[tubadude]

okay, so i was checking my fluids today (oil, what have you) and i went to look at my coolant, and like usual, it is a tad low. about 3k ago i changed my radiator, which didnt fix my leak, but greatly slowed it down. anywho, i filled up my reserve, and checked the level in the radiator and found a nice bead of crap around the top tank seam.

ive never seen anything like it before, it was a yellow/green color, had an oil-esque smell, and had the consistency of warm butter. My father, who had been a honda tech for all his life didnt know what it was, just told me to wipe it off and see if it comes back. any ideas what it is?

my first thought it was from me going to a dry lake bed and the dust and crap coming up and mixing with the coolant. but i have always checked the top tank after i changed it to make sure it was never leaking there, but all of a sudden it is.

ideas?

 

[legendvr]

That's what's left of the coolant once most of the water evaporates.
Most likely you have a slow leak along the seam.

 

[tubadude]

^that makes sense, but my other radiator had the same leak, but it didnt produce that kind of build up. would it be from my other radiator have a more severe leak?

 

[TO90LEGEND]

Sounds a lot like bardahl's stop leak product it tends to float on top of the coolant taking on an oily greenish gooy consistancy. Sometimes it also makes its way into the overflow tank.

 

[sam o nela]

When I removed that radiator, there were no signs of anyone having used stop leak in it nor the engine...also, I did a pretty good flush before storing it and before getting it to you and saw nothing out of the ordinary :dunno:

I'm gonna have to go with LegendVR on this one and think that its goo left over from evaporation

 

[paulo57509]

What kind of coolant are you using and how long has it been in the radiator?

 

[l4zy415]

It probably came out from one of the water jackets in the block. Should have taken a pic.

 

[tubadude]

What kind of coolant are you using and how long has it been in the radiator?

im using Peak long life 50/50 coolant. i put it in when i installed the radiator back in late january/early february. that was around 3,000 miles ago. i havnt put any stop leak in the radiator.

It probably came out from one of the water jackets in the block. Should have taken a pic.

its all around the perimeter of the top tank on the radiator. i dont see how it would be form the block

ill try to take a picture tomorrow.

 

[l4zy415]

isn't the peak liquid yellowish?

 

[tubadude]

i dont know, i had to ask my mom what color it was.
<---- colorblind.

 

[l4zy415]

The Peak 50/50 is yellowish. I remember using it when I used to drive a 87' Toyota Van. I pour some of that stuff in there. Is leaking? When did you replace the radiator cap?

 

[tubadude]

had to get a new cap for the radiator, it took a different one than i already had.

so same time as radiator.

 

[paulo57509]

I'm sorry to keep asking questions, but Peak makes two kinds of Long Life coolant.

One is labeled "Long Life".....the other is labeled, "Global Long Life". There is a difference in their make up.

About Us - PEAK

I'm wondering if what you're seeing is the inhibitor package gelling when it hits open air.

 

[tubadude]

the stuff i linked to is the stuff i used. just "long life"

 

[nino418]

Sounds a lot like bardahl's stop leak product it tends to float on top of the coolant taking on an oily greenish gooy consistancy. Sometimes it also makes its way into the overflow tank.

My overflow tank is filled with exactly what you just discribed. Thats why im getting a new radiatior, hoses and a new overflow tank (mine's a mess.)

 

[sam o nela]

^ Ummmmm....does it float to the top of your reservoir? :hide:

 

[nino418]

Yes, it is on top of the coolent. The coolent is clean below it. I freaked out when i saw it so i have been driving my Honda Ever since. I am in the process of overhauling the whole cooling system.

 

[sam o nela]

Only reason I ask....are you sure its not oil in your coolant indicating a blown head gasket?

 

[nino418]

I hope to God Not, but there are no signs of a BHG. The car never overheats, there is no coolent it the oil, it runs great and it doesn't smoke. i would have never noticed it, but i checked the fluids one day and a saw its green oily goo only in my overflow tank. It is not in my radiator. The radiatior looks orignal so im not taking any chances, im going to replace the whole thing, get a new CLEAN overflow tank w/new hoses and 2 gal. of Honda Blue coolent. If the stuff comes back... im fecked.

 

[sam o nela]

Oh ok...doesnt sound so much like oil now, but I'd still be concerned...

My old BMW had head gasket issues that did not result in over heating or steam, BUT oil would flow into the coolant (but NOT vise versa) and we had to flush the whole system really well maybe once every three months....she still ran great though!