in it. He says he changed it out a long time ago, and cant remember what kind he put in it. I am thinking of changing it back to green, but im not sure how to get all the orange out. Even if you drain all of it out the radiator, and remove the lower radiator hose, there is still some in the heater box right?

I know im gonna change it, im just not sure on which one to go back with. What the difference anyway?

 

Stick with the orange, it's long life good for 100k

 

Yep, stay with the orange. Most likely it is dex-cool or a knock off of such.

Don't freak out about the stuff you hear about dex-cool. They may have had trouble with it when it first came out, but, I have had 5 vehicles with the dex-cool. No problems with any of em. It is what I put in my Dodge 2 years ago and still tests like new.

The only problems I have seen with dex-cool is when the cooling system has a leak and allowed to have that lek for long term. Then the coolant starts to look darker and get thicker over the long term. To me, this is not a problem with the coolant, but the owner.

Good anti-corrosion and water pump properties as well. Kevin

 

This is comforting.....

 

I have a totally different recommendation. This applies to anyone using Dex-Cool. Take a voltmeter and unscrew the radiator cap when the rig is warm, and insert one probe in the coolant only (not touching anything else) and the other to a ground on the engine block.

If you are getting any voltage reading at all, flush completely and switch to a the glycol based coolant Cummins uses, or to Amsoil coolant, or to Evans Cool.

Dex-Cool has a known problem with breaking down and creating acids well before the 100,000 mile mark. Just about any other coolant is far better and less likely to create corrosion.

 

Don't use Dex-Cool.
Use Chevron Delo ELC, Detroit Diesel Pow-r Cool +, or Cat ELC as these are diesel formulations. Same juice, different brand labeling.


RCW;
I saw that voltmeter test today in John Deere literature.

 

Yes, if I recall correctly there is a class action lawsuit on GM for using Dex-Cool after knowing that it does not have a strong enough anticorrosion package. This is what causes all the troubles with the system. IMO it should be rated at 75k rather than 150k, I've seen it in three vehicles. In one the water bottle was a little funky (106k), in another the coolant sensor was clogged since the water bottle and system was coated with crud (140k), and in the third vehicle it looked like a brown chunky goo, kind of like it was nearly solid stop leak as a coolant (116k).

Anyway I think the Prestone Orange is better than Dexron, which is better than the green stuff. In either case as long as you don't try going the whole distance you shouldn't have a problem.

 

I would not touch the orange stuff in any form!

I still see less than one year old Jeeps, Dodges, and GM's with the heater tanks eaten away from the cores, or the heads eaten away next to the head gaskets. If a person is going to use anything other than Evans Cool, Amsoil, or the purple glycol that Toyota sells, go with regular anti-freeze (the green stuff) and add a bottle of Barr's Leak. Then change every two years, no matter what!

 

I'd like to try the Evan's Waterless Coolant in my next vehicle, other than the price it looks rather unbeatable. It is just a matter of time before it pays for itself by not having a pressurized system.

 

Not bashing, but wondering why Cat & Detroit Diesel recommend the orange stuff after you see these issues.

-John

 

Cummins also recommends and sells it.

 

Well "my 2 cents"


Don't use it!!!! Every week we are changing head gaskets intake gaskets, because of Dex-Cool. Maybe they have improved it but, I am still leary of it. Just to do a little test, poor Dex-Cool and the green stuff on the Garage floor. And come back in 24hrs and see what has happened. The green stuff will still be there and the orange will be all Crystalized and nasty. Dex-cool works fine but when the Air gets to it, it is a mess.

 

The orange stuff is environmentally friendly, and everyone but Toyota is jumping on that bandwagon to look "politically correct" and avoid lawsuits from nutcase environmental groups. Toyota went their own way with a superior glycol product, but it is not proven as suitable for our diesels.

I, myself, use Evans Cool or Amsoil products. They are both so safe you can eat them, and are much more stabil than anything else.

 

Whats the opinion on the new stuff that "cross compatable" with all other coolants?

I do have to admit, when I read the label, I was interested. I have read good things about the toyatastuff as well. Also the pentosin g-12 is supposed to be good.

The head gasket thing, wasn't that due to an incorrect torque value from the factory on gm vehicles? Also I heard it was a problem with the oem head gaskets. Not sure who to believe on that one. Can only say, I never really had a problem with dex-cool.

My only near problem was in 1987 when the stuff was fairly new to the market, it started to turn that rust color, found a small leak in the system. Repaired the leak, coolant flush, more dex-cool, and no other problems for 3 years, then sold the car. Kevin

 

If I had to order the antifreeze in a possible order IMO;
1- Evan's Waterless (needs no pressure, never wears out, but thick at cold temps)
2- Fleetgaurd Extended Life (lasts 500k miles)
3- Honda
4- Mercedes Benz

Out of those the only I have first hand knowledge with is the MB, I used the clear type and it was an amazing lubricant figuring a 50/50 mix. Only bad thing about it is where something leaks it dries up and forms this hard white crud. I haven't tried the Mercedes blue, which is what most newer MBs run.