I felt very sick.

[frank rabbets]

Decided to look inside the radiator remote expansion bottle through shear boredom. OMG WTF white sludge on the surface. On removing a sample and rubbing it in my fingers it became apparent that it was what I had dreaded=oil. After mounting panic and checking the oil dip stick I suddenly realised the problem. I had flushed the cooling system in the summer and replaced with new fluid. I had gone for a run to settle things in then in the morning had topped up the cold bottle with power steering pump oil by mistake. Both red and in spare bottles under the bonnet. I had syphoned the useable antifreeze out to reuse but this must have had some oil dissolved. Going to bed to recover now.

 

[Higgy]

Decided to look inside the radiator remote expansion bottle through shear boredom. OMG WTF white sludge on the surface. On removing a sample and rubbing it in my fingers it became apparent that it was what I had dreaded=oil. After mounting panic and checking the oil dip stick I suddenly realised the problem. I had flushed the cooling system in the summer and replaced with new fluid. I had gone for a run to settle things in then in the morning had topped up the cold bottle with power steering pump oil by mistake. Both red and in spare bottles under the bonnet. I had syphoned the useable antifreeze out to reuse but this must have had some oil dissolved. Going to bed to recover now.

Sometimes Frank its best not to Look /Check things.. If its not Broke, etc etc... Go and have a lie down

 

[StarCruiser]

Decided to look inside the radiator remote expansion bottle through shear boredom. OMG WTF white sludge on the surface. On removing a sample and rubbing it in my fingers it became apparent that it was what I had dreaded=oil. After mounting panic and checking the oil dip stick I suddenly realised the problem. I had flushed the cooling system in the summer and replaced with new fluid. I had gone for a run to settle things in then in the morning had topped up the cold bottle with power steering pump oil by mistake. Both red and in spare bottles under the bonnet. I had syphoned the useable antifreeze out to reuse but this must have had some oil dissolved. Going to bed to recover now.

Oh dear, your poor ticker! It’s not just me that panics at these things then. At least you found the answer before stripping the entire engine.

 

[clivehorridge]

Almost a coincidence Frank, although I’ve now cured my persistent PS “weeping”, the top-up bottle of ATF is still under the bonnet in front of the LHS battery.

Because temps have dropped below -10C lately, I bought a bottle of red anti-freeze to ‘thicken-up’ the coolant mix.

After putting 1/2 a bottle in the rad to brim it, I stowed it alongside the ATF bottle.

the following week I went to do the same, but picked up the ATF bottle by mistake. I had the top off it and had started to tip it when I realized, so none went in, but it was close.

You must have had a sickening shock when you saw the sludge

 

[frank rabbets]

Glad there are at least two fools on the forum Clive. I think I was the bigger one though. Before I twigged I started the engine cold and gave it a good rev at 3000 rpm for 5 seconds. Then I stopped the engine and took the rad cap off. There was no pressure in the cooling system so that was some relief and started me thinking of an alternative cause.

 

[hopeless wanderer]

Decided to look inside the radiator remote expansion bottle through shear boredom. OMG WTF white sludge on the surface. On removing a sample and rubbing it in my fingers it became apparent that it was what I had dreaded=oil. After mounting panic and checking the oil dip stick I suddenly realised the problem. I had flushed the cooling system in the summer and replaced with new fluid. I had gone for a run to settle things in then in the morning had topped up the cold bottle with power steering pump oil by mistake. Both red and in spare bottles under the bonnet. I had syphoned the useable antifreeze out to reuse but this must have had some oil dissolved. Going to bed to recover now.

I wish I could have found the video clip from the film but here goes ...

- Its most famous sequence was the pre-joust toast (between Hawkins and Sir Griswold), before which Griselda warns Hawkins about the location of poison in the toast vessel, with the famous tongue-twisting "Vessel with the Pestle" dialogue ("The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon; the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true.") At first, "the pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true!", but then one of the containers breaks, so now the flagon with the dragon has the pellet with the poison.

Hubert Hawkins: I've got it! I've got it! The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true! Right?
Griselda: Right. But there's been a change: they broke the chalice from the palace!
Hubert Hawkins: They broke the chalice from the palace?
Griselda: And replaced it with a flagon.
Hubert Hawkins: A flagon...?
Griselda: With the figure of a dragon.
Hubert Hawkins: Flagon with a dragon.
Griselda: Right.
Hubert Hawkins: But did you put the pellet with the poison in the vessel with the pestle?
Griselda: No! The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon! The vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true!
Hubert Hawkins: The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon; the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true.
Griselda: Just remember that

(Oh and unmarked bottles are bad)

 

[frank rabbets]

My stupidity was compounded by the fact both bottles were clearly marked. The pump fluid was in the original litre bottle.

Never write on lids as they can be swapped. I've done that before and ended up with three glass jars with lids off and muddled up.