Water Shooting Into Expansion Tank

TheBlack5 · 12-07-2014, 03:05 PM

Quick question: my engine is overheating, and I'm sure it's either a blown/cracked head gasket or a bad thermostat. I say this because the coolant looks bad; not sure if the coolant has oil deposits or gases, but it is brownish.

In any event, when I started the car with the expansion tank opened, I suddenly seen water shoot in the expansion tank from the skinny hose that is attached to the expansion tank. is this normal?

another thing: when the heater is on, the engine doesn't overheat, and the upper radiator hose doesn't feel terribly hot when the engine is overheating. Thanks for any info!

DoubleParked · 02-19-2015, 12:14 PM

Milky-brown coolant isn't a good sign, could be oil (from a blown head gasket) mixed with the water. However, if the coolant is really old, rust in the system can give it a deep red/brownish color.

In addition to the water squirting into the tank, are there any bubbles in the flow? That would confirm a bad head gasket, or a cracked head. Have you replaced the thermostat? It might be stuck closed.

12-07-2014, 03:05 PM	#1
TheBlack5 Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: Black E60 5 Series Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Manhattan,New York iTrader: (0)	Water Shooting Into Expansion Tank Quick question: my engine is overheating, and I'm sure it's either a blown/cracked head gasket or a bad thermostat. I say this because the coolant looks bad; not sure if the coolant has oil deposits or gases, but it is brownish. In any event, when I started the car with the expansion tank opened, I suddenly seen water shoot in the expansion tank from the skinny hose that is attached to the expansion tank. is this normal? another thing: when the heater is on, the engine doesn't overheat, and the upper radiator hose doesn't feel terribly hot when the engine is overheating. Thanks for any info!
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02-19-2015, 12:14 PM	#2
DoubleParked New Member 7 Rep 23 Posts Drives: 325i Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: High Desert, under a Joshua Tree iTrader: (0)	Milky-brown coolant isn't a good sign, could be oil (from a blown head gasket) mixed with the water. However, if the coolant is really old, rust in the system can give it a deep red/brownish color. In addition to the water squirting into the tank, are there any bubbles in the flow? That would confirm a bad head gasket, or a cracked head. Have you replaced the thermostat? It might be stuck closed.
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