I have an 01 Ford Taurus Wagon. No matter how well I flush the cooling system, within two weeks it gets this really nasty brown stuff in it. It starts as just a brown foam but eventually it just coats the whole inside of my reservoir and all the coolant turns rusty brown. Is there a way to control this or is it maybe too far gone?
And before any of you wisenheimers says I can fix it by pushing the car off a cliff, I kind of like the car so I'd rather fix the issue....

 

Not a dealer tech, but I have worked on all makes all my life. Back before we had flush machines and enviro waste cops we would just remove the upper rad hose off the radiator neck and stick the garden hose in the radiator, kick the throttle up to 1500 rpm and let the engine run until it was clean. Stop engine and add cleaner to cooling system, put hose back on and let it run to break up the goo in the system. Then pull the hose off the radiator neck and do it all over again. Mud and sludge gets into every nook and cranny and can really become a stick mees to try and get out. I have seen it get so bad that it rusts away the water pump impellers. It can be done with a flush machine, but it will take many flushes over a few months to get it to stay clean for good.

 

It may just be from lack of flushing, but I'm also wondering if there may be engine oil or transmission fluid entering the cooling system.

 

Sled4fun, that's basically what i have done several times over the past few months. I keep flushing with water, and air pressure, until the water flows clear. I have been using one of the "Universal" coolants that is supposed to work with all makes though. I wonder if that may be part of the problem. I just hate to spend 3 times as much on the Ford stuff only to have the same issue.

Torquefan, this really doesn't look like oil or trans fluid. I've seen that before..