nasty brown 'chocolate milk' in coolant
06-22-2014, 10:46 PM
#32
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Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Supercharged 440 Magnum punched .60 - yeah right.. 4.0 like everyone else.
Nope not everyone ... my Dad taught me ****e. He knew zippo about anything mechanical. I broke everything and had to fix it all on my own... and that was before the internet, forums, google and all the other quick resources we have now.
I had to go to the library and research and read. If you were lucky you have a local parts store in your town and they had Chilton or Haynes manuals.
Now I bring out my tablet, google the problem and go to work on it.
Huge difference.
JR
I had to go to the library and research and read. If you were lucky you have a local parts store in your town and they had Chilton or Haynes manuals.
Now I bring out my tablet, google the problem and go to work on it.
Huge difference.
JR
06-22-2014, 11:03 PM
#33
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Year: 1998
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Then.......now....... what's the huge difference?.......u still have to learn how the correct the problem either way.
If I'm reading between the lines correctly, the OP knew something was wrong, ignored it (if it ain't broke, don't fix it attitude) and sure 'nough, it broke. There may be several lessons learned by the OP in this thread.......or maybe not.
If I'm reading between the lines correctly, the OP knew something was wrong, ignored it (if it ain't broke, don't fix it attitude) and sure 'nough, it broke. There may be several lessons learned by the OP in this thread.......or maybe not.
06-22-2014, 11:15 PM
#34
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Year: 1995
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 with all of the noise and clatter
Then.......now....... what's the huge difference?.......u still have to learn how the correct the problem either way. If I'm reading between the lines correctly, the OP knew something was wrong, ignored it (if it ain't broke, don't fix it attitude) and sure 'nough, it broke. There may be several lessons learned by the OP in this thread.......or maybe not.
06-23-2014, 12:02 AM
#35
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Year: 2001
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That's cool man, everyone was young once and had to learn.
Lets get this out of the way first,
never let any girlfriend no matter how "special", ever, ever, ever, borrow your ride.
As you can see when you are not around they just beat the snot out of it to entertain their friends
then helplessly phone you with the "honey it just broke".
I would do a compression test (you can borrow the gauge n/c from Vatozone). It might also be worth while ($25) to send an oil sample to Blackstone Labs.
Now if you or the PO has been adding Deathcool to the standard ethylene gylchol it can cause a reaction as you describe. A flush first with baking soda & water then followed by Cascade dish detergent may get rid of some of the mess.
ETA:
OP does it look like this?
Lets get this out of the way first,
never let any girlfriend no matter how "special", ever, ever, ever, borrow your ride.
As you can see when you are not around they just beat the snot out of it to entertain their friends
then helplessly phone you with the "honey it just broke".I would do a compression test (you can borrow the gauge n/c from Vatozone). It might also be worth while ($25) to send an oil sample to Blackstone Labs.
Now if you or the PO has been adding Deathcool to the standard ethylene gylchol it can cause a reaction as you describe. A flush first with baking soda & water then followed by Cascade dish detergent may get rid of some of the mess.
ETA:
OP does it look like this?
06-23-2014, 12:06 AM
#36
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Hello fellow LI'er... I'm from Lindy, and now live in West Islip. Where is this place you mentioned... I've never heard of it. I go to Robert Moses, Gilgo, and Sore Thumb sometimes Montauk as well. But after Sandy, there isn't much of those left to have fun with.
sorry to hear about the problems your experiencing with your Jeep.
You defiantly need to do some more trouble shooting to find out what's going on under the hood. There is no quick answer to this, try some of the steps a few of these guys suggested, and get back to us. It sounds like a cracked head to me... which unfortunately will cost you more then $100 out of an LI Junker...but not more than $200. We're usually $75-100 over what anyone else pays in the US. Ain't LI great....
As for the wise-a$$ remarks.. we were all young once, maybe some have forgotten... go easy on the kid.
When I was 17, I did far worse things to my car than over-heat and crack a head. Anyone remember what neutral drops do to a drive shaft?
JR
sorry to hear about the problems your experiencing with your Jeep.
You defiantly need to do some more trouble shooting to find out what's going on under the hood. There is no quick answer to this, try some of the steps a few of these guys suggested, and get back to us. It sounds like a cracked head to me... which unfortunately will cost you more then $100 out of an LI Junker...but not more than $200. We're usually $75-100 over what anyone else pays in the US. Ain't LI great....
As for the wise-a$$ remarks.. we were all young once, maybe some have forgotten... go easy on the kid.
When I was 17, I did far worse things to my car than over-heat and crack a head. Anyone remember what neutral drops do to a drive shaft?
JR
06-23-2014, 12:14 AM
#37
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Before everyone jumps to conclusions lets get the facts right.
1. Does OP have any evidence of coolant in oil? This has not been answered
2. Was OP LOSING coolant? This has not been answered
3. Air entering the coolant system, e.i. bad water pump or other leak,can turn OAT coolant into a "chocolate milkshake"
OP did run engine HOT AFTER discovering brown coolant so he MAY now have a cracked head.
CLEAN and NEUTRALIZE coolant system and monitor for coolant loss. If no coolant loss then head is not cracked.
1. Does OP have any evidence of coolant in oil? This has not been answered
2. Was OP LOSING coolant? This has not been answered
3. Air entering the coolant system, e.i. bad water pump or other leak,can turn OAT coolant into a "chocolate milkshake"
OP did run engine HOT AFTER discovering brown coolant so he MAY now have a cracked head.
CLEAN and NEUTRALIZE coolant system and monitor for coolant loss. If no coolant loss then head is not cracked.
No, I have no evidence of coolant in oil, looks just as clean as ever.
No, I do not have any unexplained coolant loss
Yes, water pump went bad, but god knows what happened to this thing before I bought it.
The guy who sold it to me definately knew there was something funky going on with the coolant... too bad inexperienced me didnt bother to check before I bought it
06-23-2014, 12:18 AM
#38
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You might want to add a bit of TSP (tri sodium phosphate) to the Cascade. Hardware stores usually have it. Powdered cascade btw, not the gel stuff.
Last edited by Radi; 06-23-2014 at 12:25 AM.
06-23-2014, 12:47 AM
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If yours looks like that picture, that's rust.
I've never seen "chocolate milk" that color.
This is more indicative of lack of cooling system maintenance, not a blown head gasket or cracked head.
Yet.
I've never seen "chocolate milk" that color.
This is more indicative of lack of cooling system maintenance, not a blown head gasket or cracked head.
Yet.
06-23-2014, 08:51 AM
#40
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Next oil change im planning on pulling the cover and taking a peek down there. I am more than mechanically inclined to change a head myself, it is only a matter of aquiring one and making a bracket for the coil (if its an older head), and changing it before something does decide to crack.
Considering the coolant, I am releived to finally see that I am not getting oil in the coolant, that it is only just rust (nothing to be happy about, but I'd prefer rust over oil any day), or so you guys say (and I pray to god you are correct)
Thank you for all your help guys! I will put pictures up of what the junk looks like (which is something I should have done in the first place)
Food for though: If 0331 heads are known to crack, shouldnt there have been a recall? Or maybe there was, but at that time I wouldve only been 4 years old.
06-23-2014, 09:36 AM
#41
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Yet.
Next oil change im planning on pulling the cover and taking a peek down there. I am more than mechanically inclined to change a head myself, it is only a matter of aquiring one and making a bracket for the coil (if its an older head), and changing it before something does decide to crack.
Considering the coolant, I am releived to finally see that I am not getting oil in the coolant, that it is only just rust (nothing to be happy about, but I'd prefer rust over oil any day), or so you guys say (and I pray to god you are correct)
Thank you for all your help guys! I will put pictures up of what the junk looks like (which is something I should have done in the first place)
Food for though: If 0331 heads are known to crack, shouldnt there have been a recall? Or maybe there was, but at that time I wouldve only been 4 years old.
Next oil change im planning on pulling the cover and taking a peek down there. I am more than mechanically inclined to change a head myself, it is only a matter of aquiring one and making a bracket for the coil (if its an older head), and changing it before something does decide to crack.
Considering the coolant, I am releived to finally see that I am not getting oil in the coolant, that it is only just rust (nothing to be happy about, but I'd prefer rust over oil any day), or so you guys say (and I pray to god you are correct)
Thank you for all your help guys! I will put pictures up of what the junk looks like (which is something I should have done in the first place)
Food for though: If 0331 heads are known to crack, shouldnt there have been a recall? Or maybe there was, but at that time I wouldve only been 4 years old.
1. Take care of your cooling system first
2. Your head may not be cracked...the majority do NOT crack
3. After cleaning up coolant send a oil sample to Blackstone labs.com. This test will reveal if head or gasket is leaking
A personal story that may give you some hope; 3 years ago I bought a jeep for a song b/c the seller thought it had a cracked head. The coolant looked like yours and it was mysteriously disappearing. To top that, it had very low oil pressure (4psi). I flushed the cooling system and tested the oil and found NO coolant in oil! Coolant was still disappearing somewhere but could not find out why. Shortly thereafter the water pump impeller broke and after replacing the water pump guess what....no more disappearing coolant! I can't explain the low oil pressure but after 40k miles driving all over the place I don't worry about it.
In summary I got a bargain because someone assumed the worst.
06-23-2014, 10:09 AM
#42
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Re 0331 heads cracking: The earliest examples do it around 60,000 miles. Most will do it from 93,000 to about 180,000 if they're going to.
An overheating episode, just one, can make them crack at any time.
Well out of warranty. Not a safety issue. No recall.
An overheating episode, just one, can make them crack at any time.
Well out of warranty. Not a safety issue. No recall.
06-23-2014, 05:24 PM
#43
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Mine cracked around the 50K mark. Do I get any awards for being on the low mileage list?
The coolant system was dealer maintained religiously (the original owner was was wife's mother). Fortunately, she is very good with keeping an eye on the fluids, and noticed the coolant drop on the first day or two. Took it to the dealership who put a tupy head on it, and changed the oil. She's since given the Jeep to us, and it's now at 70k. Knock on wood, no other issues. I just finished putting new rear brakes, cylinders and the driver's hard line on it.
I love this Jeep, I hope it runs forever.
The coolant system was dealer maintained religiously (the original owner was was wife's mother). Fortunately, she is very good with keeping an eye on the fluids, and noticed the coolant drop on the first day or two. Took it to the dealership who put a tupy head on it, and changed the oil. She's since given the Jeep to us, and it's now at 70k. Knock on wood, no other issues. I just finished putting new rear brakes, cylinders and the driver's hard line on it.
I love this Jeep, I hope it runs forever.
Last edited by jpz; 06-25-2014 at 03:55 PM.
06-23-2014, 10:28 PM
#45
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