Coolant System Question
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Joined: Oct 2009
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From: Scottsdale AZ
Coolant System Question
Hello All,
I recently noticed a small GREEN spot in my garage, tasted it and yep it was coolant. I know that Dexcool is obviously not green and was wondering about the coolant system within Corvettes.
Is the whole system all connected together, as in the overflow tank not really an overflow tank...I mean, I thought that maybe some of the coolant in the vette might have been green even though my overflow tank is definitely pinkish/brownish colored dexcool (as in the previous owner putting in the wrong coolant and for some reason the vette never needing the dexcool from the overflow tank??
Im not sure if it makes sense or if t I hope that it was just this dodge neon that I drove for a couple days and not my Vette...but just wanted to clarify that question about whether or not there would be any way for the vette to not mix these two coolants together, as this was definitely green.
Just wanted you opinions, even though I don't think I have anything to worry about in this case!
I recently noticed a small GREEN spot in my garage, tasted it and yep it was coolant. I know that Dexcool is obviously not green and was wondering about the coolant system within Corvettes.
Is the whole system all connected together, as in the overflow tank not really an overflow tank...I mean, I thought that maybe some of the coolant in the vette might have been green even though my overflow tank is definitely pinkish/brownish colored dexcool (as in the previous owner putting in the wrong coolant and for some reason the vette never needing the dexcool from the overflow tank??
Im not sure if it makes sense or if t I hope that it was just this dodge neon that I drove for a couple days and not my Vette...but just wanted to clarify that question about whether or not there would be any way for the vette to not mix these two coolants together, as this was definitely green.
Just wanted you opinions, even though I don't think I have anything to worry about in this case!
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The coolant tank ("expansion tank") is contiguous with the cooling system. No way to put something into the coolant system without it being present everywhere else. The color would make me suspect that the Neon puked/leaked a little coolant.
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Drifting
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You can look inside the surge tank and if the color of the coolant is orange/red then the coolant on the floor was NOT from the Vette.
If someone has changed the Vette coolant to the green stuff you need to start looking. The water pump is the most common leak point but the tubes on the surge tank get brittle and crack after a number of years and may be the source of the leak or the plastic tanks on the sides of the radiator are also known to loosen up and leak.
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Factory fill for the C5 was the orange DexCool coolant. If it was green, either the Neon leaked it or your car has the wrong coolant in it. Like was mentioned above, check the expansion tank and see what color the coolant is in there.
