yay gm

[badhoopty]

quality gm work here...

while smoking crack, gm engineers decided a power steering cooler routed inside a radiator hose and using 200 degree coolant to disperse the heat of the power steering fluid was a good idea.
while cutting a buck, gm then builds the system so crappy that it fails at 70k miles.

while getting my car ready for the nats, i now have to deal with this:

not the most encouraging thing to have to deal with right before a 1k mile trip...


and while again smoking crack, gm makes a new coolant that if allowed to 'spoil' chemically breaks down to create the most slippery and yet sticky substance in the universe. this came out of my overflow tube.

[THEYTOOKMYTHUMB]

If I had a hand full of that I wouldn't waste it on this website. Sorry, I'm just an idiot...

[vwjuice]

That's dex-cool for ya. Most repair shops tell people to convert their systems to the old standard green antifreeze and that is why. Most will do that after time.

Purchase a Cadillac built after 2007 with a northstar v8. The alternator is liquid-cooled by the coolant. Uses plastic bearing retainers also. Really smart idea.

[markt311]

That looks like not so much fun, way to go GM engineers!

[bscotti]

that's what happens when the bean counters tell engineers what they can and can't do. Good ideas that are priced to fail. We had a VP that used to joke .. if it fails early, that means more aftermarket business!

[a01butal]

Looks like when Ford fired the "Better Idea" engineers they got hired over at GM and started right where they left off. Good luck hoopty on your trip might want to consider a rent-a-car.

[Halgar]

It really is amazing the amount of stupidity going into all products these days. Seems like GM only wants it's vehicles to last around 70K miles before you have to buy a new one. I would be curious to know if Ford or Chrysler are any better.

Speaking of cars, one of the more irksome features is the cabin air recirc control. Generally you'll find:
* A lack there of
* Vacuum door actuation
* A door that doesn't seal
* In the case of my truck, a door that is ONLY closed if the fan is running. Most of the time this isn't an issue, but there are times of the year when you do not need heat or cooling, yet with the fan running you always have one or the other, even with adjusting the temp knob to compensate. Give me a frickin' lever actuated door with a rubber seal!

The sad part is that the way vehicles are built today has NOTHING to do with making better, safer cars, nothing to do with keeping them affordable, it is all about more money in the pockets of the corporations. What was the first thing the automakers did with the government bailout money? They gave themselves raises and went on vacation. When they got back they held their hands out for more ...

[badhoopty]

i'm 99% sure that the slime is only limited to the overflow tube after being subjected to many many wet/dry cycles over the course of 10 years. that slime in the pic was it, it aint like theres more i'm digging out, thank god... i flushed the old dexcool out at around 45k miles, and i can remember the old stuff still looking pretty healthy.

radiator petcock, radiator cap, all the rows inside the radiator (that i can see), and thermostat are all clean as a whistle besides the oily film of power steering fluid i'm flushing out... next time i drain, i'll pull off the radiator hoses to see if there is any slime in there, since it may be something to do with being in contact with rubber or something.

i was pretty bummed out last week when i discovered the leak, but i'm pretty sure it's all fine now that i've torn into it and started flushing the coolant. i'm lucky to catch the power steering leak as soon as i did, some people have either neglected the problem or have foolishly kept topping off the power steering fluid and eventually had coolant enter the power steering system, which creates all sorts of fun...

[murphy3428]

looks like GM is going to get the last laugh, should of bought a FORD at least there still in business..... lol I think toyota shoud buy out GM so they can take over the full size truck industry

[RichieRich]

I heard that Dexcool turns into sludge when exposed to air. Apparently this happens if there is a leak. Hope everything is sealed up now. That reminds me, I have to change the oil on my truck, replace the shocks and fix a transmission mount that a friend broke when he replaced the clutch.

[badhoopty]

yeah, after ALOT of reading on dexcool issues, it seems like my slime isnt at all what the 'typical' dexcool issues have been with most other people.

this is how bad dexcool can screw you if you neglect your coolant level...
http://www.sancarlosradiator.com/images/dexmud31.jpg

[vwjuice]

I heard that Dexcool turns into sludge when exposed to air. Apparently this happens if there is a leak. Hope everything is sealed up now. That reminds me, I have to change the oil on my truck, replace the shocks and fix a transmission mount that a friend broke when he replaced the clutch.

you are 100% correct. The biggest problem with dexcool and other high mileage anti-freeze products is that they are designed to be a fully self contained system. You are NOT supposed to open the systems on them. They are tested in labs under very strict guidelines and they are not opened. Therefore they can say it will last 100,000 miles or whatever the current claim is.

[RichieRich]

yeah, after ALOT of reading on dexcool issues, it seems like my slime isnt at all what the 'typical' dexcool issues have been with most other people.

this is how bad dexcool can screw you if you neglect your coolant level...
http://www.sancarlosradiator.com/images/dexmud31.jpg

LOL. Looks like potted meat.

[wts873]

It really is amazing the amount of stupidity going into all products these days. Seems like GM only wants it's vehicles to last around 70K miles before you have to buy a new one. I would be curious to know if Ford or Chrysler are any better.

I have a 06 dodge 2500 diesel with 75,000 and have been lucky so far. Only problem Ive had was a loose hose clamp and reflash the ECM. I tow a 14' trailer everyday and dont baby it. So far Im very happy with that kind of reliablity.

[shodog]

GM used a plastic intake on my mom's buick. Sure enough the egr line melted into a coolant passage and dumped water into the motor.