Is it as simple as the dye used for identification is staining the tank?
Description
Hello!
I wonder if any of You have encountered such a phenomenon - coolant tank walls and inside changed colour to blue / ish ???
https://forum.wscc.co.uk/forum/uploads/monthly_2024_12/IMG_20241214_222432276_AE.jpg.7d19c548017de68098f4e5fbff78d3eb.jpg
https://forum.wscc.co.uk/forum/uploads/monthly_2024_12/IMG_20241214_222451621_AE.jpg.f087c6cf3877e9c7325d8c907473975d.jpg
yesterday I have looked under the bonnet and saw blue/ish coloured expansion / coolant tank , that was previously white/milk (it was mounted new part
as for Clio 2 , this one : https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41GDFkeTKzL._AC_SX425_.jpg )
Car was siting outside in carcoon few weks, before that I did some local trips using a lot of heater. Engine / coolant temperatures was behaving
normal. No water vapour from exhaust etc.
Coolant is universal Prestone coolant
And heater core is copper. Is it possible that some copper salts are forming inside and colouring tank walls??? It was second year I was using the car
, last year did not noticed anything like that . Never had a copper core heater or radiator in cars, so maybe it is normal with that material ?
Also coolant was on minimum. Yesterday I checked with vaccum and system seems tight, and there was no visible leaks . But I am not sure what level was
last time , rather in half of tank , but maybe that was on hot engine, so in around 0C deg as was yesterday when I rolled car in garage .
Car it is Westfield with Zetec 2.0, polo radiator, in plumbing used some aluminium tubes, rubber and silicon hoses , rather nothing exceptional
Oil in engine on normal level , no coffe - with -milk oil like it can be when mixed with water.
[Edited on 15/12/24 by Andrzejsr]
Assume the coolant was clear when you put it in? Is it still or is it also blue like the bottle?
I guess it could be from the copper matrix. I seem to remember Vauxhall having trouble with copper from heater matrix affecting (blocking) the rad on
Cavaliers when they switched to aluminium ones. Poor earth's on one/both was the culprit as I remember.
Funnily enough, I have the same expansion tank, I am running Red OAT antifreeze and the tank is stained red.
Is it as simple as the dye used for identification is staining the tank?
Description
Yes coolant was clear (I mean fresh, not used before of course and no pollution in it). Now its more 'brown/ish' . So maybe it lost some dyes colouring a tank as in example of @40 inches.. or both dyes and copper reaction. Hm .
I've driven VW group cars for some years now with the pink anti-freeze in them. Doesn't seem to discoulour the plastic header tanks (even on 10-12 year old cars).
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
I've driven VW group cars for some years now with the pink anti-freeze in them. Doesn't seem to discoulour the plastic header tanks (even on 10-12 year old cars).
quote:
Originally posted by cliftyhanger
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
I've driven VW group cars for some years now with the pink anti-freeze in them. Doesn't seem to discoulour the plastic header tanks (even on 10-12 year old cars).
Those would have been genuine VW tanks. I would expect any new copies to be made of an inferior plastic, which could explain why it stains.