Hello,

I just recently bought a '96 Caravan, 3.8L that had been sitting for about a year. It runs and drives great in general, but the coolant overflow bottle looks like a brown sludgy mess. What could this mean? Does it just need a good flushing? Oil and trans fluid are clean and not contaminated. A/C and Heat work fine also, and the van does not overheat.

 

They kinda get like that. Just give it a good cleaning.

 

could be someone dumped stop leak, could be someone used yucky tap water or could be trans cooler is failing, could be combustion getting into the cooling system. all are very viable but 1st 2 or 3 I listed are more likely than the last.

 

I would agree with tizzy and clean the bottle out and then check the cooling system by doing a pressure check.

 

your right, my offerings are rediculously way off base

 

The member said the van has been sitting for a year, What you said are some valid points. But the member needs to start with some basic's because we don't if there is really a problem.

 

Any garbage in the cooling system is always going to perc up to the top eventually. It ends up in the overflow at the bottom. If it sat for a year, I think I would drain and fill anyway. You really have no idea what the previous owner did or didn't do.

 

Thanks for the help everyone. But it seems I have a leak to chase. It only seems to leak after I go for a drive and then shut the engine off, then coolant comes out near the front of the vehicle on the ground, and sometimes through the open holes by the front bumper area. When I add coolant to the overflow tank, it pours out through a spout on the back of the tank as I'm filling it, what could that mean? Any ideas for helping me chase this leak greatly appreciated!

 

You may have a radiator that is leaking or a radiator hose. You need to have the system pressure checked and find the leak.

 

mine will do that too, I believe that is the over flow tube, Try pooring slowly, and maybe change the angle you poor the fluid in


as for your leak, where does the fluid show up, on the floor? passenger side? near the tire, front bumper?