Black coolant in the plastic jug?

Tiny
BABA YAGA
  • MEMBER
  • 1997 HONDA CIVIC
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 230,000 MILES
Have black coolant in the plastic jug under hood, I believe it’s the reserve tank and the fluid smells like oil.
Thursday, January 30th, 2025 AT 6:39 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 50,193 POSTS
Yep, this happens when the transmission oil cooler goes bad, here is the location so you can swap it out, you will need to flush the cooling system using a chemical flush you can get from the auto parts store. Check to see if the transmission fluid is dark as well to help confirm the issue. Also, this guide can help:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/transmission-fluid-in-radiator-coolant-reservoir

You will need to replace the radiator if the fluid color is confirmed. Please upload pictures or videos in your response of any problems so we can see what to help you with.
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Saturday, February 1st, 2025 AT 11:12 AM
Tiny
FARR2007
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  • 212 POSTS
Are you positive it’s the transmission oil cooler hose? Also, where is that located?
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Saturday, February 1st, 2025 AT 4:10 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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The cooler is inside the radiator, please go over the guide above. It could be a blown head gasket as well, since there is oil pressure going through the head gasket. I need you to see what color the transmission fluid is. If it is red and normal, my guess is that the head gasket is bad.
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Sunday, February 2nd, 2025 AT 8:54 AM

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