Looking for insight into where this fluid leak might be coming from. Appears on both sides of the engine and looks like a thick creamy fluid with a green sheen. Pic below....
Fluid leak in engine bay (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter fahrvergnugen
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Not sure but it can't be good, It has the look of oil and coolant mixed together.
Check the oil and the coolant and see what they look like and report back
Check the oil and the coolant and see what they look like and report back
Could you take a picture a little further away from the direct place you see the fluid? Looks like wherever it's coming from it's getting blown back from the fan.
Try cleaning it up and looking for leaks while the engine is running.
Try cleaning it up and looking for leaks while the engine is running.
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- #4
Here is a pic from a bit further away if helpful.
It looks like a mix of oil and coolant. Possible blown head gasket or cracked head?
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- #6
Thanks cruiserdan, inside the engine oil cap appears normal and without any clear sign of mixed in radiator fluid, and inside the radiator cap also appears normal.
What’s the condition and levels of all your fluids (power steering, brake, trans, etc)?
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- #8
All of the fluid levels appear just fine.
I'm done 
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- #11
The coolant is aftermarket green. The slimy stuff is definitely coolant mixed with something else and has a viscous quality, almost like a ointment.
Maybe check your fluid levels and determine which one is low?
Then start tracing that system to find the leaks.
If it's coolant, I'm guessing first, it's a coolant hose or a radiator.
Is the top of your radiator turning kinda brownish?
How many miles?
What year?
Then start tracing that system to find the leaks.
If it's coolant, I'm guessing first, it's a coolant hose or a radiator.
Is the top of your radiator turning kinda brownish?
How many miles?
What year?
Pull the dipstick (cold) and does it look like the substance? Does the engine otherwise run normally? Pull the dipstick (hot) and see if the consistency has changed.
What your pictures show looks to be "lung butter", i.e., coolant / oil mix, and it's unlikely to be mixing anywhere other than inside the engine. It's not like there's a mixing chamber somewhere that has gone awry!
ADDED; just went put in the garage to study the area under the hood, and there aren't any coolant hoses that run in that area. My guess would be that under running conditions, you're getting coolant blow-by into the oiling system, and the overpressure is causing the mix to be ejected out of the Oil Dip Stick tube, as that's right where your pictures show the residue, likely blown by the cooling fan and underhood airflow.
What your pictures show looks to be "lung butter", i.e., coolant / oil mix, and it's unlikely to be mixing anywhere other than inside the engine. It's not like there's a mixing chamber somewhere that has gone awry!
ADDED; just went put in the garage to study the area under the hood, and there aren't any coolant hoses that run in that area. My guess would be that under running conditions, you're getting coolant blow-by into the oiling system, and the overpressure is causing the mix to be ejected out of the Oil Dip Stick tube, as that's right where your pictures show the residue, likely blown by the cooling fan and underhood airflow.
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- Thread starter
- #14
The dipstick doesn't look like the substance either old or hot, and the engine otherwise runs normally.
Thanks for the added thoughts. That seems to make sense, although there is some slime on the other side of the engine, but maybe just blown over there as well.
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- #15
The top of the radiator is kinda brownish. 160k miles, 1997.
Then it's most likely the seal where the top of your radiator meets the aluminum core.
These are known to fail when they start to turn brown. Mine literally exploded on the highway.
Get this checked and fixed sooner than later.
Wash down the engine bay with some Dawn Power Wash and a hose (try to avoid the distributor and other major electricals) then try to locate the SOURCE of the leaks. it's going to be towrds the front of the truck and may be both oil AND coolant since you're getting a creamy looking crud. it may be two leaks or more leaks of different types.
As an aside; when the plastic top tanks on Toyota radiators turn that bakelite brown color, it's because it's materially deteriorated from heat and exposure. They get brittle and mine looked the same before it exploded, and 160k miles is a good long life. I went with TYC1918 and never looked back.
The substance looks like it's pretty well mixed together to me, which wouldn't be explained by random oil residue on everything in the engine bay, then getting sprayed with a mist of coolant from somewhere. That #3 Steam Line at the top of the Radiator that goes to the intake manifold might be suspect, as it's higher up, and a steam leak there might not be obvious.
The substance looks like it's pretty well mixed together to me, which wouldn't be explained by random oil residue on everything in the engine bay, then getting sprayed with a mist of coolant from somewhere. That #3 Steam Line at the top of the Radiator that goes to the intake manifold might be suspect, as it's higher up, and a steam leak there might not be obvious.
Also, think the bypass hose #2 under the intake has a pin hole in it that is spraying on a dirty oily block and splashing back on that area. You will not likely be able to see the coolant leak unless you are under the truck with someone you trust in the cab revving the motor above 2-3k rpms.
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- #19
Will do. Appreciate the advice, given my limited mechanical knowledge. If it is the seal, is the repair replacing the radiator? A local friend is willing to help replace it, if needed.
Replace radiator, flush cooling system.
I recommend a Toyota Radiator rather than aftermarket.
McGeorge Toyota Parts Online
Check with your local dealer, but McGeorge can probably beat it.
Replace ALL of your cooling system hoses at the same time. These trucks are 25+ years old.
Use www.partsouq.com to source all your rubber parts such as hoses and bushings.
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