DEX-COOL EXTENDED LIFE COOLANT

SUBJECT: DEX-COOL - EXTENDED-LIFE COOLANT --------------------------------

OVERVIEW: SSPO now offers an extended life coolant, DEX-COOL, to retail facilities. DEX-COOL provides engine protection for 5 years/100,000 miles (160,000 km). Saturn began production of vehicles equipped with specially designed cooling system components that use this new coolant in mid-April 1996.

This bulletin provides the following information:

Part I: Affected Vehicles

Part II: Product Information

Part III: Part Information

Part IV. Service Information

Part I: Affected Vehicles -----------------

1996 intermin Saturns with VIN TZ316933 and greater use DEX-COOL- extended life coolant.

Any Saturn vehicle designed to use DEX-COOL coolant has a circular sticker on the coolant reservoir cap with an orange dot in its center. "Special Coolant - See Ownees Manual" is printed inside the orange dot.

All Saturns built before this change should continue to use conventional non-phosphate ethylene glycol engine coolant, which is green in color. Vehicle built without DEX-COOL components should not be serviced with DEX-COOL - coolant. Saturns which use conventional coolant are identified in the following ways:

* 1991-1994 Saturns have no stickers on their coolant reservoir caps.

* 1995-1996 intermin Saturns with VIN TZ316932 and prior have circular stickers on their coolant reservoir caps which are distinguished by a green dot in their centers.

RESERVOIR CAP COOLANT SATURN MODEL DESCRIPTION COOLANT TYPE COLOR ------------ ------------- ------------ -------

1991-1994 No sticker on cap Conventional Green

1995-1996 VIN TZ316932 Green dot in center of Conventional Green and prior sticker on cap

1996 VIN TZ316933 Orange dot in center of DEX-COOL Orange and greater sticker on cap

Part II: Product Information -------------------

DEX-COOL is orange in color. It should not be confused with conventional coolant, which is green in color. Mixing DEX-COOL with conventional Saturn coolant could result in damage to the engine and its cooling system components. DEX-COOL is available in black 1-gallon containers. (Saturn's conventional coolant is packaged in white 1-gallon containers.) DEX-COOL is also available in 55-gallon drums (as is the conventional coolant.)

Part III: Part Information -----------------

Below is a listing of service part numbers for 1996 Intermin Saturns with VIN TZ316933 and greater which use DEX-COOL coolant:

PART NAME PART NUMBER --------- -----------

Coolant reservoir cap (orange dot) 10285918

1-gallon container (black) 21031164

55-gallon drum 12377963

Service part numbers for 1991-1995 and 1996 vehicles with VIN TZ316932 and prior are as follows:

PART NAME PART NUMBER --------- -----------

Coolant reservoir cap (no dot) for 1991-1994 21030711

Coolant reservoir cap (green dot) for 10244485 1995-1996 VIN TZ316932 and prior

1-gallon container (white) 21030365

55-gallon drum 21030856

Part IV: Service Information -------------------

As stated in Technical Information Bulletin 96-T-23, mixing DEX-COOL with Saturn engine coolant could result in damage to the engine and its cooling system components. If a Saturn vehicle which was designed to use Saturn non-phosphate ethylene glycol (green) coolant is contaminated with DEX-COOL the engine cooling system must be drained, flushed with clean water, and refilled with Saturn conventional (green) engine coolant. Refilling the engine cooling system with DEX-COOL could result in damage to engine cooling system components.

General Motors bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, not a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions and know-how to do a job properly and safely. If a condition is described, do not assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition. See a General Motors dealer servicing your brand of General Motors vehicle for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.