Taken out of a 1995 Volvo 850 NA w/ 140,000 miles...what do you think it is? Take your best guess (multiple choice)!!

[IMG]local://upfiles/5776/FEB21D727DEE421D961214AD3A129FD1.jpg[/IMG]

 

Brake fluid is my bet. really old brake fluid....
[align=left] [/align]

 

I think its some old oil. Looks too dark for brake fluid andcoolant.

Either that or thats some rank skim milk

 

Trans fluid.

 

Can we ask for a clue? Was it all taken out at one time or is this from multiple changes?

It seems like too much for ATF or Brake Fluid (but I'm just guessing, I've never fully drained either of those).

As for the color, oil is definitely believable, seems too dark for coolant or milk (I hope).

If it was all taken at one time, I'd say oil, but if it was taken separately, I'd say ATF.

 

If anything, it's too little for ATF. ATF holds 8 quarts and that's a gallon container. If he flushed it, it's closer to 12 quarts total...

I haven't done the brake fluid before, but around a gallon of it seems like too much....The lines are tiny and don't need much...

 

Good to know - our Volvo is the first automatic that I've owned (or expect to own) for a long time.

 

I voted for skim milk, couldn't help myself. It was too funny a choice to pass by. I think coolant.

 

I voted for coolant. Pretty dark for coolant though.

 

Coolant is CORRECT!!! I couldn't believe how dark it looked, I had to take a picture. Unfortunately I could only drain the radiator because I couldn't figure out where the tap on the engine was, so I got only about half of it out...

 

Wow, that's some nasty coolant. Even the stuff that came out of this radiator: https://volvoforums.com/m_78458/tm.htmdidn't look that bad (I changed it out just a month or so before the leak seen there).

 

The block drain in on the back of the engine.
It is like just below the head on the R/S of the car.

 

Yeah I kinda feel bad for my car, it definitely drew the short stick when it got me as its owner...I do baby it while I drive though. I'm just really bad at preventive mx, I live in an apartment complex so it's hard to do without the management saying stuff.

 

I can relate to that. I was in an apartment for ~4 years before moving to where we could afford a house. I really really like having a garage to work in.

 

Yeah the median house price is around $350k here, yeah no thanks! However it looks like I might be able to transfer to a cheaper area of the country in NC in the next 6 months, we're looking forward to getting a house with a garage!

I think the coolant change will hold me over until then, but it still looks pretty nasty with only half the blackened coolant out when compared to the new stuff. I drove today for about 15 minutes on the highway, the temp gauge didn't go above about 1/3 warm, I wonder if something failed. That seems a little cold for a 60F+ day drive on the highway.

 

Maybe thermostat broke.