Chunky Brown Sludge in Coolant Tank...

[violametallic-S-]

Its been a while but I haven't fixed this issue yet. I finally dropped it off at the mechanics and they realised theirs some brown gunk on the dip stick.

Its being inspected as we speak.

I've been ignorant about this whole IMS and RMS ordeal thinking it would never happen to me of course. But it looks like it has.


What are my first steps in this matter?

[The Radium King]

if your car is still running then methinks not an ims/rms issue. you have 'intermix' (you can search the forums on this) - a mix of oil and coolant (ims causes intermix by shoving connecting rods through cylinder walls, etc., so not your issue). the oil cooler was a good place to start looking as there is opportunity for oil and coolant to get together if a seal goes bad. as this has not fixed your problem (or perhaps new unit was also bad, or perhaps faulty installation?) that you might have a bad head gasket.

edit: ... or a cracked head or block ...

[Skootnasty]

Cracked Bank 1 cylinder head would be what I would look for. I tip my hat to you doing the heat exchanger leg work first, but it was likely to be this from day one.

Now the question is did you displace enouggh oil with coolant to scar a crank/rod bearing, or some cam bearing surfaces in the heads.

Skoot