I was driving home yesterday and the low coolent light came on on the dash, I pulled over poped the hood found the radiator almost completely empty, and what was in there was literally boiling out of the top of the reserve tank. Instead of the nice green color it was really really thick and brown. I bought some premix antifreeze, filled it all the way up and it only took about 1/2 gallon....... Crank up drive home, coolent light goes out, temp it great about 150 degrees are so all the way down the interestate, almost home light comes on again. I check the radiator and its full but the antifreeze is dark brown and thick. My question is, is there maybe a lot of "gunk" in there that had clogged so much that it would only take 1/2 gallon? And maybe over the course of driving home that 1/2 gallon worked through and just got mixed in with the gunk? Im assuming i need to flush my radiator out, whats the best way? Any particular brand of radioator flush you guys like? or should i just drain it and refill it?

Thanks for the quick help im going to try to fix this today

 

I don't know the "proper" method to flush the system. I just start pulling hoses and stick the garden hose in till clean water comes out. Make sure you flush the heater core - could be a source of the brown gunk. Flush the block and heads well. I like to force the water through both ways.

I wonder if your brown was a mix of orange and green.... DOH!
Doubtful, but all the more reason to flush it. IMO premixed is a waste of money. It costs like 50 cents less than pure coolant, so you are paying alot for water Also I prefer green coolant.

While you're there it won't hurt to throw on a new thermostat. Or test your old one by boiling in a pot, see if it opens. (Or if it is stuck open!)

And last but definitely not least, bleed system properly. There are two screws, bleed screws that is, on some coolings lines, you can't miss em. Again I don't know the proper method (which one first) so I do each twice. Some one here will straighten me out. - Oh ya, flush that resevior too. (How DO you spell resivor?)

Nate.

 

Thanks for the reply, I dropped it off at my mechanic today (family friend) for the price he's charging me its not worth me trying to screw it up myself. Also getting the tranny fluid changed also, 2 for one bargin. Again thanks for much! New word for the day Dexcool instead of antifreeze, who'd a thunk it?