gunk in expansion box, 1.8 20v

[chips]

As per the title, the expansion box is full of junk, the temp light started flickering, and overheating so I checked the coolant, and too my horror the expansion box is full of gunk. This happened all of a sudden, no prior warnings, no prior overheating, no loss of power, no smoke, no excessive fuel consumption.

I checked the cap on the rocker cover, but theres no emulsification there. I was thinking its the head gasket, but how did the junk get up into the expansion box ? there is quite a lot, and why none on the oil filler cap ?

Timing belt was done about a year and a half ago, plugs, oil, and filters changed a few months ago.

I don't know very much about VW's so I thought I would ask for some advice from someone who does. If anyone has any ideas as to what causes this all suggestions would be greatly appreciated, especially if someone tells me its the oil cooler. ;-)

Thanks all


Chips

[Rampage]

I would agree, sounds very much like head gasket problems or somehow oil is contaminating the water.

Why is it in the expansion tank... possibly because it the oil getting into the water, rather than the other way round and the tank is the lowest pressure \ highest point with air space for it all to collect.

I had a very similar issue many many years ago with my (huch hum) Cavalier GSi and that turned out to be the head gasket.

-Steve

[Sam]

I've just finished sorting out this problem on my Passat.

It was indeed the oil cooler, exact same symptoms as you describe.

I summary of a post I made on another forum

This should have been posted last Thursday (13th September) but instead I decided to use...

THE SEARCH FEATURE

...well bugger me, it worked.

Symptoms - Watery oil spots on the drive.

I didn't notice them initially as I park in the same spot every day. I know they weren't there Tuesday (11th) because I reversed up the drive to load the car up with recycling.

Mrs mycarsavw rang me at work on Wednesday to tell me there's oil "all over the drive" and to suggest I check my car. I checked, and found more oil spots in the place I park my car at work.

I immediately ordered a new oil filter and some oil and decided I'd do an oil change at the weekend and at the same time find out what was going on. No warning lights, no change in performance at all.

When I got home that evening I popped the bonnet (hood ) and poked about a bit. I noticed oil all over one side of the block/bay and my heart sank. I removed the cap from the coolant tank with a towel and waited for the steam to gurgle and spew forth....

Instead of steam, close to 1,000,000 litres of brown, oily, crap dripped out the overflow, all over the rest of the engine bay and my driveway. Once I'd finished crying I ran inside and started searching this site for "oily water" and "brown coolant".

Five minutes later I was slightly reassured I hadn't popped the head gasket and I could instead be looking at a faulty oil cooler. The tales of woe were still bad, but not quite as bad as a new head....I hoped.

The weekend came, the old oil cooler was removed, the coolant lines were flushed with 1,000,000 litres of clean water and a new oil cooler was fitted.

I still have one more coolant flush to do before I'm happy, but it looks like I caught it in it's early stages. I think the cooler failed at the beginning of the week as it wasn't as difficult to flush everything out compared to some/most of the reports I've read here.

...

Do it!

[chips]

hi fellas

Thanks very much for both your replies, I hope its not the head. First off I'll do the oil cooler, see where it takes us. Is it a big job ? can it be done myself, as I said, I don't have much in the way of experience with vw,s, infact I don't even know where the oil cooler is.

Where would be the best place to get parts from, I live in Northern Ireland, so chances are I'll have to order it in away.

I really appreciate the replies, and I did search, but I searched more in the way of expansion box, and gunk.

Thanks for your time fellas.



Regards



Chips

[Sam]

Oil cooler is bolted to the oil filter which if you stand at the front of the car is on the right hand side under the block. It's easier to see from the bottom though.

I helped my mechanic do the job, it wasn't difficult, just really, really messy

We started off running the car with the expansion cap off and constantly filling it up with clean water to float the bulk of the oil out. Then we took the coolant hose off the rad and did the same. The stuff that came out was vile.

Fitting of the cooler itself was fairly simple too, unbolt the old one (after taking the filter off) remember which hoses went where of course and replace the new one.

Don't forget to refill the oil and don't forget to put all the hoses back on again

Parts - I got mine from www.vagparts.com (see our forum's supporting companies section for details on a discount)

The search dig was for the other forum where I posted the article, not for this one - sorry if that came across as a jibe at you - it wasn't at all

[chips]

hi

Thanks for all your advice and help mycarsavw I do appreciate it, I located the oil cooler today, I have a cooler ordered so hopefully I'll get it sorted. Oh and the search thing, I never took it personal.

Thanks again for the help and advice.



Regards



Chips

[chips]

Hi all


Just to let you all know, it was the oilcooler. I only got changing it about 3 weeks ago. Quite an easy job, but the amount of gunk that has to be cleaned from the cooling system is a bit of a nightmare, especially the heater. So 3 weeks on a she is still as good as she ever was.

Thanks for the advice mycarsavw, it was a great help.



Regards



Chips

[snapdragon]

On other cars, I have used dishwasher tablets to remove oil in the cooling system. It never gets all the staining out of plastic though. The idea is that dishwasher tablets don't foam or corrode pots and pans, so are probably OK, but you know, it's at the user's risk.

[chips]

Hi

Thank's for the advice Snapdragon, I have also heared the Sturgen and Flash liquid cleaner both do a very good job of cleaning the oil from the cooling system, but again, at the user's own risk.




Regards



Chips

[Sam]

Glad to be of assistance, and also very glad it was something so (relatively) cheap and simple.

A few pints of diesel strips out most of the crap from the tubes too, not sure how safe it is, but it works and I've seen it in practice a few times. I caught mine relatively early, so I'm ok so far.