White Foam/Froth in coolant?

Thread in 'Technical Questions' started by S1DEW4YS-S1E, Nov 15, 2012.

  1. S1DEW4YS-S1E

    S1DEW4YS-S1E Member

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    Hi guys

    I recently fired up my 1997 BMW 328i after a few months of it standing. I topped up the coolant with normal tap water, not anti-freeze mixture and bled it.

    I started the car and let it run for a few minutes only to realise i had not screwed the bleed screw back in properly, and it started pumping out a white frothy foam ( a bit like washing up liquid bubbles ) from the bleed screw hole :confused:.

    Any bimmer people had this same problem? I have been advised of head gasket, but just wanted to know if there is anything else that would cause this

    Any help would be muchly appreciated

    regards
    Sie
     
  2. S1DEW4YS-S1E

    S1DEW4YS-S1E Member

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    Seriously? nobody ever heard of this :(
     
  3. a2pen

    a2pen Member

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    I suspect washing liquid at some point, some how.
    Take rad hose off flush with hose pipe and report back
     
  4. S1DEW4YS-S1E

    S1DEW4YS-S1E Member

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    Took rad hose off and flushed as mentioned. Still the same. Very confusing lol :nod:

    Is there any kind of treatment liquid that i could run through the engine to flush it out?

    regards
    Sie
     
  5. chr15_84t3

    chr15_84t3 Member

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    i've had this problem before, not on a bmw though on my 180sx.

    trying to get my car ready for a drift day at stupid o'clock in the morning, my coolant and my screenwash were the same colour, i'm sure you can see where this is going... lol

    just had to flush again and again and again and again with water till there were no more bubbles/foam and then swap with coolant. if you've run the car it will be in all the nooks and crannies in the engine that it normally flows through to cool it and it'll take a lot to get it all out. it took me about 6hrs to do with water then coolant. there may be some sort of engine flush type stuff you can use but i've never heard of anything like that
     
  6. S1DEW4YS-S1E

    S1DEW4YS-S1E Member

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    Thanks for the reply dude :thumbs:. I just thought with the advance formula's being created nowadays there might of been something on the market by now lol.

    Iam going to completly drain the screenwash bottle and the stick a garden hose through the block again, maybe i didnt flush it good enough like you say. Iam just really hoping its not the HG or thats a good £400+ for skimming and replacment :cry:

    When the white foamy stuff does come out, it dries to like a brown residue. A bit like grease, but not as slimey lol. Do you reckon grease from the water pump bearings could be a possibility?

    regards
    sie
     
  7. Sam H

    Sam H Troll Dispatch

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    You know the overflow tank isn't where you put the screenwash, don't you?
     
  8. mc_bob

    mc_bob Active Member

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    Typo?
     
  9. S1DEW4YS-S1E

    S1DEW4YS-S1E Member

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    Yes i know that sir lol, it was to see if the coolant was the same colour as the screenwash. for instance if the previous owner for some reason put srceenwash in the expansion tank ;)
     
  10. Will.

    Will. Come at me bro

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    Is this sorted yet? It's probably worth getting a sniff test and leak down done, just in case. Is it only bubbly when the engine is on and bleeding? like can you get some coolant out and shake it in a bottle to make it bubble? You lost any oil or got any mayo?
     
  11. Ton-Kin

    Ton-Kin BDC Pro Driver

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    had the same thing happen on my rb when i replaced it, just flushed it a few times still get a little bit now and then, and yes it leaves brown rank everywhere
     
  12. dustyjake

    dustyjake Member

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    The Brown poop is just old silt shit and rust wouldn't worry any about that
     
  13. S1DEW4YS-S1E

    S1DEW4YS-S1E Member

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    No not yet. It is only bubbling when it gets up to temperature (say 92 degrees), or when i have the bleed hole open after running at temp. it seems to only go frothy when its heated up as it stays as normal water when its cold. I pour it in the tank as normal water, start the car and run it up to temp, turn it of after 5 mins or so, then it comes back into the tank as frothy white foam. My guess was its doing it somewhere inside the engine block

    Ive looked for sign's of mayo but there dosent seem to be any. just the white froth. Sounds really confusing dosen't it, but thats how it is. and its bloody annoying lol
     

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