Antifreeze brown sludge

What's the story with this brown stuff that, I was told, must be used
with my 2002 Buick? It has solid particulates for some unfathomable
reason, which clog the cap and stick to the sides of the overflow tank.
When I needed to fill it, Autozone only had the green stuff, which seems
to have a boiling point that is high enough (at 265) even for an engine
that normally runs at 220.


--

On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 8:24:31 AM UTC-10, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
> What's the story with this brown stuff that, I was told, must be used
> with my 2002 Buick? It has solid particulates for some unfathomable
> reason, which clog the cap and stick to the sides of the overflow tank.
> When I needed to fill it, Autozone only had the green stuff, which seems
> to have a boiling point that is high enough (at 265) even for an engine
> that normally runs at 220.
>
>
> --

You have an oil leak into your coolant system or the previous owner used plain water in the radiator and that's rust. Maybe it's both.

"Tom Del Rosso" wrote:

> What's the story with this brown stuff that, I was told, must be used
> with my 2002 Buick? It has solid particulates for some unfathomable
> reason, which clog the cap and stick to the sides of the overflow tank.

Any chance this "brown stuff" comes in a bottle that says "Bar's Leaks"?
It's usually used by cheap *******s that don't want to pay for a proper repair.
Yes, it generally works if it's a small enough leak, but as you noticed, it tends
to make a mess of everything, and can even block the small passages in
the radiator or heater core.

> When I needed to fill it, Autozone only had the green stuff, which seems
> to have a boiling point that is high enough (at 265) even for an engine
> that normally runs at 220.

If it is Bar's Leaks that you were told to use, usually one bottle is enough,
depending on the size of the engine, and the rest of the fill is regular antifreeze.

Is this car a recent purchase, and who told you the "brown stuff" has to be used?

On Monday, August 28, 2017 at 2:10:29 PM UTC+8, Sanity Clause wrote:
>
> Any chance this "brown stuff" comes in a bottle that says "Bar's Leaks"?
> It's usually used by cheap *******s that don't want to pay for a proper repair.
> Yes, it generally works if it's a small enough leak, but as you noticed, it tends
> to make a mess of everything, and can even block the small passages in
> the radiator or heater core.
>
Yes great for clogging heater cores.

On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 8:10:29 PM UTC-10, Sanity Clause wrote:
> "Tom Del Rosso" wrote:
>
> > What's the story with this brown stuff that, I was told, must be used
> > with my 2002 Buick? It has solid particulates for some unfathomable
> > reason, which clog the cap and stick to the sides of the overflow tank.
>
> Any chance this "brown stuff" comes in a bottle that says "Bar's Leaks"?
> It's usually used by cheap *******s that don't want to pay for a proper repair.
> Yes, it generally works if it's a small enough leak, but as you noticed, it tends
> to make a mess of everything, and can even block the small passages in
> the radiator or heater core.
>
> > When I needed to fill it, Autozone only had the green stuff, which seems
> > to have a boiling point that is high enough (at 265) even for an engine
> > that normally runs at 220.
>
> If it is Bar's Leaks that you were told to use, usually one bottle is enough,
> depending on the size of the engine, and the rest of the fill is regular antifreeze.
>
> Is this car a recent purchase, and who told you the "brown stuff" has to be used?

I have to admit that I am a cheap ******* and have used a stop-leak product.. I suppose that changing the head gasket on a Dodge V-6 truck wouldn't be too difficult but the truck was marginal at best. The radiator was flushed and replaced with water and a can of stop-leak was added. After 500 miles, the radiator was flushed and refilled with antifreeze. That was a couple of years ago. The truck has developed a problem with the door hinges and the windshield has a crack in it so it's future is uncertain but I can't complain about the engine.

Sanity Clause wrote:
> "Tom Del Rosso" wrote:
>
>> What's the story with this brown stuff that, I was told, must be used
>> with my 2002 Buick? It has solid particulates for some unfathomable
>> reason, which clog the cap and stick to the sides of the overflow
>> tank.
>
> Any chance this "brown stuff" comes in a bottle that says "Bar's
> Leaks"?

No the brown antifreeze comes in a regular size antifreeze jug. It
looks like very muddy water right out of the jug.


> Is this car a recent purchase, and who told you the "brown stuff" has
> to be used?

I've had it five years and don't remember who said that. Before this I
had a 1992 that didn't run so hot. Whoever it was said that green
antifreeze is not for engines that normally run higher than the boiling
point.

dsi1 wrote:
> You have an oil leak into your coolant system or the previous owner
> used plain water in the radiator and that's rust. Maybe it's both.

That would make sense. Does oil mixed with antifreeze normally turn to
thick, almost hard, sludge?

"Tom Del Rosso" wrote:

> Sanity Clause wrote:
> > Any chance this "brown stuff" comes in a bottle that says "Bar's
> > Leaks"?
>
> No the brown antifreeze comes in a regular size antifreeze jug. It
> looks like very muddy water right out of the jug.

I'm not a dentist, and I don't play one on TV, so before I complain
that getting details is like pulling teeth, what DOES the jug say, and
is this a NEW jug you just bought?

Normally, antifreeze starts out clear, and is dyed to show what specific
formula or car it's intended for. You'll find good old green, as well as
yellow, amber, blue, red, orange, pink, or whatever other color is popular
with the hipsters this week.

Mister Internet (still self-identifies as male) thinks your 2002 Buick likely
originally used GM's "special" Dex-Cool (bright orange). If somebody poured
some of the old-fashioned green in with Dex, what you can get looks like lumpy
brown sludge smeared all over the inside of your radiator. Doesn't flow or
cool properly afterwards. Complete flush and refill with new would be needed.

Sanity Clause wrote:
> "Tom Del Rosso" wrote:
>
>> Sanity Clause wrote:
>>> Any chance this "brown stuff" comes in a bottle that says "Bar's
>>> Leaks"?
>>
>> No the brown antifreeze comes in a regular size antifreeze jug. It
>> looks like very muddy water right out of the jug.
>
> I'm not a dentist, and I don't play one on TV, so before I complain
> that getting details is like pulling teeth, what DOES the jug say, and
> is this a NEW jug you just bought?

It said 'antifreeze' and no, what I just bought is green. I swear the
old stuff was dark brown when new.


> Normally, antifreeze starts out clear, and is dyed to show what
> specific formula or car it's intended for. You'll find good old
> green, as well as yellow, amber, blue, red, orange, pink, or whatever
> other color is popular with the hipsters this week.
>
> Mister Internet (still self-identifies as male) thinks your 2002
> Buick likely originally used GM's "special" Dex-Cool (bright orange).
> If somebody poured some of the old-fashioned green in with Dex, what
> you can get looks like lumpy brown sludge smeared all over the inside
> of your radiator. Doesn't flow or cool properly afterwards. Complete
> flush and refill with new would be needed.

It probably said Dex-Cool but can't be sure. That does ring a bell.
Are you saying the stuff is known to make sludge when mixed with the old
green stuff (even without a possible oil leak)?

On Monday, August 28, 2017 at 12:04:10 PM UTC-10, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
> dsi1 wrote:
> > You have an oil leak into your coolant system or the previous owner
> > used plain water in the radiator and that's rust. Maybe it's both.
>
> That would make sense. Does oil mixed with antifreeze normally turn to
> thick, almost hard, sludge?

I've never seen that. Mostly, it looks and feels like brown mayo. Tastes like it too.