Is this trouble? (Coolant related)

[Cannon88]

I had a little milky substance like yours a while back. Everything else looked fine, but it was just like you have - just at the cap. I replaced my radiator cap and havent seen it since. Never know, it may just be that simple.

 

[damagnan]

I had a little milky substance like yours a while back. Everything else looked fine, but it was just like you have - just at the cap. I replaced my radiator cap and havent seen it since. Never know, it may just be that simple.

I wish...new cap, same scum.

 

[wrongway around]

ive had this before .tried all the usual stuff ,even the hot potato exhaust block thing ,i think that one, i got played .it was the the trany cooler in the rad, least i thought. put in the external cooler capped the trany lines at the rad problem gone .did not have the truck long after that {driver error}.

 

[94SRUNNER]

I still think you need to do a very thorough flushing of your system. It sounds like you have test the system to say it is not the HG. It looks like you have some sort of contamination in there. I know you said you had the dealership flush and fill the system, but they did not do a good job. Read up in the FAQ on coolant system service. It will be some work, but will help things out big time.

Good luck

 

[packetstormin]

I vote sludge. I have the same in my coolant reservoir from the PO mixing red and green coolant

 

[Offroads4x4]

You could try this and see if it clears up.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/96963-fzj80-coolant-filter-install.html

 

[damagnan]

I still think you need to do a very thorough flushing of your system....Good luck

<sigh> I think you're right.

I vote sludge. I have the same in my coolant reservoir from the PO mixing red and green coolant

I like your vote (and someone else's just like it from earlier)...nice and simple.

You could try this and see if it clears up.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/96963-fzj80-coolant-filter-install.html

WHOA! Yeah, I don't know...I'm kind of a 1-2 banana guy still. Also, as I read that thread (which was excellent, btw), I noted that 1) that didn't solve the problem, just treated a symptom, and 2) the build-up never got better (??)...mysterious coolant sludge

 

[Layonnn]

Maybe its just this terrible monitor, but that looks like the sludge that happens when you mix red with green coolant.

x2.

I would do a coolant system flush if you haven't done one in the past year or don't know when one was done last.

 

[Layonnn]

I still think you need to do a very thorough flushing of your system. It sounds like you have test the system to say it is not the HG. It looks like you have some sort of contamination in there. I know you said you had the dealership flush and fill the system, but they did not do a good job. Read up in the FAQ on coolant system service. It will be some work, but will help things out big time.

Good luck

Plus, if the dealership did it, why is there green fluid? Shouldn't they have used Toyota red fluid?

 

[d0ubledown]

Plus, if the dealership did it, why is there green fluid? Shouldn't they have used Toyota red fluid?

 

[94SRUNNER]

Good point about the Dealership using the green instead of the red. If there was red in there prior to the flush, or if there was another brand of coolant with a different chemistry then it could be cause for sludge to form.

Hopefully some of the other coolant system pros on this forum will weigh in on this issue. But like myself and others have already stated, You need to do some coolant system clean up, starting with a good round of flushing.

 

[damagnan]

Plus, if the dealership did it, why is there green fluid? Shouldn't they have used Toyota red fluid?

Apparently that's the consensus here...I have two replies (neither of them involving my opinion...I'm not smart enough to have one on this subject).

1) Green when I bought it
2) Asked dealership about green/red when they flushed/refilled last May and the service manager said a lot of older vehicles don't like the red coolant for whatever reason, and recommended the green stay in there.

 

[damagnan]

Update/file closed.

So:
I was never able to figure out the problem, but last October I was in an accident that required replacement of the radiator (now have the all-metal one) and there is no more crud.

What that tells me is that since I've put several thousand ticks on the odometer since then, the problem was likely IN the radiator, (and not coming from, say, the oil cooler, or somewhere more evil, like an HG issue).

So, to all the people who voted "crud/contamination," whether due to mixing of red/green coolant in the past (even though I can vouch for that not happening since I've owned it), or something else, I think you may have had it figured.

Thanks for help, all.

 

[brian]

fyi, neither of the two oem rads are all metal.....both have plastic tanks on them.

 

[doc W]

One other thing to check is the rear heater plumbing. I have coolant loss but not on road trips. Two recent 250 mile plus trips and not a drop lost; yet in daily driving I loose about a cup a week. Also have some rust scum in the overflow tank.

And do have a brand now Koyo copper core radiator, cap and t-stat.

Rear heater hoses explain both the coolant loss and the rust (I hpe!). Soon as the weather clears am going to bypass the rear heat hoses and see if it fixes things.

Link: https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/463511-overflow-bottle-always-low.html