Spoiled coolant can cause a number of problems, and bad odors is at the top of the list.
“What happens is they get particulate matter in them and probably 90 percent of that particulate matter falls to the bottom of the tank,” says Bill Shaver, founder of Fluid Management Inc. “And it gets mixed in with oils and organic stuff, and other materials, too.”
And when this happens, the problems get worse.
“When all of that stuff sinks to the bottom,” Shaver says, “that’s a real good environment for bacteria to grow. And it continues to grow. It feeds on oil and it’s now a food source and in an environment of a dirty machine, the bacteria live in that goo and gunk and they eat the tramp oil. And if they get a large enough population, they actually attack the coolant concentrate itself.”