Coolant is brown and has sludge in it.

[sykopenguin]

I have a 1994 S-10 Chevy Blazer and my coolant under the radiator cap is brown and has brown sludge in it. A mechanic told me I possibly have rust in my radiator causing this. Also my coolant goes very quick...meaning I have to add more like every 2 weeks. If you need more info lemme know. Thanks

[blazee]

Sounds like someone put DexCool in it, being a 94 it should have had standard green.

Your system needs to be flushed and refilled with fresh antifreeze, but you have to locate the leak first.

Check the oil and tranny fluid for coolant, check the tail pipe for water. Check all the hoses, radiator, water pump weep hole, passenger side floor.

[uummm]

ya my blazer did that too, but it was because my dad never changed it from factory, and it was changed last year, mine is a 91. how long has it been since you changed your coolant?

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted by sykopenguin

I have a 1994 S-10 Chevy Blazer and my coolant under the radiator cap is brown and has brown sludge in it. A mechanic told me I possibly have rust in my radiator causing this. Also my coolant goes very quick...meaning I have to add more like every 2 weeks. If you need more info lemme know. Thanks

Go get your cooling system flushed and refilled and make sure they reverse flush the heater core.

Then replace the rad cap with something NOT Ac delco.

[sykopenguin]

Can i just do the flush myself with the prestone kit?

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted by sykopenguin

Can i just do the flush myself with the prestone kit?

I am going to be honest with this, it is cheaper to do it yourself, but it is better to have someone do it for you.

1.) They have better and stronger cleaning chemicals.
2.) They take care of the mess.
3.) They have all the tools there to do it fast.

I had the dealer do mine and they did an absolutely FABULOUS job. Much better than I could have done on my own.

[blazee]

The dealer is the only one that can do it better than you can. Local small shops usually have no predetermined method of performing the flush, it is left up to the guy doing it to figure out how. It does make a mess doing it yourself.

Before you do a flush or have one done you need to find the leak, if it is an internal leak (head gasket, Intake gasket...) the flush will make it worse.

[mrfirebird]

we took ours,1994 to valvoline instant oil change and had it done. it was rusty red,too they ran it one way and then reversed it and it cleaned it all out . nice brite green now.

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted by blazee

The dealer is the only one that can do it better than you can. Local small shops usually have no predetermined method of performing the flush, it is left up to the guy doing it to figure out how. It does make a mess doing it yourself.

Before you do a flush or have one done you need to find the leak, if it is an internal leak (head gasket, Intake gasket...) the flush will make it worse.

Their is probably not a leak, just a rad cap not sealing properly.

Also, only replace the coolant with what was there is the first place.

If it is orange, replace with orange dexcool.

If green replace with green coolant.

Don't switch.

[blazee]

Being a 94 he needs the green stuff, as you know, they didn't start putting dexcool in until late 1995.

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted by blazee

Being a 94 he needs the green stuff, as you know, they didn't start putting dexcool in until late 1995.

If he has orange dexcool in it now, he might as well stick to it.

[rlith]

Originally Posted by BlazerLT

If he has orange dexcool in it now, he might as well stick to it.

Unless the dexcrap was mixed in with the green stuff... He should flush it and stay with regular.