I'm surprised no one has asked about whether Dex-Cool and some of the other extended service coolants are compatible with the TL.

Well, they are. I have a letter from Honda engineering to that effect. Since the orange coolants do not have the silicates in them, they are as non-abrasive as standard Honda coolant.

You must flush the old coolant out until the water runs clear, and it helps to drain off the block plugs as well.

I find the Honda coolant very hard to see in the reservoir - and I admit I like orange.

Here is the BUT....do not try and go 5 years with them. They certainly can go 2, then drain the radiator only, and replace with the proper blend (50/50, 60/40 or whatever).

The other thing - my understanding is that some Honda coolants are already mixed with water, while some have said they are not and b=need to be diluted just as any other coolant. Anyone know the facts on that?

 

I have been using Prestone Extended Life in my Accord for years. It too is borate and silicate free and is fine to use with the aluminum components and water pumps in our systems.

 

I don't see the need to change over to Dex-Cool if you can't go with the extended change schedule. My old '90 Accord went nearly 175,000 miles on the original radiator and water pump. I never got to change either because the car got trashed.