ressner

My 2006 Corvette started leaking antifreeze out of recovery tank during some recent very cold temperatures. It leaked a lot where it ran across the driveway. When it finally warmed up a little, I checked where it was coming from which is when I saw that it was coming from the overflow tank. I filled it yesterday and drove it a couple of blocks and it started pouring out. when I moved the car, there was a creamy yellowish white puddle under the engine area. It was around 1 ft. x 2 ft. in size. It is almost as creamy as hand lotion. I checked the oil dipstick and it looked like just oil and no white on it. Any ideas would help. I'm just hoping it's not the head gasket.

itomh

Even if it was head gasket, how would that explain whitish substance as this as hand lotion? Have you attempted to drain the radiator from drain plug and see what coolant looks like? Could the thermostat be stuck?

itomh

Look inside you valve cover, oil fill cap, see if if milky in there if it is you know it's a leak head gasket. Be sure to check you overflow tank! If you do have a leaking head gasket it could be transferring oil into your cooling system causing it to overflow

gliot1

Normally white goo is water mixed with oil. If you had fresh oil spots on the drive it could be the anti-freeze mixing with that oil. As said above look in your oil fill cap and see what you see.

Turbo6TA

Check your engine oil dipstick ... If you have coolant mixed with your engine oil, the oil will look like a chocolate milkshake.

If so, the first place to look is a blown head gasket.

Fortunatly, the LS engines don't seem to suffer from blown head gaskets very often.

ressner

I checked the dipstick and the oil filler cap and neither have white goo on them. They look clean. After filling the overflow tank fully and letting the engine run for 10 minutes or so and then driving it around 2 blocks yesterday, it started pouring antifreeze out of the overflow until it pretty well drained the overflow tank. it ran across the driveway. I can't see any white smoke when hitting the gas, either.

Turbo6TA

Good !

FatsWaller

That's actually not surprising. There should be two lines on the surge tank: full cold; full hot. The full hot line should be above the full cold line. Presumably, your engine was cold when you filled the surge tank. That's guaranteed to **** coolant through the overflow tube when the engine heats up. If the engine is cold, never add fluid to above the cold line. If the engine is hot, it's always a real good idea to let it cool down before loosening the pressure cap. I suggest that you read the owner's manual about filling the surge tank as well.

Now, if the tank pressure cap is weak, that will also cause coolant to get blown out of the tank when it shouldn't. As to the white color, that I have no idea. What did it smell like? That's often a clue.

Cooter Tech

Transmission fluid and coolant? Happened to me a few years ago on my GMC Envoy. Transmission Oil cooler in radiator broke. Do the C-6s use the radiator to cool the transmission fluid?

irok

yes they do.friends Dewitts rad leaked between coolant and transmission side tank.that was the end of that transmission

Turbo6TA

In the AT cars ... yes

the kid C6

I wasn't sure what this topic would be about. Maybe I spend too much time in CFOT.

ressner

When sitting parked for a couple of weeks during our recent very cold single digit temperatures, antifreeze ran across the driveway. I added some to within a half inch of the top of the reservoir, put the cap on tight, and then drove it for approximately a mile. it only got up to 157 degrees when i parked it at home. definitely not overheating. some antifreeze did then run out after turning the engine off. I loosened the cap and the antifreeze started to boil out. I quickly closed it tight again. I did get an engine light during my drive and i checked the code which were P0101, P0171, and P0174. the latter 2 codes were for lean banks and the other was for volume air flow circuit range/performance problem. I cleared the codes and it light stayed off for now. I may have just overfilled the reservoir although I think it is still leaking some, even when not overfilled. I think the white cream I found under it was from the antifreeze mixing with some oil that was already on the driveway, at least I hope that was the reason.

ByRiver

If you rub your car more than three times, you're playing with it.

myfunz

How is your water temp when idling? A increase in temp could indicate a blown head gasket.

FatsWaller

I would say you should get your cooling system pressure tested, both the surge tank cap, and then the rest of the system. If something is leaking anywhere, then there will be a drop in pressure during the test. Just my .02.

Cooter Tech

any Updates?

Daddy Freeman

It could be condensation building up. I just spent $500 to find that out. So I had a pcv system put in with a catch can. I previously had no pcv system and I am boosted.

ruxvette

Have you had the cooling system opened up lately? Perhaps air in the cooling system?

Corvette_Ed

In manual Z51-optioned cars too.