Yuck!!!

[TX_WS6_02]

I was inspecting my car today to make sure everything is good for my trip to Virginia tomorrow. Lookie what I found...








It's from the side resivoir by the battery, not the main opening to refill the radiator. Anyone ever see gunk like this???

[02cetransam]

If have an A4, it looks like your rad let go and tranny fluid mixed with the antifreeze. Check your tranny fluid and see if its all pink and thick like that. If so, you have bad news and youll new a tranny rebuilt. I would recommend getting a tranny cooler so that doesnt happen again.

[TX_WS6_02]

If have an A4, it looks like your rad let go and tranny fluid mixed with the antifreeze. Check your tranny fluid and see if its all pink and thick like that. If so, you have bad news and youll new a tranny rebuilt. I would recommend getting a tranny cooler so that doesnt happen again.

It's an M6...The car doesn't run hot and she runs great. It's dark right now so I will have to wait til tomorrow to check it out. I really hope nothing is too screwed up...I really need my car to be operational...have to make a 1600 mille trip tomorrow.

[TX_WS6_02]

I dipped the stick back in there over and over again and it came out looking like that everytime...you don't think it could be some jacked up additive that the previous owner put in there?

[lancesT/A]

I dipped the stick back in there over and over again and it came out looking like that everytime...you don't think it could be some jacked up additive that the previous owner put in there?

it could be some additive but you should atleast try flushing your radiator just to be safe especially if you are going to make a long trip, but it is your car.

[LS1_TA_2002]

Don't forget about the power steering cooler, if you have one. If it pops the same thing will happen. Check your power steering fluid.

[Tony180a]

I was inspecting my car today to make sure everything is good for my trip to Virginia tomorrow. Lookie what I found...








It's from the side resivoir by the battery, not the main opening to refill the radiator. Anyone ever see gunk like this???

I had the exact same thing. Has your low coolant warning light come on ? Mine was a ruptured coolant line in the radiator hose. Long story but it still pisses me off because Pontiac would not cover it even though this surfaced with less than 7k on th odometer just not properly diagnosed by Pontiac technicians (until it was out of warranty) This wil cause failue of your rack and pinion.

[TX_WS6_02]

I had the exact same thing. Has your low coolant warning light come on ? Mine was a ruptured coolant line in the radiator hose. Long story but it still pisses me off because Pontiac would not cover it even though this surfaced with less than 7k on th odometer just not properly diagnosed by Pontiac technicians (until it was out of warranty) This wil cause failue of your rack and pinion.

Dammit!!! No my light hasn't come on. With that rack and pinion failure...will that cause your engine to start knocking a lil bit?

[third_shift|studios]

Dammit!!! No my light hasn't come on. With that rack and pinion failure...will that cause your engine to start knocking a lil bit?

shouldn't...being that rack n pinion are steering elements

[INMY01TA]

Coolant's supposed to be changed once in a while.

[acrylicophobia]

Yeah, what's your mileage? Just have it flushed and go from there.If you do a search for dextron coolant on the internet, you'll find plenty of other people who have had the same thing happen.

[INMY01TA]

Dexcool.

[acrylicophobia]

That's right, dextron is brake fluid, isn't it? Or ATF fluid. Whatever, at any rate, if you do a search for the factory coolant, you'll come up with similar stories.

[intheclouds1977]

Looks like either insanely old Dexcool or somebody mixed mixed the green stuff with Dexcool. Mixing the two makes a thicker mess that's corrosive. Kiss your intake gasket goodbye if that's the case and pray it hasn't damaged the passages in the block/radiator.

[acrylicophobia]

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/autom...m_dexcool.html Here ya go.

[intheclouds1977]

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/autom...m_dexcool.html Here ya go.

No offense, but that site is worthless. It's a bunch of non-mechanical idiots that blame their problems on DexCool. DexCool is superior to regular coolant as long as it is used properly. It must be changed regularly (not the 100k miles GM recommends) and must NEVER NEVER NEVER be mixed with the green stuff. I read several posts on the above site and every one sounded like an idiot who knows nothing about cars who probably didn't properly maintain their Dexcool.

I run Dexcool in all 3 of my GM vehicles. 143k miles, 105k miles, and 62k miles without a single problem because I properly maintain the cooling system.

The starter of this thread obviously has not properly maintained his system. That's isn't DexCool's fault.

Now granted, the green stuff isn't corrosive if not properly maintained...so it's better for the mechanical moron who doesn't take proper care of his/her vehicle. However, if you properly maintain the cooling system, DexCool is far superior for cooling. It should not be blamed for damage when the owner simply didn't follow proper maintenance schedules.

[acrylicophobia]

True, but I was only trying to show that other people have had the problem. And from what I've read, you're right, it's caused by improper maintenance, in particular, letting the coolant level get too low.

At any rate, the solution is to flush the coolant, and keep it at the proper level.

[LS1_TA_2002]

I flush the green stuff out of all of my non-GM cars and fill them with Dex-Cool. Great stuff, if properly maintained.

[acrylicophobia]

I don't know if I'd go that far, but if it came with it, I'd stick with it.

My '04 Dodge pickup came with HOAT coolant (available as Zerex G-05), and I wouldn't replace it with Dexcool, but I wouldn't put in plain green coolant either. From what I've read, other than coolant life, the main reason for using different coolants is corrosion protection.

[TX_WS6_02]

No offense, but that site is worthless. It's a bunch of non-mechanical idiots that blame their problems on DexCool. DexCool is superior to regular coolant as long as it is used properly. It must be changed regularly (not the 100k miles GM recommends) and must NEVER NEVER NEVER be mixed with the green stuff. I read several posts on the above site and every one sounded like an idiot who knows nothing about cars who probably didn't properly maintain their Dexcool.

I run Dexcool in all 3 of my GM vehicles. 143k miles, 105k miles, and 62k miles without a single problem because I properly maintain the cooling system.

The starter of this thread obviously has not properly maintained his system. That's isn't DexCool's fault.

Now granted, the green stuff isn't corrosive if not properly maintained...so it's better for the mechanical moron who doesn't take proper care of his/her vehicle. However, if you properly maintain the cooling system, DexCool is far superior for cooling. It should not be blamed for damage when the owner simply didn't follow proper maintenance schedules.

The starter of this thread has maintaned the car. i have had it for 5 months. Bought the car with 35,000 miles on it. Now have 46,000 miles on it. Car runs like a bat out of hell. Just has a slight knock when it is not all the way warmed up. Never runs over 210 degrees. Power steering fluid is perfect.

Everyone thank you for your input. I am about to get out of work and start troubleshooting...I will let everyone know the verdict...