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Old 04-03-2016, 05:47 PM   #1
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Question OAT ELC - oily substance in surge tank

Had coolant in 2005 Fleetwood Expedition changed in November 2015. Also had radiator and CAC flushed. Drove RV approximately 3500 miles...now have low coolant warning. Called Freightliner Tucson (shop that did the work) and they said the coolant used is OAT EALC (the 2nd A might be extra, nobody knows). Talked with local Freightliner shop, they said it was probably CAT ELC and sold me gallon of the 50/50. I try to refill the surge tank (I can see the reddish coolant right at the MIN level) and I get new coolant all over me. Turns out there is an oily substance, clear with very very light yellow tint, that is filling the rest of the surge tank.

I call the 800 # for Freightliner, talk with them for a good half hour. They say don't use the CAT ELC, it is not supposed to be used in RVs. Later in the conversation, he pulls up an email that talks about moving from Fleetcharge or Alliance to OAT [FWIW, this is why it is NEVER a good idea to have similar names for two different products!!] and says Tucson shop probably did use the correct stuff after all. But still no idea what the oily substance filling the rest of the surge tank is.

Any of you guys have any ideas? I'll be calling another local Freightliner shop tomorrow but as of last week, they couldn't even consider looking at my RV until 3 weeks from now (and I PLANNED to take a trip to Utah this week).

Thanks.
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Old 04-04-2016, 07:29 AM   #2
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Pull a sample and send it to Cat SOS lab or another lab for testing. $15-$20 and you will get a real answer. Or wait 3 weeks for a shop to do it for you and charge a few hundred bucks.
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Old 04-04-2016, 09:06 AM   #3
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I hope what you have is two coolant types that just don't mix, cause if not, that oily stuff is either engine oil or transmission fluid from a leaky cooling system. Check both engine and tranny for any sign of coolant in their oil. And pray.

Agree with scamper - pull a sample and get it analyzed. Blackstone Labs is who I use.
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Old 04-04-2016, 12:09 PM   #4
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Pulling a sample today.

Bad news: it smells like diesel.


It's definitely not engine oil. And I doubt it's transmission fluid as this stuff is clear with just barely a hint of yellow (if you hold it against something white).
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Old 04-04-2016, 03:57 PM   #5
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Are you sure it is the coolant surge tank and not the hydraulic tank?
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Old 04-04-2016, 05:30 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scampers227 View Post
Are you sure it is the coolant surge tank and not the hydraulic tank?
100% sure. I'm a girl but I know what I'm doing.

I'll throw in a pic to show you (apologies for irv2 formatting, the pics kind of display oddly).
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Old 04-04-2016, 06:46 PM   #7
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I think you need to take it to a CAT shop and get a good opinion of the problem but you said they are backed up. A mobile mechanic might be of help. Just my dos centavos.
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Old 04-04-2016, 09:36 PM   #8
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"100% sure. I'm a girl but I know what I'm doing.  "

Had to play that card? If you know then why the question?
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Old 04-04-2016, 09:43 PM   #9
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and here we go........again
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Old 04-04-2016, 09:47 PM   #10
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I dont know how diesel could get into your cooling system !
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Old 04-04-2016, 11:35 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by 96 Wideglide View Post
I dont know how diesel could get into your cooling system !
Apparently it's an issue (rare, but still an issue) with some diesel engines. I have the CAT C7. According to Freightliner, 99% of the time it's from a failed injector cup. 1% of the time, cracked head. I'm hoping for the 99%...
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Old 04-04-2016, 11:39 PM   #12
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"100% sure. I'm a girl but I know what I'm doing.  "

Had to play that card? If you know then why the question?
I know what a surge tank is, which you questioned. My question had nothing to do with which tank the surge tank was, but rather what was in it (in addition to coolant). I know you were making sure I wasn't making a noob mistake, hence my playful emoji. BUT you don't see it that way...

I did NOT know what was in it (but had my suspicions) when I asked the question.

I have since spoken with multiple Freightliner service people, and determined the most probable source of the problem.

The RV, due to AAA's short supply of tow trucks that can handle an RV this size, will be towed in to the shop Tuesday morning. From there, the final diagnosis begins.


There is still a miniscule chance this is not diesel, but rather some odd byproduct that 'magically' appeared in my surge tank that smells and feels like diesel. But it's looking, walking, and sounding like a duck...and we know how that sentence ends. :(
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Old 04-04-2016, 11:44 PM   #13
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I think you need to take it to a CAT shop and get a good opinion of the problem but you said they are backed up. A mobile mechanic might be of help. Just my dos centavos.
Yeah, it's being towed in to Freightliner in the morning. AAA couldn't get the right size tow truck out here this afternoon. Freightliner owes me a bit of a favor, for damaging my RV when it was in their Tucson shop, so I'm negotiating with them about this particular repair. Fingers crossed it's just the cups and not a head...and that nothing else was ruined in the process.
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Old 04-05-2016, 12:45 PM   #14
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Hope you are lucky and it is something minor.
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