Is coolant supposed to be thick and gold?

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by slogans7

Very logical analysis, my friend. I did put in distilled water and a bit of Prestone prior to this situation occurring, after the red dashboard warning light came on and I found my coolant level was really low.

The colors in the photo are accurate. The stuff (which seems to rise to the top of the coolant liquid and bubbled out first when I took off the cap to readjust) seems perfectly "mixed" - not what you'd expect from oil and water.

My temp seems to stay between 180-190. I don't know what is considered normal. My longtime mechanic is really busy and I can't get in until Tuesday. I spoke with him and gave him all the details, and he assured my the car will be OK until then, as long as it doesn't overheat. So I'm driving with one eye constantly on the temp gauge.

What temp do you guys usually see?

It's your car, but I wouldn't be driving it around if I knew there was something wrong with the cooling system.