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Firestone Coolant Exchange

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shredaspud

New member
I always get my coolant job done at Jiffy Lube, but this time I went to Firestone which has been better to me because they actually change your oil filter when they change your oil... You can skip to the last paragraph for the question.

Anyways, it smelled horrible after I left and I just assumed maybe a gasket was upset a bit and it would reseal. It definitely burned some antifreeze. And maybe a gasket because it smelled a bit metallic as well. I figured it would reseal after I let it sit for a while. And it seems to have for the most.

It still kinda smells "different" when I first start it but it goes away within a minute or two. I checked the oilcap and it's fine, none of the dreaded white sludge. But the antifreeze has a few beads of oil right at the cap. Its a very tiny amount.

What gaskets could be damaged as the result of coolant exchange on a hot/warm engine? LIM was replaced and it's not that because i KNOW that smell. Should I have them replace all my oil and coolant (on a cooled engine this time) just to see what contamination I might have in them?
The car is a 2002 GTP with 58K miles. I want to sell it and I don't accidently want to sell a lemon to someone. I need money and I'm in dire financial straits, otherwise I would keep it.
 


I don't know where you park your car, but I get condensation on my oil cap once in a while. I also park in an underground garage that has open sewer drains, so its basically a car humidor.

Coulda just been a sloppy mechanic....?
 
I get condensation as well from time to time but I think he is talking about seeing it in the coolant not the oil cap
 
Dtrick22 said:
Usually when oil gets into your antifreeze you've got a bad head gasket or cracked head. Good luck!
Click to expand...

So if that is the case and the head is cracked... I'm basically fu.cked? I ain't got much money and I may have to get rid of the car.

Head gaskets look easier to access than the LIM. Given my experience is limited to starters, alternators, and changing oil, is there a way to observe if the head is cracked? Or the head gasket? Other than the dreaded antifreeze in the oil?

Maybe I will take it back in while I'm in class. I feel like I'm losing part of myself everytime I do that.
 
Heads and head gasket symptoms are very rare. Sure our heads crack..but we can not usually tell with how the car runs/acts.

I'd say you had a greater chance of a little oil getting into the system when the LIM was done. Then the flush got it stirred up from where it was trapped (being lighter than water) and it made it's way to the radiator.

If it's reddish in color, it's from the transmission and you should check the fluid level there. However oil in coolant is rare, because no where in our motors are oil and coolant close to each other where the oil has more pressure than coolant.

I'd clean it and see if any more returns. A coolant flush shouldn't pressurize or hurt the cooling system, beyond maybe stirring up some gunk and or getting a little coolant on the motor that would burn off and smell funny for a while.
 


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