brown gu like substance in raditor reservoir

[raj123]

Hi Guys,

I have a 1991 toyota corolla and today as i was checking all the fluids I noticed there is brown gu like stuff in the antifreeze reservoir and in the radiator.

Is this oil leaking into the radiator or something else?
Does this mean Head Gasket is Blown?
As I mentioned the car 1991 so can someone suggest a cheap fix for this problem?

The car runs fine but I have a feeling that the cooling system is going to go.

Thanks in advance.

Topic

[johnzcarz]

If it’s a mayonnaise type froth/scum that builds under the cap (or in the reservoir) then oil is getting into the cooling system.

If you clean it up does it come right back? What did the coolant look like?

[99_XC600]

You didn’t happen to add any coolant lately did you? Currently there are 2 main products on the market. The traditional Green Stuff and the long life coolants. Could be orange, red or yellow. Depending on what brand you purchase.

Needless to say, the can not be mixed together. If the do, they will form a brown goo clay like material.Which will collect in the reservoir and under the coolant cap. If unchecked, it will eventually clog up your heater core and radiator.

[EricTheCarGuy]

[quote=”99_XC600″ post=31540]You didn’t happen to add any coolant lately did you? Currently there are 2 main products on the market. The traditional Green Stuff and the long life coolants. Could be orange, red or yellow. Depending on what brand you purchase.

Needless to say, the can not be mixed together. If the do, they will form a brown goo clay like material.Which will collect in the reservoir and under the coolant cap. If unchecked, it will eventually clog up your heater core and radiator.[/quote]

This was my thought too as I see this with Toyota’s a lot. Mixing different types of coolant usually makes a brown mess. The cure would be to flush it out and replace it with one type of coolant. Of course be sure you don’t have an issue with the cooling system first. This video might help.

[Author]

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