Brown sludge in coolant
#1
Brown sludge in coolant
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.
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.
#3
#7
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.
Last edited by TNtech; 09-04-2011 at 04:38 PM.
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#8
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!
#10
as for your leak, where does the fluid show up, on the floor? passenger side? near the tire, front bumper?