Cloudy Coolant

[Nick7602]

Hi Guys

I have noticed this very strange cloudy coolant colour, is this normal ?
took the car out yesterday for a spin 110 miles at a steady speed, left to sit for 7 hours checked the coolant and this was the colour, checked to see if there is any oil in the coolant cant see any or smell any, and no oil when touched

Any ideas guys, I thought cracked cylinder may be

 

[Motorhead]

It’s difficult to tell from a photo Nick but it looks OK to me. It should be pink in colour.

I always find it difficult to gauge the coolant level. It looks as though you removed the cap before the engine had cooled down completely. []

Jeff

 

[Nick7602]

It’s difficult to tell from a photo Nick but it looks OK to me. It should be pink in colour.

I always find it difficult to gauge the coolant level. It looks as though you removed the cap before the engine had cooled down completely. []

Jeff

Good afternoon Jeff

Thank you for replying, my thinking is that the coolant remains clear, but I might be wrong, certainly on other cars it remains clear, the pics above resemble a strawberry milk shake, just not as gloopy.

I left the car standing outside on the drive for 7 hours, when I removed the cap after that amount of time the coolant was still warm and slightly under pressure, removed the cap again this morning to hear that same hiss, and release of air, which again I think might be odd...maybe?

Also it was damn hard to remove the oil cap, and was bone dry when I checked it.... but my oil gauge is saying full?

Happy Holiday Day Guys

Nick

 

[Motorhead]

It sounds as though there’s air in the system if after relieving the pressure and returning some time later it’s still pressurised Nick. Maybe that accounts for the cloudiness in the coolant? Has any work been done on the system recently?

It’s a high capacity system, so air locks are always a possibility and are difficult to purge without a vacuum device used by the dealers. There’s a burp valve under the engine cover if you can get access. Jacking-up the rear of the car might help.

Jeff

 

[Nick7602]

Hi Jeff

That sounds plausible, I will check tomorrow now as light is fading, I think I read somewhere that the coolant tank caps were replaced for an updated version due to lack of breathing, but I might be wrong.

Its quite interesting, if the coolant has air in the system then am i right in thinking the engine isnt being cooled correctly? wonder if there is a link in someway to the burnt out coil pack....

Have a good evening

Nick

 

[Motorhead]

Ill-fitting coolant caps are sometimes a problem Nick, and you may be right that there’s an updated cap available, so it could be worthwhile replacing it if it’s the original. There’s an additional cap on the expansion tank itself but you’ll need to get the engine cover off for access.

Difficult to say what could happen with an airlock in the system because it depends upon where it’s located, but I suppose that a localised hotspot is always a possibility. I doubt that was the cause of your coil pack failure though. It looked as though it was electrically induced from your pic, but you’d need to have checked for fouling on examination.

Jeff

 

[Nick7602]

Hi Jeff

What a miserable wet day here in Worcestershire.

Yes I will change the tank cap, if its been updated, its been updated for a reason.

Im think that if the car has an air lock, then possibly without coolant we would be frying the engine......perhaps?

Anyway had chance between the rain to get the engine cover off, check the expansion tank......am I correct in thinking the black plastic block on the wall of the expansion tank in the picture is the max level?

Thanks Guys

Nick

 

[Motorhead]

Blustery and wet here too Nick. []

If your coolant temperature is normal, you should be OK unless you have a huge airlock. Check the hoses visible in the front wheel arches to make sure that they’re hot when at normal running temperature.

I don’t know if the that block is meant to be a coolant level indicator … maybe, but the filler in the boot is just an extension, so the level there is the correct indicator.

Jeff