Yellow sludge on coolant dipstick but not on radiator cap or oil
10-26-2017, 01:43 PM
#1
Teching In
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yellow sludge on coolant dipstick but not on radiator cap or oil 
Have a 2002 firebird formula and it has a yellow sludge on the coolant dipstick thinking it might be head gasket?¿
10-26-2017, 03:23 PM
#2
Moderator
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: My own internal universe
Posts: 10,452
Received 1,852 Likes
on
1,152 Posts
That’s your power steering cooler. Delete it
10-26-2017, 06:34 PM
#3
Reservoirs get nasty with time. If the radiator and oil look fine then mechanically I think you're ok. The only way you'll be able to clean up that mess is to remove the reservoir and shake/rinse it out good with gas, all purpose cleaner, ect.
Like Darth said, getting rid of the stock power steering cooler is always a good idea to prevent power steering fluid from mixing with coolant.
Like Darth said, getting rid of the stock power steering cooler is always a good idea to prevent power steering fluid from mixing with coolant.
10-26-2017, 07:24 PM
#4
Teching In
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Reservoirs get nasty with time. If the radiator and oil look fine then mechanically I think you're ok. The only way you'll be able to clean up that mess is to remove the reservoir and shake/rinse it out good with gas, all purpose cleaner, ect.
Like Darth said, getting rid of the stock power steering cooler is always a good idea to prevent power steering fluid from mixing with coolant.
Like Darth said, getting rid of the stock power steering cooler is always a good idea to prevent power steering fluid from mixing with coolant.
10-27-2017, 06:34 AM
#5
Here's a thread on an alternate cooler, but buried in the numerous posts is a pretty definitive analysis that they aren't needed for most people:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-m...g-success.html
If you delete the cooler, just keep the P/S fluid regularly changed out (every couple of years) and things will be marvelous.
10-29-2017, 10:10 PM
#6
TECH Enthusiast
And if someone did mix coolants in your car, that's a problem to be addressed as well...especially if DexCool was mixed with other formulations or even universal coolants.
I'd agree that a gunked up reservoir dip stick is quite common, even if the rest of the system looks clean. If the dip stick gunks up from PS fluid in your coolant system, it should be everywhere else in your coolant system too. I concur about the PS cooler removal even if its currently not leaking. Took mine out of play 2 years ago with 17K miles.
I'd agree that a gunked up reservoir dip stick is quite common, even if the rest of the system looks clean. If the dip stick gunks up from PS fluid in your coolant system, it should be everywhere else in your coolant system too. I concur about the PS cooler removal even if its currently not leaking. Took mine out of play 2 years ago with 17K miles.