coolant res tank FULL of oil !

**Passat2003** · 25-11-2007,04:27 PM

Hi I have a 2003 SE Passat, 1.9 td (red) I . 78000 miles.

Ive recently had to top up the oil I assumed I had a leak as its needed topping up slightly a couple of times over the last week or so.
Today I had a warning -STOP- check coolant level.

I stopped of course, opened the coolant reservior and found it full to the brim with thick black oil. Not the chocolate mousse type mess you find with a head gasket but a real thick custardy black used engine oil.
There is no contamination with water in the engine oil, but as I say the water has turned to oil lol. Power is deffo down but more noticable in lower gears. (stopped driving as soon as prob was noticed btw)

My first thought was Head gasket but now Im not so sure

because of the sheer huge amount of oil in the coolant and the fact that it hasnt been whipped up into a froth and no water in oil.

Now Im thinking its a problem with the oil cooler or maybe the turbo. (prays not)

Has anyone else had the same prob ? any help/advice gratefully accepted!

Thanks

**a8 tech** · 25-11-2007,05:22 PM

OIL COOLER,remove the oil cooler pipes and bridge the them with some tubing,remove thermostate and refit the housing so the engine can be run,remove the coolant header tank and clean out ,refit the header tank and leave the return pipe off and direct the pipe to a large bucket.With a hose pipe run the engine and keep a supply of water running into the header tank as the returning water will drain into your bucket.Run the engine and monitor the oil circulating if it decreases its the cooler.Run some coolant cleaner through ths syatem and fit a new oil cooler.Change oil and filter and reflush after 1000 miles,refit the thermostate.Long winded and dirty dirty job

**Crasher** · 25-11-2007,05:26 PM

Don't laugh but I find a 50/50 mix of Flash and water is excellent at dissolving the oil as Flash doesn’t foam up.

**a8 tech** · 25-11-2007,05:29 PM

every days a learning day.Crasher how did you find that out

**Crasher** · 25-11-2007,05:37 PM

Many years ago (at least 15) I had a friend with a 6 cyl 3 series and I warned him that I could hear the cam belt slapping around, but he ignored me. I then fitted a recon head a few weeks later (the belt snapped and bent a load of valves) as he insisted on a recon exchange head from a company called Corry Injection Techniques, I wanted to rebuild the original. A few weeks later, this head cracked all along the cam bearing location (I noted that it had been welded all along here when it arrived but he ignored me) and the cooling system was completely bungeed solid with thick mayonnaise that defied any attempt to remove it. When we got it partly clear with a pressure wash, we fitted a new head and then tried every commercially available flush known to mankind to shift the rest but it would not come out. It had dropped a lot of this goo on the car park and my mother had cleaned it up using Flash so I thought, why not? It worked so well it is the only method I use now.

**Passat2003** · 25-11-2007,05:40 PM

Originally Posted by a8 tech

OIL COOLER,remove the oil cooler pipes and bridge the them with some tubing,remove thermostate and refit the housing so the engine can be run,remove the coolant header tank and clean out ,refit the header tank and leave the return pipe off and direct the pipe to a large bucket.With a hose pipe run the engine and keep a supply of water running into the header tank as the returning water will drain into your bucket.Run the engine and monitor the oil circulating if it decreases its the cooler.Run some coolant cleaner through ths syatem and fit a new oil cooler.Change oil and filter and reflush after 1000 miles,refit the thermostate.Long winded and dirty dirty job

Brilliant thanks very much for your (and everyone else's ) help. I had visions of a second mortgage looming for a head change

If you don't mind me asking, Just to put my mind at rest , given the symptoms, what % chance would you think the problem is the oil cooler and not the head. ? bearing in mind the amount of oil and the fact that its black and not brown & frothy.

Thanks again all

**Crasher** · 25-11-2007,05:47 PM

Oil in the coolant is the cooler. The oil runs at 2 bar and up, the coolant at about 0.1 bar so the oil will go into the cooler. Head gasket failure is a problem on these but you get coolant in the oil. Do the cooler first, I am 99% sure you will be OK.

**a8 tech** · 25-11-2007,05:48 PM

99% oil cooler.Head gaskets very rare crack in the engine even rarer turbo would have other issues,one being excessive smoke and possible over reving

**Passat2003** · 25-11-2007,06:00 PM

Great news. Thanks both you've just saved my weekend

**a8 tech** · 25-11-2007,07:15 PM

Originally Posted by Crasher

Many years ago (at least 15) I had a friend with a 6 cyl 3 series and I warned him that I could hear the cam belt slapping around, but he ignored me. I then fitted a recon head a few weeks later (the belt snapped and bent a load of valves) as he insisted on a recon exchange head from a company called Corry Injection Techniques, I wanted to rebuild the original. A few weeks later, this head cracked all along the cam bearing location (I noted that it had been welded all along here when it arrived but he ignored me) and the cooling system was completely bungeed solid with thick mayonnaise that defied any attempt to remove it. When we got it partly clear with a pressure wash, we fitted a new head and then tried every commercially available flush known to mankind to shift the rest but it would not come out. It had dropped a lot of this goo on the car park and my mother had cleaned it up using Flash so I thought, why not? It worked so well it is the only method I use now.

i shall use this Crasher,big thanks to mums all over the world