Thread: Coolant Recovery Tank Help

That doesn't exactly look like dex sludge. It kinda does but it almost looks like oil. Check you transmission fluid, make sure there's no coolant in it.

That looks good. I'm assuming that was checked with the vehicle off given how high it reads. If there was water in the oil, it would be at the bottom. Did you check inside the radiator for the sludge? That's where it really matters.

If it's just on the cap, but not on the walls of the filler neck, you're good. It can get so bad that it cakes up and you can't even pour anything in the radiator.

This is what I've found before:



That was from pouring about a quart of conventional green into a factory dex cool system. This system is going to take some serious cleaning to get to a safe point. It didn't overheat in the summertime luckily, but that crap lines the walls of everything in the system.

I'd say for you, if there was no coating of anything in the filler neck, yours is fine and the overflow may have just got sludge from being exposed to air. You can just clean the tank and hose or get a new one. The only way to clean the walls of the tank is to powerwash it, no brush I've got can get in there. My powerwasher wand will go in there and clean that crap right out.

That looks really strange. How about some other people stop by and give your opinions? I men Dex-cool is pink, or orange depending on how you look at it. Most universal coolants are a lime green, like mountain dew. And conventional is a real noticeable light-ish green. What I'm looking at there is like caramel... I'd do a flush, and cooling system cleaner too for a week before flushing again and adding your final 50/50. Where in the US are you at? If you live in a warmer place you could do that soon.
This was my old death-cool

like the above post

Originally Posted by Konner27

I live in Iowa. There must be a little bit of sludgy stuff on the top in the radiator because I sucked some out and this is what it looks like.

You know what? That may just be water, and the color is from the cast iron rusting. We've got a few people on the forums just running pure water(better not let it go til winter), that really looks like it. Does it...smell like water? Coolant has it's own unique smell

Well I don't know what to say about what exactly we're looking at, but if you advice it's probably to flush it and put some green stuff in there. It is quite light looking anyway, I'm surprised it read as low as that. Anything on the smell? When dex sludge's with green mixed, it smells horrible.

Originally Posted by Konner27

I wouldn't say it smells horrible but it doesn't smell like water. Would the coolant be runnier on top if I haven't drive my car in a couple days?

No coolant never separates

Well just pulling the lower rad hose wont drain it all, just doing that will be about a gallon and a half. Empty it into a larger container, and start the flush and capture it until it becomes clear. Probably should have 2 drain pans handy.