Oil in coolant

[oreopride]

Just as the topic says.

I just recently bought a 97 Prizm (4A-FE engine) with 169k miles on it for around $1k and expected for it to have its problems. I noticed the coolant was brown and assumed the car was going to have a blown headgasket.

The car drove 40 miles just fine (as in no overheating) and I got home and checked the oil itself. Not one drop of coolant in it. So now I have a car with dark, engine oil in the coolant and none going the other way. I did a coolant change and then delivered all day with the car just fine (it's a little rough on idle, but what do you expect with stock plugs and wires?). Upon checking the coolant again...I find a little oil in the collant again. The strangest part is not enough oil has been lost to cause "need oil" light to come on.

I'm going to go buy a manual today and see what is up with the car since it's not exhibiting any of the symptoms to suggest headgasket (primarily a tendency to overheat, coolant in the oil, or the smell of lean exhaust/white smoke). My 2 big questions is:

1) Any suggestions? This car doesn't smoke, doesn't overheat, and doesn't hesitate. But the oil is getting into the coolant at a rather alarming rate. Which brings me to..

2) Is there an engine oil cooler in the radiator for a 4A-FE? I was looking around but didnt see one. If so, are they notorious for going bad? I know they can go out in a radiator and I'd much rather pay $50 for a used radiator core than $600 in headgasket fixes.

Thanks,
Daniel

[ghost_ryder35]

just cause your car doesnt overheat doesnt mean the headgasket is not bad. If oil is getting in the coolant the head gasket is bad. and a headgasket done your self should not cost more than $150 for the headgasket and new bolts. I had a Honda CRX eat coolant for 6 months not overheating before I replaced the head gasket.

[freakinbox]

I drove my ae92 4 months before a chunk between #2 and #3 cylinders blew away and I lost them and had to replace it lol.

[Ninja7]

Originally Posted by oreopride

Just as the topic says.

I just recently bought a 97 Prizm (4A-FE engine) with 169k miles on it for around $1k and expected for it to have its problems. I noticed the coolant was brown and assumed the car was going to have a blown headgasket.

The car drove 40 miles just fine (as in no overheating) and I got home and checked the oil itself. Not one drop of coolant in it. So now I have a car with dark, engine oil in the coolant and none going the other way. I did a coolant change and then delivered all day with the car just fine (it's a little rough on idle, but what do you expect with stock plugs and wires?). Upon checking the coolant again...I find a little oil in the collant again. The strangest part is not enough oil has been lost to cause "need oil" light to come on.

I'm going to go buy a manual today and see what is up with the car since it's not exhibiting any of the symptoms to suggest headgasket (primarily a tendency to overheat, coolant in the oil, or the smell of lean exhaust/white smoke). My 2 big questions is:

1) Any suggestions? This car doesn't smoke, doesn't overheat, and doesn't hesitate. But the oil is getting into the coolant at a rather alarming rate. Which brings me to..

2) Is there an engine oil cooler in the radiator for a 4A-FE? I was looking around but didnt see one. If so, are they notorious for going bad? I know they can go out in a radiator and I'd much rather pay $50 for a used radiator core than $600 in headgasket fixes.

Thanks,
Daniel

Does the car have an automatic transmission? If so then the transmission cooling lines run thru the radiator for cooling and chances are the cooling lines are leaking inside the radiator thus oil in the radiator. Check to see if your ATF is at the right level.

[punter]

Originally Posted by Ninja7

Does the car have an automatic transmission? If so then the transmission cooling lines run thru the radiator for cooling and chances are the cooling lines are leaking inside the radiator thus oil in the radiator. Check to see if your ATF is at the right level.

Are you ignoring the fact his engine oil is disapearing?

To the OP, oil pressure is higher than water pressure, so depending on where the systems are leaking into each other the flow could be all one way.

It's also possible for a headgasket to blow, but still have perfect cylinder pressure. And it's also possible for the cooling system to still work as well.

How much oil is it using?, is the coolent milky?

[toyomoho]

The coolant can be brown for other reasons beside oil such as being very old, are you sure it is oil?

[retiredat44]

The spark plug would probably show signs of coolant in the cylinder. You might just have brown ugly coolant in you car. You should be able to tell by just dipping your finger or a with paper towel in the coolant while either slighty warm or cold. The coolant would have an oil slick on top. Is oil disappearing? What is the exhaust pipe look like? What color of smoke or steam comes out the exhaust?

[oreopride]

Are you ignoring the fact his engine oil is disapearing?

To the OP, oil pressure is higher than water pressure, so depending on where the systems are leaking into each other the flow could be all one way.

It's also possible for a headgasket to blow, but still have perfect cylinder pressure. And it's also possible for the cooling system to still work as well.

How much oil is it using?, is the coolent milky?

But my oil *isn't* disappearing. After replacing the coolant about 5 days ago it looks mostly healthy but with a touch of oil to it.

I guess I should have mentioned the spark plugs were a bit black but from the looks of them they have never been changed in 169k miles.

The spark plug would probably show signs of coolant in the cylinder. You might just have brown ugly coolant in you car. You should be able to tell by just dipping your finger or a with paper towel in the coolant while either slighty warm or cold. The coolant would have an oil slick on top. Is oil disappearing? What is the exhaust pipe look like? What color of smoke or steam comes out the exhaust?

I'm going to go buy a manual today and see what is up with the car since it's not exhibiting any of the symptoms to suggest headgasket (primarily a tendency to overheat, coolant in the oil, or the smell of lean exhaust/white smoke).

The exhaust pipe just looks old and rustyish but that's the nature of the beast on these cars.

I have previously blown a headgasket on my DSM so I know what a car looks/feels like when it's at the end of its life. After looking in my coolant today and seeing just a little more dark in there (along with the smell of oil) I rechecked the oil and found..zero coolant still. And the car still had the correct amount of oil in it.

However, I went with Ninja7's advice (and the Haynes after finding the cars have Automatic Transmission Fluid coolers in the radiator) and actaully looked at the automatic transmission to find that there was a little coolant in there. It's not terribly low on fluid but it's low enough that it probably has a leak in the radiator that's been going on for a while. Mix that with an extremely old coolant system that hasn't been flushed and Ta-da..."oil" in coolant.

Problem soon to be solved with a $50 radiator.

Thanks for the help everyone,
Daniel

[retiredat44]

I wasn't thinking of a tranny cooler, but my tranny does have tranny taps on it,, but mines a manual trans... don't know how you get a new Radiator for $50.00 ! (great deal deal!) Last new one I bought was $90.00 new on eBay and that was much, much less than the store wanted.. IN any case I hope that fixes it..

[punter]

On a side note that oil light you mentioned.
If that light comes on it means you needed to put oil in the car about a week ago, and now it's stufed.

[marksauer810@in]

some coolant looks brown but is suppose to be...maybe not for your car, but someone put it in anyway. Then when you changed it, a little of the old brown coolant was still there to taint the color of the new coolant. That would explain why no oil is being used, and why there is no smoke etc.. and why a little "oil" still shows up in the mix...I think you have no symptoms because you never had a problem....

[punter]

Originally Posted by marksauer810@in

some coolant looks brown but is suppose to be...maybe not for your car, but someone put it in anyway. Then when you changed it, a little of the old brown coolant was still there to taint the color of the new coolant. That would explain why no oil is being used, and why there is no smoke etc.. and why a little "oil" still shows up in the mix...I think you have no symptoms because you never had a problem....

Pays to check the date before you post.

That and maybe read the thread to see that the problem is solved already.

[tangopampa]

Originally Posted by oreopride

Just as the topic says.

I just recently bought a 97 Prizm (4A-FE engine) with 169k miles on it for around $1k and expected for it to have its problems. I noticed the coolant was brown and assumed the car was going to have a blown headgasket.

The car drove 40 miles just fine (as in no overheating) and I got home and checked the oil itself. Not one drop of coolant in it. So now I have a car with dark, engine oil in the coolant and none going the other way. I did a coolant change and then delivered all day with the car just fine (it's a little rough on idle, but what do you expect with stock plugs and wires?). Upon checking the coolant again...I find a little oil in the collant again. The strangest part is not enough oil has been lost to cause "need oil" light to come on.

I'm going to go buy a manual today and see what is up with the car since it's not exhibiting any of the symptoms to suggest headgasket (primarily a tendency to overheat, coolant in the oil, or the smell of lean exhaust/white smoke). My 2 big questions is:

1) Any suggestions? This car doesn't smoke, doesn't overheat, and doesn't hesitate. But the oil is getting into the coolant at a rather alarming rate. Which brings me to..

2) Is there an engine oil cooler in the radiator for a 4A-FE? I was looking around but didnt see one. If so, are they notorious for going bad? I know they can go out in a radiator and I'd much rather pay $50 for a used radiator core than $600 in headgasket fixes.

Thanks,
Daniel

First try with a simple Bardahl or similar oil leak stopper. It is a heavy fluid that when it dries in the leak site, it plugs the leaks. I have been using those for years with most, if not all, leaks stopped( even the valve guide leaks that i had). It cost 5 bucks.

[corolla96]

if u mix red coolant with green coolant it will turn brown too