# Car problems

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems/58583>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** sl, saturn\
**Created:** [December 11, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems/58583 "2010-12-11T23:25:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tiffanys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5e9695/32.png) [@tiffanys](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tiffanys)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems/58583/1 "2010-12-11T23:25:39Z")

</div>

I was told i have oil in my radiator and im not sure if its true. The water looks kinda orngeish. does any one no what the problem is

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems/58583/2 "2010-12-11T23:47:52Z")

</div>

Most cars use a transmission fluid cooler that is inside the radiator if the car has an automatic transmission. If one of these is leaking transmission fluid the coolant can appear to be an odd color.

Some types of coolant are orange so it needs to be determined if this is the coolant or whether diluted by transmission fluid. Normally, transmission fluid may appear to be a tan sludge but it can vary.  
Check the transmission fluid and make sure that it’s full along with being clean in color because coolant in an automatic transmission can kill the transmission pretty quickly.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tiffanys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5e9695/32.png) [@tiffanys](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tiffanys)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems/58583/3 "2010-12-11T23:50:42Z")

</div>

I was told it wasnt transmision fluid thati= it was oil?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems/58583/4 "2010-12-12T01:36:55Z")

</div>

You can see if the coolant and motor oil are mixing by pulling the motor oil dip stick out and inspecting the oil. If it looks like a chocolate milk shake, then there is a leak between the coolant and oil. You can check the transmission fluid by pulling the other dip stick and inspecting the end. Transmission fluid should be red.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 2:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems/58583/5 "2010-12-12T02:05:37Z")

</div>

Dex-Cool is probably what you’re looking at.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JayWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@JayWB](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JayWB)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems/58583/6 "2010-12-12T04:00:55Z")

</div>

Told you have oil in your radiator by WHO?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 4:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-problems/58583/7 "2010-12-12T04:51:13Z")

</div>

If the oil inside the engine is clean then you were apparently told wrong by someone and one wonders if you were told this simply because the coolant has an orange tint.