Mystery foam in coolant

[kyle_in_rure]

Some background: Back in January I had a coolant flush done in hopes of improving lukewarm heater output. It had never been changed before. The heat improved slightly after that but I occasionally heard gurgling in the dash when accelerating.

Two months ago I opened the coolant overflow reservoir and noticed about s tablespoon of foam sitting on top of the coolant. I took some of it out, and it dried to a paste the same color as the coolant.

A month ago while in stop and go traffic in 115 degree heat my temp gauge jumped about 2/3 up the dial then went back down after a few seconds. It did this one more time and never has again, and I never heard any more gurgling.

I check the reservoir and there's maybe a cup of this foam crap sitting on top of the coolant. Nothing has changed since.

Any clues as to what may be going on? There is no coolant mixed in with the oil so I'm hoping I'm worrying over nothing...

Coolant level has stayed the same and nothing else is going on, so I'm just wondering where I should start.

Thanks

 

[kyle_in_rure]

My signature won't show up... It's a 97 EB 4.6 with 216K

 

[Habbibie]

You have oil mixing with your coolant.

90% of the time it's your head gasket
10% it's your oil cooler

A compression test won't yield anything as this is caused not by cylinder wear but by oil passage having contact with coolant passage in the heads due to a failing gasket.

Eventually that white foam will become brownish in color because the opening has increased in size allowing more coolant/oil contamination, and by then that brownish foam color is your car giving you a major heads up that the engine will soon hydro lock and at that time only a new engine will fix the problem not just a lousy head gasket.


Sorry you had to hear this bud but my recommendation to you is either start saving for a head gasket job (if someone else doing it for you) or start saving for a replacement car/truck.

This happened to me about 10 years ago and I just ignored it.... Sadly one day the engine locked up (from all the internal rust the salty coolant did to it) and I was forced to junk the whole car cause I didn't have money for a new engine plus labor, let alone another car to use.... Lesson learned!

 

[Habbibie]

This would be a good time to sell it too, make sure you remove as much foam as possible before viewing the car to a potential buyer, use a wet/dry vacuum if you have to just don't suck in all the coolant just the foam.

 

[AZ59apacheguy]

This would be a good time to sell it too, make sure you remove as much foam as possible before viewing the car to a potential buyer, use a wet/dry vacuum if you have to just don't suck in all the coolant just the foam.

You could do this, if you don't mind the Karma hit....... Or you could be honest and up front with potential buyer.......
Or, you could also check to see if it's tranny fluid. I opened up my coolant tank one day to find to find a milky/frothy substance there. It ended up being a small leak coming through the tranny cooling section of the radiator. New radiator and problem solved, something to look into.

 

[kyle_in_rure]

Is there a way I could distinguish between the oil and the transmission fluid? I keep telling myself that if there was oil in the coolant there should also be coolant in the oil, but it just looks like oil to me....

im somewhat concerned now that I've basically been driving around a ticking time bomb for the past two months....

 

[AZ59apacheguy]

I am by no means an expert. But I have never heard of or seen oil in the coolant tank because of a blown head gasket. I have only heard of coolant getting into the combustion chamber ( white smoke out exhaust ). Are you smoking out the exhaust???? Coolant is a LOT thinner than oil and can't see oil blowing passed the head gasket into the coolant circuit. Once again not an expert, someone please elaborate this.

 

[AZ59apacheguy]

The substance I had in my coolant tank had a pinkish color to it because of the tranny fluid.

 

[docraymund]

Check the engine dipstick. If the oil looks like milk chocolate, then coolant is mixing with your oil. Place a drop or two of that oil on a hot exhaust manifold, if it sizzles, then you have a problem. Ditch the truck but be honest about it just sell it at a lower price.

 

[stamp11127]

Another alternative is to have a coolant sample analyzed. Most large OEM semi dealerships offer this service which usually runs around $20.
The report will come back with more info than you know what to do with but tells you exactly what is happening in the cooling system. If you need help reading them the lab usually will give assistance.

For more information Google "engine coolant analysis".