Someone please tell me this isn't what I think it is. (pic)

[macr6]

When I sit at a drive thru with the AC on my temp gauge would rise and my AC would stop being cold. Turn of the AC and the temp goes back to normal. Thought to myself "Self, you need to check your coolant level, since you did a flush a couple of months ago." Get home go to check the level in the overflow reservoir and see that it is at the "Cold Full" line after the truck has been running. So I go get some coolant to add to the reservoir and find the below pic. Please tell me that is just sludge that I don't have to worry about and not some mix of tranny fluid and coolant. Pretty please

This pic is sideways. It's a pic of my coolant res taken with my iPhone.

 

[zukman]

I would try flushing the system again. It appears from the pic to be residue from the engine block, flush it with water till its clean then replace with coolant

 

[AlexSport'00]

Yeah. Mine wasn't that bad, but I found that lovely look in mine a few weeks back when I noticed a small leak in the coolant hose. I just flushed it out and replaced it with coolant and it hasn't had a problem since then (and I fixed the hose, of course lol). Not sure why that happened so quickly though... good luck!

 

[Town]

The overheating at idle may also be caused from debris in the A/C condenser and between the condenser and the coolant rad. The debris can be flushed out with water, usually from the engine side toward the front. Also check the cooling fan thermostatic control; the fan is always turned by the engine but does not generate much cooling air until the thermostat engages the drive as required to cool the coolant rad and condenser. The fan should cycle between a low fan noise and a much stronger fan noise when at idle.

The brown sludge does not look like an oil residue. Oil will usually cause a rainbow colour on the surface of the coolant. With the engine cool/cold remove the rad cap to check the coolant level (should be completely full) and see if there is that sludge on the cap or at the top of the rad. New coolant will tend to remove crap from the engine and entire cooling system, including previously applied "stopleak". You may need to remove the coolant overflow bottle to remove all the sludge. Then see if it comes back.

Check if you have an air-lock. The heater hose has a valve that shuts off coolant flow to the heater core when A/C is selected. Turn the heater on and check for hot air at the outlets. If cool then check the hoses to the heater core since there may be a restriction or air lock. There is no specific bleeding procedure recommended by Ford, just keep filling the rad and running through the "run engine to normal temp, check heater output and allow to cool and fill and run engine to normal temp ..... several times. The high mounted rad usually eliminates air easily.

Having to flush the cooling system again would be expensive and perhaps not necessary.

Good luck.

 

[TechMike]

I hope you have solved the problem by now, but if not here's my $.02. It looks very similar to stop-leak, bars-leak, etc... floating in the reservoir, not sludge or any type of cross-contamination of coolant and oil.

There seems to be a good deal of gunk in there if it's floating up to the top. Did you at any point add bars-leak or some other stop-leak additive?

If you did, I would find the offending leak with a pressure test kit and solve the actual problem. My suspicion would be a worn through freeze plug at the back of the engine (experience 101). Replace all the freeze plugs, flush the hell out of the engine and fill it back up.

 

[koda2000]

I hope you have solved the problem by now, but if not here's my $.02. It looks very similar to stop-leak, bars-leak, etc... floating in the reservoir, not sludge or any type of cross-contamination of coolant and oil.

There seems to be a good deal of gunk in there if it's floating up to the top. Did you at any point add bars-leak or some other stop-leak additive?

If you did, I would find the offending leak with a pressure test kit and solve the actual problem. My suspicion would be a worn through freeze plug at the back of the engine (experience 101). Replace all the freeze plugs, flush the hell out of the engine and fill it back up.

I agree, looks like Bar's stopleak.

 

[The Scott]

What does the oil in the crankcase look like? If it is frothy and discolored that is bad.

 

[TechMike]

What does the oil in the crankcase look like? If it is frothy and discolored that is bad.

If it's a small leak it may not show up as milky or frothy oil. I suggest going to the local parts store and renting a cooling system pressure test kit and determine if there is in fact a leak.

Remove the radiator cap and attach the cooling system pressure test kit to the radiator. Pump the pressure up to 18psi and watch for the needle to either drop or remain constant. If pressure is maintained, there is no leak. If it drops, there is a leak. The most probable external leak locations are freeze plugs, hoses, gaskets and seals. If pressure drops and there's no external visible leak, then you probably have a head gasket, intake gasket or in rare instances a timing cover gasket failure.

Beware that performing this test will in most cases cause the failing component to completely fail or deteriorate to a point where replacement is required.

With that said, perform the test and let us know what you come up with.

 

[macr6]

I'm going to do perform the test this weekend. Looks like I have a leak somewhere but I am not sure where.

I have purchased this vehicle new so I have not added any stop leak stuff to the cooling system. It could very possible be sand or dirt from the beach as we go to the Outer Banks, NC and stay out on the beach. (it's a 10 mile drive on the beach just to get to the house)

My heating system is now jacked up. It wont heat while idle but if I hit the accelerator while stopped heat will come pouring out. I opened up the radiator and had to add coolant. Ran the car and looked down to see coolant dripping. Not sure if it was from my poor pouring job or if there is a leak. I'm sure there is one by the amount I had to add back into the radiator.