expansion tank overflowing with sludge....

[bluesquirrel]

Evening all,

I know what the answer is here, this is one dead car... picture attached of my expansion tank.

Background, this car has run more or less beautifully for me the last 60,000 miles (currently on 150k), got through more than my fair share of sensors, spark plugs and light bulbs of course, and it's a magnet to any careless drivers in carparks, but over all a great car.

Recently it's been struggling to start if cold and especially if damp. It's an automatic, and wouldn't idle without a little help on the throttle until warm. Assumed a temperature sensor somewhere (new plugs, yes Volvo, 2 months ago), but didn't get any codes though and no time to swap things out to see what's what.

This evening, drove up to work, ran as normal, pulling healthily up hills and everything, just went back out to it though and noticed fluid under the car... checked it and it was a muddy, oily sludge. Opened the bonnet with some trepidation and saw that this muddy, oily sludge (a lot of it, at least a pint) had seeped out of the expansion tank cap. Opened the cap and saw what you can see in the photo.

Time to call a scrappy I fear...