JDM13B

i went to check the level of coolant in my car today & saw that it was low. i popped the cap off and i saw some brown smelly water in the pump (looked like oil) so i got underneath and took out the screw to drain it. the same kind of fluid came out, smelly brown stuff. not much came out (maybe my car was still a little warm so it hadnt settled yet in the radiator) but what did come out was not coolant. i've had my 89 gxl for a month now and the guage has always stayed in the exact middle. is something leaking into my radiator

deadRX7Conv

That sucks.
Hows the oil level/condition?
Maybe its just really dirty fluid.
That is one of the first things to check with a new car--all fluids/filters.
I have seen several coolant leak-stoppers/sealants ruin the antifreeze. But I believe that the coolant turn muddy grey. Brown is usually the combination of oil and antifreeze.
Old antifreeze is the sign of poor maintenance.

JDM13B

believe it or not the oil level is very good. changed the second day i bought the car & its stayed at full since then. i cant jump to conclusions yet until "I actually flush the radiator & fill it with clean stuff" and then if it turns brown i can start to worry. tomorrow i will flush it...today i did try that though and only about a cup of the brown fluid came out, did i not let my car cool long enough? i drained from the big bolt with the spring on it under the radiator. is that the correct drain bolt.

89turbo2dutch

If oil is in your coolant it will form an emulsion the consistancy of soft pudding. If you put a pencil in this mixture, it will coat it so that you cannot see any yellow.

If your brownish fluid is not like this, you most likely have corrosion/rust particles built up in your coolant system. I would then recommend a thorough coolant flush and refill.

Mike

deadRX7Conv

Your car is oil injected. If the oil level isn't dropping, you have a problem. What year is your car? Start premix immediately as engine insurance. Search the forum for premix, mop, omp.......Maybe you're not driving the car hard enough.

Mike is right. The oil will separate from the coolant and is obvious.

JDM13B

could not premixing when i need to cause my engine bay to smoke....this morning i got home and i popped the hood and some white smoke was coming from behind my intake manifold.

Daedalus

One piston cars, white smoke sometimes means a head gasket is blown and that coolant is burning off in white steam. Has the car been sitting a long time? Because that white steam could be water in the gas. I had a porsche that vented white steam out of the engine bay when i took it out after the winter hibernation. As soon as I ran through that tank of gas and refilled it it was fine.

I'd flush your radiator and see if that's still happening.

JDM13B

it hasnt been sitting, i've used it daily driver since i got it 1 month ago. it might of been sitting before that though at the dealer...how the heck would oil get in my radiator though???!!?