Coolant dark brown and lots of white smoke
10-01-2018, 01:06 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 15
Coolant dark brown and lots of white smoke
So tonight I was driving my 04 GT on the highway and did a pretty hard pull up to 120 and slowed back down to speed limit and proceeded home. About a mile later there's a terrible smell that lasts until i get home (10 minutes). When I got home I notice a lot of white smoke coming from the coolant resevoir cap and a squealing noise. I take the cap off and notice the coolant to a dark brown, sort of chocolate looking color. I walk away for a few minutes and when I come back there is no coolant left in the tank and no more smoking?
10-01-2018, 02:45 AM
#4
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2,327
CAN you? Sure, should you? No...
Check your oil for coolant as well, this will be the most damaging.
When you shut the car off, due to pressure in the coolant system, coolant can seep into the
effected cylinder(s) where the gasket failed. It may hold in the cylinder, and not leak passed
the rings, but then if too much coolant gets into it, you can have hydro-lock. You will also
be filling your coolant reservoir a lot more often. My son bought an Impala, and told me he had
to fill the reservoir up three times already. I opened the hood, opened the coolant reservoir and
there was the mud everywhere. They took it back, it was only the 2nd day he had it. He was
dry when I looked too, so he could not run his 400+ mile route that day, he would have blown the
engine. The muddy coolant is the oil mixing with the coolant, a tell tale sign you have a blown
head gasket.
Check your oil for coolant as well, this will be the most damaging.
When you shut the car off, due to pressure in the coolant system, coolant can seep into the
effected cylinder(s) where the gasket failed. It may hold in the cylinder, and not leak passed
the rings, but then if too much coolant gets into it, you can have hydro-lock. You will also
be filling your coolant reservoir a lot more often. My son bought an Impala, and told me he had
to fill the reservoir up three times already. I opened the hood, opened the coolant reservoir and
there was the mud everywhere. They took it back, it was only the 2nd day he had it. He was
dry when I looked too, so he could not run his 400+ mile route that day, he would have blown the
engine. The muddy coolant is the oil mixing with the coolant, a tell tale sign you have a blown
head gasket.
Last edited by 08'MustangDude; 10-01-2018 at 03:19 AM.
10-01-2018, 03:26 AM
#7
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2,327
The coolant drained INSIDE the engine, that's why. That's not good...
AS it runs, the pressure pushes air and oil into the reservoir, you can watch it bubble. Then,
between each bubble outward, the pressure and intake stroke pull the coolant into the chamber(s).
So, you lose coolant into the motor as you run, and oil into the coolant as you run. The walls,
when the tank is empty looks like muddy water lines all through it.
You should do BOTH head gaskets since you're going to do it. If it were a pushrod
V8, it's a lot easier than with SOHC heads, with timing chains. SO, if it were the
V6, it would be much easier... Since it is the V8, it's a lot more work, and expense.
Depending on how many miles are on it, you do the timing chains too.. It will be all
apart, so there is no sense in not.
You can remove the clean the reservoir when you're done, no problem...
AS it runs, the pressure pushes air and oil into the reservoir, you can watch it bubble. Then,
between each bubble outward, the pressure and intake stroke pull the coolant into the chamber(s).
So, you lose coolant into the motor as you run, and oil into the coolant as you run. The walls,
when the tank is empty looks like muddy water lines all through it.
You should do BOTH head gaskets since you're going to do it. If it were a pushrod
V8, it's a lot easier than with SOHC heads, with timing chains. SO, if it were the
V6, it would be much easier... Since it is the V8, it's a lot more work, and expense.
Depending on how many miles are on it, you do the timing chains too.. It will be all
apart, so there is no sense in not.
You can remove the clean the reservoir when you're done, no problem...
