Appearance of used coolant

[andyman32]

Question 1 of many as I start replacing my cooling system:

What should used coolant look like? Upon draining the radiator, I find my coolant blue-green when shallow, but as it filled up, it got brown and dirty with a slight oily film on top. As with most problems on this car, I'm virtually certain this is a bad sign.

Analysis? Thoughts? Recommendations?

Thanks guys -

-Andy

[bimmerd00d]

oil in coolant is indeed a bad sign

[andyman32]

Bad headgasket?

[bimmerd00d]

Bad headgasket?

most likely.

[andyman32]

Ah ****.

BRET!!! BILL! possibly even rick m! HELLLPPPP!!!

[ryan roopnarine]

if it looks as though there's a "patina" of cooking oil globules floating on top of your antifreeze, that's the normal indicator of undesirables in your cooling system (ie rust, normal wear and tear). if you had motor oil in your coolant, even a LITTLE BIT, you wouldn't have to ask anyone here if that was indeed the case. if you mix a spoonful of tranny fluid or motor oil into 2L of water, you'd be able to tell right away. you just need to clean your system up (even then it will still probably have a wee sheen after some mileage is put on your antifreeze).

[andyman32]

Well, I figured the brownish color would be typical of used coolant. The oily sheen isn't, as you describe it, "globules", as though you dropped cooking oil into water. It's just a bit of a greasy shine, like the rainbow-colored patina on scummy puddles in the supermarket parking lot. Clearly, there is at least some marginal amount of oil in it. I already ordered new headgaskets but I'll be pleased as punch to keep them on the shelf for a few years.

Mostly, I just don't want to get most of the way in there, then stop short, put everything back together, and find that I still have the coolant leak (as well as risk f&cking up new parts). I agree with the "replace it all while you're in there" strategy.

Though, I am officially in way over my head at this point.

[ryan roopnarine]

um, there's some lubricity built in to any antifreeze, it keeps such things as waterpumps from seizing up on you the rainbow color was exactly was what i was trying to describe. if you don't believe me, and you have some time you are willing to part with, run water in there for a week or so just to make certain. here's an experiment that you can try. take a 500 ml bottle of water. add a few drops of motor oil to it. shake it. it won't take many for it to change to a much more indicative sludge solution than you are seeing in your coolant. if you had oil in there, it would have turned it a much more distinctivecolor than you indicate. brownness that isn't more slick than say, half diluted baby oil is merely cooling system crap.

[ryan roopnarine]

in fact, if you'd like to rest easier tonite, take a digital pic of what you see and upload it to the board. i'd almost bet money that it is likely normal.

[andyman32]

OK.

*PHEW*

Things are probably OK. Now I just need to check for coolant in the oil, which I will do later today. I have a sinking feeling it is mixing; there is dried coolant most of the way around the rim of the lower oil pan. Now, there is a LOT of coolant leaking out of the bad hoses, so it could have just doused the pan. But we'll see; I'm going to take off the pan and replace the gasket anyhow.

Do you guys know where I can find the block coolant drain plug on the V8? This is a show-stopper right now... I can't find it for the life of me.