KaMaKaZieP -ALUMIN8-

I have some build up on the top of the coolant container and a thin beed of dark fluid in the coolant... Oil or tranny fluid?

engine runs fine..


Yet another issue.. i hope the problems stop soon.. i would love to just go back to fixing headrests and control arms..

skiwi

there is no way for tranny fluid to mix with coolant as the tranny cooler is quite separate.

you most likely have a leak from the engine. a leakdown test will tell you if you have a compression-related leak around the head gasket.

another suspect would be the oil cooler.

KaMaKaZieP -ALUMIN8-

Also, Would it be the fact that since i just did the timing belt and had the oil cooler repaired that some got into the coolant?

skiracer

a year or so ago had a transmission failure due to getting water into the tranny. The transmission fluid is at a higher presure than the coolant, so we couldn't figure out how it happened.... until we realized that the tranny fluid ISN'T at a higher pressure when you shut the engine down hot! Then the hot coolant is still at pressure and the tranny fluid isn't, allowing the coolant to force its way into the tranny fluid across a crack in the tranny fluid cooler (located inside the radiator). In your case I would drain, flush, and refill your coolant and keep an eye on it for any further indication of contamination. Let us know what you find!

skiwi

as to your theory, that sounds a possibility, easy to determine, flush and see if it returns.

skiwi

take the car to a radiator shop and get them to pressure test - they pressurise the system and look for pressure drops over time.

PaulW

Good idea and easy to do

GDJT Allroad^2

And I dropped it off at a local shop this morning.

One thing they told me is that if engine oil is mixing with the coolant it will be "milkier" in color and not as dark.

I'll post later today and see what the shop says.

KaMaKaZieP -ALUMIN8-

thanks.. i hope its a radiator and not a head gasket

GDJT Allroad^2

Who knows... I'm just waiting for the phone to ring...