# Why is it all red? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [January 22, 2021, 11:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-it-all-red/174420 "2021-01-22T23:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 11:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-it-all-red/174420/1 "2021-01-22T23:57:03Z")
My intake manifold on my 4.3 was leaking coolant everywhere. I took it out along with the valve covers. One side looks normal. The rest is red. I put up some pictures. Can any one tell me what’s going on here? Thanks. ![IMG_1104](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/9/d/9d2307a67aa330c79c3886fff161576ea371748b.jpeg) ![IMG_1105](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/2/123eb8b7643c938fd928b3b5ec78898198705d26.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 12:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-it-all-red/174420/2 "2021-01-23T00:03:03Z")
My guess is someone added an oil additive at some point to the oil. Hopefully they didn’t use transmission oil. ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 12:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-it-all-red/174420/3 "2021-01-23T00:04:58Z")
I hope not. Why would it only be on one side? ---
**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 12:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-it-all-red/174420/4 "2021-01-23T00:07:48Z")
Did one of the heads get replaced recently? Things look pretty clean at least. ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 12:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-it-all-red/174420/5 "2021-01-23T00:09:19Z")
I don’t think so. I’ve put maybe 20,000 miles on it. The last owner didn’t mention anything ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 12:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-it-all-red/174420/6 "2021-01-23T00:39:48Z")
Looks to me like one side got overheated and cooked the residual oil coating the parts on that side. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 12:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-it-all-red/174420/7 "2021-01-23T00:40:55Z")
PCV valve on one cover, air inlet on the other? One side has more fumes than the other. How often do you change oil? ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 12:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-it-all-red/174420/8 "2021-01-23T00:42:58Z")
Maybe. I’ve never let it overheat badly. ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 12:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-is-it-all-red/174420/9 "2021-01-23T00:44:02Z")
I’m pretty good about changing oil. Usually around 3,000 miles