i had a new head fitted on my 2.2td townace last year recently my water in the radiator and drawback system bottle has become thick black and tar like i have flushed it all through but it has returned i am not loosing any oil or water please help as i am now confused as she is running like a dream and as a novice owner worried because of all the bad reports i have heard.


- (#12788) adrian, 15 Aug 04 16:14

Hello Adrian,
Black coolant is not a good sign I'm afraid.
If its not oil then it can only be soot. This soot is unburnt fuel that is crossing over from the combustion chamber. The cause is possibly a blown head gasket, or more likely a cracked head again.

- (#12788) dave Bright (Bournemouth), 16 Aug 04 01:16

Head gasket. With the engine cold remove rad cap and start engine, check for small bubbles.
A remote possibility if you have an auto box is the radiator is leaking auto fluid from the nearside of the rad which it use's as a cooler into the coolant system. Check the tranny fluid level for blackness and or water.

- (#12788) Clive (Bristol), 16 Aug 04 01:22

Adrian. Is your vehicle 4WD and auto? Dave's diagnosis sounds about right but, if 4WD, there is a chance that you might have a crossover of autobox fluid via the ATF cooling radiator which is integral to the main radiator. Another check which you can carry out is to observe the turbulence at the filler aperture. Start up from cold, with the rad filler cap off, and see if there is excessive turbulence as you increase the revs.
There will be some but, if it is excessive,ie, spurting out as the revs increase, it would indicate internal cylinder pressure escaping into the cooling system.

- (#12788) John Davis (Leics), 16 Aug 04 01:31