My 1999 GM Astro Van is a Lemon

I love my van. It's a 1999 GM Astro with serious power, seats eight, and took us across the country from Connecticut to California over a year ago. For a full-size van, it handles beautifully, and it has great pickup. So I was heartbroken when six months after we bought it from another military couple, it started overheating. And overheating. And overheating.

I know a little bit about mechanics, so I went over the coolant system carefully. Filled radiator -- check. Leaks -- none. Seals looked fine. The pump seemed to work okay, though my heat didn't work well and I knew that was a sign of a radiator problem. Finally, at a loss, I took it to a mechanic.

He quoted me $1200. !!!

The problem isn't in the van, though. It's not even in the coolant system. It's the coolant itself.

The Evil of Dex-Cool Antifreeze And Why It Will Make Lawyers Happy

This is dull, but bear with me. Antifreeze was first introduced to cars in the 1920s as a way to prevent engines from overheating and locking up; previously, coolants had been either plain water or air. Traditional antifreeze is ethylene glycol. The bright green color you see is actually a dye placed in the antifreeze to tell you that yes, this is antifreeze and it will kill you if you drink it. Antifreeze is supposed to be mixed with water at a 1:1 ratio in order to work properly, and must be maintained at the recommended level to keep your coolant system healthy.

Dex-Cool is different from other antifreezes. It is an Organic Acid Technology (OAT) antifreeze, and the manufacturer claims it has a life span of 150,000 miles -- which is at least half through the likely lifespan of the vehicle. But it has some issues. It is easily contaminated, for one thing; if you put anything in to dilute it besides distilled water OR if you expose it to air, it will turn into goo. Goo is not good for your car's engine.