Possible coolant in my oil but no oil in the coolant. Use about 1 l of coolant per 100km.
It looks like coolant in the oil ; no oil in the coolant. Head gasket 100% and was tested via the radiator chemical test, leak down test in to the cyclinders, coolant pressure tests pass. The engine runs perfect. Slight white Goo in the oil cap.
My car has 135000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Check the transmission fluid. If all testing eliminates the head gasket, cracked cylinder head, etc, it may be a cracked radiator.Transmission fluid is sent forward to the radiator to be cooled. Ir runs into what is typically called the "side tanks" of the radiator. So the transmission fluid and coolant are both flowing through the radiator and kept apart just as the engine oil and coolant are kept apart in the engine by the head gasket, coolant and oil passages, etc. If the tank in the radiator is cracked internally, transmission fluid may actually be forced into the coolant as transmission fluid is under higher pressure than the coolant. Short of a cracked head gasket, cylinder head, or engine block, it’s really the only other source of any type of oil getting into the coolant unless the vehicle is equipped with an engine oil cooler as well.
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Short of a cracked head gasket, cylinder head, or engine block, it`s really the only other source of any type of oil getting into the coolant unless the vehicle is equipped with an engine oil cooler as well.
Not only does fluid cross-contamination become a problem, but the engine may also lose cylinder compression and suffer further overheating via coolant loss. In short, low oil levels can potentially lead to overheating, which in turn causes further damage to internal engine components.
Driving with coolant in oil will cause damage to the engine and would lead to more expensive engine repair later on, or even complete engine replacement. Hence, you should never drive with coolant in the oil.
When the water pump fails, it can cause coolant to leak into the oil, which can lead to engine problems. If you notice this happening, it`s important to take your vehicle to a mechanic as soon as possible.
Milky, frothy oil on the dipstick could mean you have coolant leaking into your oil pan, but doesn`t necessarily mean a bad head gasket. This symptom is too often mis-diagnosed as a bad head gasket with unneeded repairs performed. There are many other things that can also cause this and it is rarely a headgasket.
Chances are you have either a radiator cap leak, internal coolant leak or an external coolant leak. The longer you wait the higher the coolant leak repair cost will be. Learn how to diagnose your antifreeze leak and learn what to do next.
Causes of Coolant Loss
External leaks from radiator hoses, connections between hoses, or from the radiator itself. Radiator cap leaks due to a faulty seal on the cap where the pressurized coolant can leak out. Internal leaks where coolant may leak out of places such as the engine`s head gasket.
The consequences of diluting either substance should be clear — but in case it`s not, the answer is that you can expect overheating and/or severe damage to your engine if you try to drive around with coolant leaking into oil or oil in the coolant reservoir.
There is an easy way to find out if your engine`s head gasket has blown. Simply check under the oil filler cap. If the gasket is not damaged, the inside of the oil cap will be mostly dry. If you discover a milky brownish-yellow substance that is similar to the thickness of a milkshake, you probably have a gasket leak.
Coolant and oil mixing is a bad sign. This is because it usually points towards the failure of an important part in your engine/cooling system. An oil/coolant mixture will quickly travel around your engine, resulting in overheating and increased engine wear over time.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Possible coolant in my oil but no oil in the coolant. Use about 1 l of coolant per 100km.
ANSWER : Check the transmission fluid. If all testing eliminates the head gasket, cracked cylinder head, etc, it may be a cracked radiator.Transmission fluid is sent forward to the radiator to be cooled. Ir runs into what is typically called the "side tanks" of the radiator. So the transmission fluid and coolant are both flowing through the radiator and kept apart just as the engine oil and coolant are kept apart in the engine by the head gasket, coolant and oil passages, etc. If the tank in the radiator is cracked internally, transmission fluid may actually be forced into the coolant as transmission fluid is under higher pressure than the coolant. Short of a cracked head gasket, cylinder head, or engine block, it’s really the only other source of any type of oil getting into the coolant unless the vehicle is equipped with an engine oil cooler as well.
No coolant in the reservoir. Seen low coolant message. I added 2 quarts of 50/50 coolant. Still getting the message. How much coolant doe it need?
ANSWER : Hi there. For the coolant light to go out, you would need to have the coolant between the low line and the full line for the light to go out. If the coolant is low and keeps on being low, then look for any signs of coolant leaks. You may have to use a coolant pressure tester to pressurize the reservoir to allow the leak to be found.
If you need further assistance with the coolant being low and the warning light being on, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
lost all oil pressure, replaced the oil pump, low oil sensor, oil pressure sensor, oil pan gasket,
ANSWER : The fuel pump will not stay on if you loose oil pressure. This is why it is shutting off. The loss of oil pressure may be from bad crankshaft bearings or camshaft bearings. The engine oil pan should be removed and the oil pump needs to be checked to ensure that you put in the pick up tube seal to the pump and connected the pump to the block. Then remove at least one main bearing cap and inspect the bearings for excessive wear and crankshaft damage. If you need some help with this, consider YourMechanic, as a certified technician can help diagnose the issue with your oil pressure firsthand and help you fix it accordingly.
Oil consumption. Burning oil. Oil light turns up on idle.
ANSWER : Hi there, thanks for writing in. The valve stem seals are the most common cause of this on your engine. When they fail, it requires that the cylinder heads be removed and rebuilt to fix it. The piston rings can also cause this but they are not as common. Unfortunately there is not anything, not even heavier oil that will fix this. You will need to have the heads rebuilt.
Advice on which weight of oil to use
ANSWER : Your car calls for 10w30 oil. The 10w is the winter grade that is blended with the 30 weight oil. The oil 5w30 will be a good replacement and should be compatible with your car. I would not go to a heaver weight oil or engine damage may happen since the thicker oil may not make it to lubricate all the tight parts like the thinner oil can.
Stop car check oil warning
ANSWER : This light will usually come on when one of two things are happening. Either the motor is in fact low on oil or the oil pressure sending unit is not working properly and may be producing a faulty reading. I would recommend first, to check the actual oil level in the motor by using the dipstick. Be sure the oil level reaches the "full" mark. If this registers as "full" then you likely have a faulty oil pressure sending unit. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to take a look at your vehicle to determine what may be causing your low oil pressure light to come on.
Chevy 5.3l – Lost oil pressure, why?
ANSWER : Hello – since you didn’t appear to be leaking oil in a significant way (busted oil line, hole in the pan), I suspect that the oil pressure relief valve may have been stuck in the "relief" position. Some of the early 5.3l engines had trouble with this – galling in the pressure relief valve bore. Pull the plug, spring and ball out to be sure the spring hasn’t broken. Light tapping on the block may be required to release the stuck valve. Good luck!
Topped off coolant with Prestone Universal Coolant. Manual says to use MOPAR HOAT. Do I need to get a flush before a long trip?
ANSWER : Not knowing which exact type of coolant was used to refill the system after the block heater install, I would consider flushing the cooling system and refilling with the correct coolant. Years ago, we just had "green coolant that went into every car. In recent years, different manufacturers call for different coolants. There are a number of different metals in contact with the coolant nowadays. The engine block can be cast iron, the cylinder heads can be aluminum. The head gasket may have steel rings surrounding each cylinder bore. The coolant has to be able to interact with all the different metals and not cause additional corrosion. Mixing different coolants can cause some issues. Sometimes the mixture can cause gelling and clog smaller passages in the radiator and heater core. They can also interact poorly with the different metals when mixed. I’ve replaced a few heater cores because they were so badly clogged from mixed coolant. Considering these things and the climate you are taking the vehicle to, a cooling system flush is definitely a good idea.
