Black sludge in my coolant reservoir

[Excitable Kid]

I made the ghastly discovery while doing random maintenance on my Integra. My coolant reservoir has some thick slushy paste inside. I'm not overheating or loosing coolant. My oil level is fine. I'm going to flush my coolant out and clean out the sludge mess. I fear the worst.

Please excuse my crappy, quick cell phone pic.

 

[Ganyon]

Its possible you could have a headgasket leak, but it could just be old and dirty coolant.

 

[Excitable Kid]

I hope it's just old coolant. Please be old coolant. I'm draining out the coolant now. I'll probably use Prestone super flush tomorrow since it's getting dark. Also, gotta clean the black paste crap. This is gonna be interesting. i'll take a pic of the draining coolant once it's done.

 

[Ganyon]

Does the oil look milky at all? Like does it have some whitish swirls in it.

 

[HooliganSKATE]

Sometimes the coolant hoses start to break down inside and when they get into the overflow container and chase that dark material, so that might be it? But I'm not sure

 

[Excitable Kid]

Looks normal

A-okay!

It's getting black in there!! So black! Gonna pour you out...

Drained out my cooling system. Ketchup-colored coolant with a tinge of oil swirls.

This is what poured out of the reservoir. Kinda looks like I collected some sample from a oil spill in the ocean

 

[ixcocoyxi]

if its an auto, replace the radiator.


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[Excitable Kid]

It is an autobox. Radiator gone bad? I'm going check upper and lower hose.

 

[TheCrimsonStar]

Looks like too much water, not enough antifreeze and the radiator is rusting.

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[ixcocoyxi]

It is an autobox. Radiator gone bad? I'm going check upper and lower hose.

it has tranny coolant lines inside and theyre damaged so it leaks into your coolant. i just switched out my bro's auto civic because he had the same thing going on. its just weird that water doesnt go into the tranny. check it to make sure.


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[Excitable Kid]

Looks like too much water, not enough antifreeze and the radiator is rusting.

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I don't think it's rust or else I would see evidence of it.

it has tranny coolant lines inside and theyre damaged so it leaks into your coolant. i just switched out my bro's auto civic because he had the same thing going on. its just weird that water doesnt go into the tranny. check it to make sure.


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That is probably my problem. I'm going to replace the radiator asap. When I flushed the coolant, whatever's inside the radiator is causing the coolant to become brownish-blackish once I drain it. A new problem popped up while flushed the coolant out and replaced it with new coolant/distilled water mix.

Once I started the car, my whole car shook and cylinder #2 is being a b!tch and misfired. CEL codes P302 and P1399. Does that mean I have to replace spark plug wires? I need some suggestions.