What's this muck in my coolant? *PICS*
#1
What's this muck in my coolant? *PICS*
97 Maxima, just bought. No idea of whether the coolant has ever been changed. I dumped out half on Sunday and replaced it. Everything I drained out is great. However, in the reservoir I found some floaty things. Their pictures are below. I think that since they floated, and coolant goes in and out of the rervoir a little bit, it served as a sort of trash can, which would explain why the only gunk I found was in there. There wasn't much of it. In the second picture the "glob" thing was a ball, and it's squishy as you can see. It feels like a little ball of glue or sealant or something like that. Thanks for any ideas! Car otherwise is great.
#2
Looks like some StopLeak or a similar product. People dump that stuff in the radiator when a leak occurs.
It stops the leak for a while, but if you don't change your coolant shortly after adding it you end up with sludge.
It stops the leak for a while, but if you don't change your coolant shortly after adding it you end up with sludge.
#3
Hmm, interesting. There is no leak that I"m aware of the. Thermostat has been bad for a long time, and I diagnosed that on the test-drive. I fixed that on sunday, and I wonder if this sludge somewhat gummed up the original one...
There was VERY slight film on the top of the coolant (checked the tub that had my gallon of coolant in it), when I checked it this morning. It did not look like oil, but more just like a very slight film of miniscule little white thingies.
Don't leaks almost always occur either in a radiator or hoses? If this is stop leak and a leak comes back I can replace either of those.
There was VERY slight film on the top of the coolant (checked the tub that had my gallon of coolant in it), when I checked it this morning. It did not look like oil, but more just like a very slight film of miniscule little white thingies.
Don't leaks almost always occur either in a radiator or hoses? If this is stop leak and a leak comes back I can replace either of those.
#4
If there was a leak, and they used stopleak, it will hold for quite a while. Leaks can occur anywhere: radiator; seal on the thermostat housing; head/head gasket; hoses.
People generally only use stopleak if the radiator springs a leak. It's not very good for anything else. Of course, if you ask me, it's not very good period.
What you describe is exactly what I experienced on my girlfriends Subaru. The stopleak finally gave out and spat that white **** all over the place.
People generally only use stopleak if the radiator springs a leak. It's not very good for anything else. Of course, if you ask me, it's not very good period.
What you describe is exactly what I experienced on my girlfriends Subaru. The stopleak finally gave out and spat that white **** all over the place.
#8
I would change the coolant asap. Looks like it went bad acidic, I've seen that only once on my friends dads beater chevy wagon, coolant that never was changed. Change it out when you can the coolant isn't doing your engine,radiator,waterpump any good.Acid eats metal aluminum..etc.
#9
Originally Posted by KFL
I would change the coolant asap. Looks like it went bad acidic, I've seen that only once on my friends dads beater chevy wagon, coolant that never was changed. Change it out when you can the coolant isn't doing your engine,radiator,waterpump any good.Acid eats metal aluminum..etc.
I did the "quick" change, as per motorvate.ca's instructions (undoing the engine block plugs is insanely ridiculous, so I only dumped out half of this stuff). I suppose I could do it again - just radiator and I'd end up with about 75% of the coolant changed from both radiator swaps.
#10
hope not but that is exactly how the coolant looked in my 3rd gen when I had a blown head gasket...are you having to add coolant as well???especially since you said the thermostat was bad.. could lead to that from the overheats...when mine got really bad you could find that stuff in my coolant and under the oil cap...do you know how long it has been since the oil was changed??? might want to check that too..
#11
Originally Posted by time2reup
hope not but that is exactly how the coolant looked in my 3rd gen when I had a blown head gasket...are you having to add coolant as well???especially since you said the thermostat was bad.. could lead to that from the overheats...when mine got really bad you could find that stuff in my coolant and under the oil cap...do you know how long it has been since the oil was changed??? might want to check that too..
BTW the thermostat was locked open, not having problems staying closed, so the engine was underheated for a long period, but I doubt it has ever overheated.
#12
I just replaced my rad fuild today and I found similar gunk in my tank. However, it wasn't floating, it sank to the bottom. I had to shake the tank with water in it to remove it. I dunno what it is tho. Hope it's not serious...
#14
looks like oil residue but in that case your oil must have like a grey or brown gunk as well you may not see looking at the dipstick, change your oil a let it settle for a while when the oil is gets cold water separates from oil
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foodmanry
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09-24-2015 12:02 PM