Problem with my cooling system??

[Fitz98]

Over the last 2 days, I have been flushing my cooling system on my 98 Expedition, 4x4.
Fluid started out looking like a deep dirty green/brown color and after flushing through 30 gallons of clean distilled water, plus a flush treatment, the fluid is still looking like iced tea color.
Is this normal? I am thinking that possibly some other fluid is being introduced somewhere? Maybe transmission fluid, or oil? Transmission fluid is red, so I don't think the iced tea color would be the net result. Maybe oil? There is no evidence of water in my oil, but maybe oil is getting in the water? Or maybe this is just a typical color if the system has not ever been flushed in 145K miles?
Is there some place I can get the fluid tested to see if there is some cross contamination?
Any recommendations would be great, but after 30.00 of water, I don't want to just keep flushing if there is a bigger problem.

 

[The motor guy]

polaris laboratories will do it. Don't remember how much it costs.

 

[Chris142]

The bottom of the block is loaded with Rust and dirt. When you do a flush and drain the radiator your not draining the block so the color comes back.

 

[AandPDan]

If it has never been flushed it may just be all the rust and scale that has built up coming out.

Why not flush it with tap water via a hose using a flush kit. Then, once it's clean, rinse it out with the distilled water. Save yourself some $.

 

[Fitz98]

I have removed the thermostat, and have been circulating through the block and heater system, then stop and drain the rad, then repeat.
Do you think after 30 gallons that this iced tea color is normal?

 

[Fitz98]

I would like to run tap water to save time and money, but 2 issues concern me.
1) the long term damage of chlorinated city water that could be left behind in the system.
2) Is the return line the upper hose or lower hose? If the lower hose, I am not familiar with how to remove it. There is no clamp holding it, it looks like some kind of plastic band. and the drain plug drains really slow.

 

[Corvette Owner]

The plastic band has "teeth" that lock. If you spread them you can remove.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: AandPDan

Why not flush it with tap water via a hose using a flush kit. Then, once it's clean, rinse it out with the distilled water. Save yourself some $.

I flush my '94 LS400 with garden hose using Preston T-flush every 3-4 years for more than 10 years without any problem. I didn't bother rinse the coolant system with distilled water. The coolant system in that car is OEM except: upper hose changed a year ago, few heater hoses changed 2-3 years ago and water pump changed 5-6 years ago. It had the cheapest antifreeze I could buy at the time, sometime it was Preston and the other time it was Peak.

Originally Posted By: Fitz98
I would like to run tap water to save time and money, but 2 issues concern me.
1) the long term damage of chlorinated city water that could be left behind in the system.
2) Is the return line the upper hose or lower hose? If the lower hose, I am not familiar with how to remove it. There is no clamp holding it, it looks like some kind of plastic band. and the drain plug drains really slow.

The return hose is lower.

 

[Fitz98]

Thanks.
I took your advice. Too many gallons of wasted $$$
I flushed another 10 gallons through the engine till it ran clean (upper hose disconnected).
Then I flushed the radiator until it drained clean with another 10 gallons.
put it back together, start it, run it and it comes out like iced tea again...a little better each time though.
I think it must be some rust in the radiator that gets activated with heat, since it only comes with color when running warm.
I think I will get a flush and run it for a few days and then do another series of drains and fills, until I can finally get it running clear when warm.

 

[HTSS_TR]

If you already do several flushes with distilled water and still getting rusty color when drain it out, you need to use radiator super-flush, add it to your radiator and drive for a day or two then flush with tap water until clear, then if needed flush with few gallon of distilled water.

 

[Fitz98]

That's what I will do.
Thanks. Any preferences on flush treatments?

 

[HTSS_TR]

Preston super flush is widely available, it is only $3-4 at Walmart or any auto part store.

 

[OVERKILL]

There are two drains on the block that probably would have helped you. They are a bit of a bugger to get out though. I took them out when I flushed mine, and I was able to get it clean very quickly using the drains and a garden hose.

 

[mechtech2]

My partner at the shop had this problem with his mother's car [older Dodge].
The cooling system was always coffee/tea colored.
We concluded it was caused by an electrical flow path that caused it.
Never fixed it.

 

[Fitz98]

Added 2 bottles of prestone flush today.
I will leave it in for a few hours of driving and will report back when I drain it next.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Don't forget to turn on the heater to max when you start the car so that coolant/Prestone flush will pass through heater core, then turn down the heater if inside the car is too hot for Florida weather now. Also, turn the heater to max when you flush the system.