What Coolant In Engine Oil Looks Like & Possible Causes
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- Опубліковано 24 лют 2020
- In this video I go over what engine oil may look like if coolant has gotten into it and I also go over a few possibilities of how coolant could get into the engine oil.
Usually, when coolant gets into the engine oil, it can have a foamy or frothy look to it. It will be slightly lighter in color and it will seem thicker than normal oil due to foaming. Also, it is typical that the oil level will rise when coolant has gotten into the engine oil, as seen in the video. Typically if the coolant is low and the oil is over filled and looks foamy then you probably have an internal coolant leak.
A few things that could cause coolant to get into the engine oil are as follows... Internal coolant leaks such as blown head gasket, cracked head, cracked block, damaged oil cooler, or leaking water pump. (If the water pump is internal to the engine in some way.) These are a few things that typically will allow coolant to get into the engine oil.
Warning! Never run the engine with coolant contaminated engine oil. Serious engine damage could result.
Note: The information given in this video is very basic and may not encompass every scenario as to how and why coolant could enter the engine oil. Also, if your engine has coolant in the oil it may not look exactly like the example given in the video. The video is just an example, not an exact representation of what every case will look like.
Link to video showing final diagnosis of my 3.5L right here: • How I Diagnosed Faulty...
Here is a link to a video made my Scotty Kilmer where he talks about 3.5L water pump leaks. It was uploaded just a few weeks after my video was uploaded. He speaks about it for the first 1.5 minutes of the video. Here is the link: • This Changes Everything
DISCLAIMER
Barbour's Auto Help is not responsible for any damage or personal injury incurred in the process of performing any auto repairs done by you the viewer. Automotive repair is extremely dangerous. Repair your vehicle at your own risk. It is the viewers responsibility to verify all information and procedures as outlined in YOUR REPAIR MANUAL AND OWNERS MANUAL FOR YOUR VEHICLE. Owning and using a repair manual suited for your vehicle is essential for correctly and safely performing ANY repair to your vehicle. Always wear safety glasses and heed all instructions for use applicable to any piece of equipment you may use. Due to circumstances out of the control of Barbours Auto Help, Barbours Auto Help makes no guarantee that by the use of the information given in this video a quality repair will be made. Barbour'sAutoHelp makes no guarantee that the information provided is totally complete, syncronized and accurate. Verify everything using an appropriate repair manual.
Repair your vehicle at your own risk! Barbour's auto help does not guarantee a proper repair using these techniques.
Special thanks to my wife for checking my spelling on this video and all my videos. You're the best Babe! - Авто та транспорт
This is a common issue with the GM 3.8 V6 engine. Upper, and or, lower intake gaskets, intake plenum. Just did mine. Problem fixed. Thank you for your vids!
Got a 97 GMC Sierra 1500 5.7 with this problem right now. Not looking forward to tearing into the engine. Hopefully it's nothing too major.
Good information brother..
Great Video. For the GM 3800 V6 Version 2 the lower intake allows coolant and oil to mix when it needs the gasket replaced.
??? How do I clean and fix the engine if i just replaced the whole engine and gaskets
302 5.0
Why would you have to clean and fix an engine you just replaced?
@@BarboursAutoHelp I had blown my motor ,replaced it ,put in oil and I only had a jug and a half of coolant , stuck the water hose down in the radiator to make up for fluids and tried to crank and it would not start .I took a break from my truck and then went back at it about three days later messed with timing and sprayed some starter fluid in the carburetor ,got in the truck and it crunk up for about 10 sec and shut back off ,thought the timing needed to be adjusted some more ,messed with it some more and it wouldn't start it just kept turning over ,checked my oil and I found the milkshake ...
@@dannywelch9603 That's not good if the new motor has milkshake in it. Did the engine sit out in the open in a junk yard for a long time. I suppose it could have gotten rain in it. Idk.
I love your energyyy brooo
Yup this is not what i wanted to hear haha.
although it does clear up a few things, cheers mate
Seeing that brown baby poo on the dipstick is always good for a chuckle, at least for the fella at the parts house. Only had this happen once to one of my vehicles, but I've had to deliver the bad news to several of my friends over the years. After you've fixed whatever expensive bit it is that broke, I like to fill it with transmission fluid and let her run for about ten minutes. Does a pretty good job of washing all of that crap out. Then I'll drain and fill with some cheap oil and repeat. Finally, I'll change the filter and put the good stuff in. I'm interested to hear how other folks do it.
Sounds good to me. I had planned on draining the oil, filling it with used oil (free stuff) letting it run a while then changing the oil with good stuff.
@@BarboursAutoHelp That works too. There's arguments to not flush a high mileage engine, but in situations like this you don't have any choice.
I'd try the trans oil for the first flush. It's got a lot of detergents in it that will help break up the slime that's sticking all over in there. Plus, it's lower viscosity will also help to wash everything it picks up down into the pan. Then I'd use the used motor oil to flush the trans oil.
One of my instructors in tech school showed me this back in the 90s. Works pretty good. It's a little more expensive doing it this way, but I think you'll be pleased with the results.
Hey have this problem, full of oil low coolant ,milkshake ...how do I fix or do I just clean and fill fluids right???
@@dannywelch9603 Its usually caused by an underlying problem. Gotta find out what failed to cause water to get in the oil. Flushing will not help anything if the root cause is not repaired.
same problem with my car. My mechanic told I need to change my engine or it may stop in middle of road. I changed the engine It cost me 2000AUD but same problem. Now I know why it formed,, I use my car for short trips a lot.
Great satisfaction when successful not so much when I mess up
well described!
Glad you think so!
So how do you clean the system afterwards?
Now that I'm retired I plan on doing more diyer auto projects. Have done most auto repairs except for engine swaps. Did subie sti clutch big pain doing outside. Tiny garage no room.
Good luck on you future projects!
Just bought 2013 f150 and found out it has an issue with one of the turbos. Its leaking oil so I went and bought 3 quarts of oil and put in two. Now the dip stick reads way too high. It can take up to 6 quarts so I'm not sure what is going on.
Good vid !! But how long have you driven this engine to the point that it got this thick w oil nd coolent!!! I am assuming internal engine damage already accrued by now !!!
That's the safe assumption. If I where to have a vehicle in my bay with this I wouldn't hesitate to recommend or at least give the option to have the engine replaced. However, sometimes it pays to gamble. Which is exactly what I did with this vehicle. I repaired to root cause. Cleared the system and its been running well since. 10s of thousands of miles later.
I have a quick question. I also have a ford edge and my oil looks the same but im thinking is because my car over heated and i went to store since that was the closest thing by and i added cold water to the car and when i took off the engine oil light kept blinking. What should you consider me doing? thanx in advance
Hmm. It may be best to have a tech get hands on with that one. Oil light coming on is no good. Id get an opinion from a tech that has seen the vehicle.
98 GMC Sonoma, 2.2l, standard, R wheel dr, 170k mi.
Just had the head gasket replaced due to this problem, costing $1,350. Drove for ~100mi over 10 days, all good, checked oil often-all good. The Head gasket was bad, head shaved\cleaned\prepped by a professional shop.
Radiator leaking yesterday, caught it fairly early while driving so did not overheat to the point of warning lights.
Replaced radiator with new.
The first restart after the radiator change the circulating new coolant (water + coolant flush) to get all air out the engine starts running rough.
Water in crankcase oil !!!!
I'm pissed.
Thoughts?
Check oil cooler,
@@avictor2000 The oil cooler is independent of the cooling system. How could that be involved?
Ok so my motor oil was checked today and it looks like that my brother told me it had water in there so what can I do can I drain the oil and do an oil change idk how it got water in there will that save the motor I'm so broke rn I domt have for a new motor please lmk
Hey I changed my oil cooler in my 2013 Dodge Journey. And it ran right for a lil while then it started to hesitate and my oil pressure gauge got high. Then it start staying in first gear. I checked my oil and realized that antifreeze got in it. My question is if I Chang the coolant and oil and filter do you think it would straighten it out
Do an oil flush
Is you problem solved ?
I found a little amount of white substance on my oil dipstick, 95% looks fine just this tiny amount of white not mixed with it, im wondering if its moisture of it its the cause of a cracked head gasket?
Likely condensation if tiny bit. If water mixes with oil in significant amount youll see all your oil look milky brownish/reddish (red if new oil)
I emptied a water bottle that’s was Brand new without completely drying it . I used it as a funnel to fill my car with oil, do you think if any droplets mixed with that it can mess up the engine ?
I think if you just had a few drops in it you should be ok.
xCondottiereJay you’re all good I just drained the oil on my 09 kx450f and it was green 3 quarters coolant 1part oil I wish I was standing in your shoes right now
I have a 2010 Ford Flex that has been losing coolant for quite some time. Never leaked a drop and never seen it in the oil. The other day my car overheated. I let it cool and later I brought some coolant with me and it took almost a whole jug (way way more than it used to). Brought it home and checked the oil, it was still Carmel brown but seemed a bit watery but no milky look. Just not sure what the heck is wrong with it.
Head gasket leaking into the combustion chamber probably. If you don't see coolant dripping anywhere. They'll blow externally or internally sometimes just on one side, like cylinder side or engine oil side, or both.
Look for extra steamy exhaust
@@crazyDIYguy can i actually email/ text you a few questions please i have no decent local mechanics that don’t wanna lie to me bc I’m a woman i just need an honest person to answer my vehicle questions 😭
@@jai_bae97 just write it on here what's your situation
Hey hi have a 2012 HiAce bus 1kd turbo diesel engine oil an water mixing hi overall engine an change oil cooler an getting the same problem what can hi do next 😢
I love the screen notes. arrows, circles on your video. Are you also computer savvy or does your wife do them for you. LOL
2008 2.4L Malibu
.Changing Water Pump Oil And T Stat...Adding Some K Seal Or Bars Head Gasket Sealer...Happens Again..Selling It Off Cheap...
Can the same thing happen if a car been sitting for 15 years? I have a 305 camaro I'm working on and it sat for 15 years but motor isn't seized luckily but oil it milky but I was told it had a over heating problem before it was parked I'm still in the process of diagnosing what the cause of the milky oil trying to weed out headgasket cause
Didnt catch the year of your car, but head gaskets and other gaskets on old cars used to be exclusively made of cork. When cara sits, the cork dries out and shrinks -- even degrades from getting eaten by mold and bacteria. Yeah, so possibly is what I'm saying.
One Question: In which part of the Vehicle get the coolant water into the motor oil? ..and thanks for the video
I'm sorry did I discuss this in the video?
@@BarboursAutoHelp must be frustrating with questions like this. All jokes aside things like this is why I found a late 70’s F-100 with a 300 straight six. The new “technology” is great in many ways but with the time it takes techs to fix simple things (not to mention a simple water pump leak kills the whole engine) the cost of ownership of new vehicles is just getting too high for us working guys. Sometimes I imagine people blame the techs for the high cost of repairs, but those who know how to wrench know the time involved in taking stuff off just to get to the problem, let alone actually fixing it. Automakers are basically making the cars too expensive dive to fix and oftentimes the repair is more than the vehicle is worth. Think CVT’s. Planned obsolescence? Maybe. But at the d d if the day, if you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it. It astounds me the money or ipe pay to buy and/or fix cars these days.
Cheers
@@BarboursAutoHelp Yes, you did, I think, but to answer Ramazan, it was/is a water pump, and usually the water pump shaft/bearing/seal.
I got some nasty colored sluge coming out of my air filter box & I could use some advice.. TIA
This just happened to my Lincoln MKX 2008. My wife coming home from work, called me saying there is a rattling noise in the engine. And the heat went up I told her to stop. Checked the water non in it, I but a whole gallon of water not going up, checked the engine oil, yeah exactly like what you’ve showed, what you think?
Sounds like an internal coolant leak.
@@BarboursAutoHelp well it is and the shop guy said I have two options. 1- get the parts and put it in 2600$. But I’m not sure your engine will run.
2- get a new used engine 6400$ 3 years warrantee . And if I’ll look for the same car I’ll fin it within the same price.
What is your suggestion?
That's quite expensive. Id get a quote from a few other places.
So I belive you answered this in the video cause my car belt drivin with timing and water pump but I drained my oil and its smells like gas and is black and watery pulled and the cover off. So should replacing the water pump do the trick
So your asking me if you should replace your water pump because your oil smells like gas??? Why would a water pump make oil smell like gas and make the oil black? What do you mean by watery oil?
@@BarboursAutoHelp 10W30 Is pretty thick but as we took out the oil is was not dense and just smelled fuel. So ik the car running rich
Well alright.
@@BarboursAutoHelp appreciate you responding and trying to assist me. I wanted to fix the car but tbh I only bought it for parts for my car
My coolant never low ever , but still I have milkshake condition. The coolant has no oil spots it's extremely clean and nice , but the oil getting the same color you showed at beginning, is it possible the fuel mixed instead of coolant ?
Mine is after engine change. By windshield the rubber to keep water off engine. Was ripped. Water ran down filling the top of. Motor after it rained. Then plentem gasket bad job putting it on. Would suck water from top of engine. . I fixed seal below windshield no more water on top of engine. ??? 😮mystery solved. 😮
Mine looks like that on oil cap but not too much oil lever bar doesnt look like that look "ok" what do you think i should do ??
Had a bad headgasket but the oil looked normal! The coolant would drop within seconds after filling and the car would overheat but it wasn't leaking! Guy that sold me that car knew exactly what he was doing hahaha. It did look like there was oil mixing with coolant in the radiator cap though but I didn't check until I had already bought it!
Hey man did you fix at all?
@@jonathonhicks2369 No I was quoted around $2,800 at the dealer to diagnose and replace the headgasket so I just sold the car at a lost.
If you buy a used car open the radiator cap and if there isn't any coolant visible right there, wall away.
Sounds exactly like what just happened to me in November 2022. Bought a 2006 Volkswagen Passat, same day that night coolant light came on bought a jug, drove it every few miles light on , got to the point line wtf had some try to do a presser check they couldn’t tell but as I thought and they to it had to be leaking somewhere, torture reaching out to the person I bought it from numerous times no response week and half or two later oil light came on we put oil in it car wouldn’t start cloud’s smoke, got oil changed after frustration bout month or so car started then back to tons of smoke then wouldn’t start. Finally my daughter reached this person on Facebook and the person goes oh if you been she been trying call the number my phone company changed it but y’all blown the Turbo, I’m like no they new the car was already messed up and was rigged up
It just happened to me
So I pulled off my timing cover and a bunch of coolant went into the oil pan, I drained it and refilled with new oil, but im trying to figure out if I have a leak or its just the remaining coolant in the oil pan since I only have the front of the car jacked up, im thinking some hid in the back of the engine
What kind of vehicle to you have?
@@BarboursAutoHelp its a celica with a 22re engine, what set it off was the oil was turning a little white, but i think its turning back to its original color after test driving it
Have a question for you. I'm working on a brand new motorcycle with 1 mile on it and I just noticed the oil looks very milky white colored. Do have you any idea? Bike sat in a crate for 2 years, but only has 1 mile on it. Thanks!
Not sure. I don't work on bikes. Sorry about that.
Like... a reputable brand or some Chinese crap? Some companies put certain additives in the oil to protect it while sitting for some time. At a minimum, sat way too long for the oil to be truly viable. Just make sure when changing the oil to use the right oil particularly with a wet clutch otherwise you'll burn up your gearbox and clutch real quick.
So heads need to be taken off and looked at ??? Look for hole , water coming out of block ??
Hi..... my Opel insignia turbo coolant leaks into the engine oil and I’ve changed the water pump and still leaks the workshop say they can’t help anymore that I have to change the car engine.... please you have any idea on what I can do?
I'm really not at all familiar with that vehicle. A second opinion from a different shop may help....but they may give the same answer.
I got a 2010 ford edge water pump issue , coolant mix in the engine, does this mean the engine is blew
No necessarily. I've been driving mine after coolant intermix for a couple years now. Of course I repaired it.
What if the coolant level never goes down and the color of the oil is like that? What's the cause? Like in my car . Coolant level is never low or never go down but still the oil looks like that? And the oil level never goes down or up.
Maybe a problem with the PCV system.
My Engin oil looks bad and it’s was in accident. And my engin has water in it and oil looks like ur oil? Do you think gasket kit is bad need to get new one or?
Hard to say without looking at it myself.
at the gas station the guy put by mistake a LOT water in the oil place 🥺 im a new driver i trusted them and the car was on working but i didnt drive after this it just stoped working then . now at the garage they say the whole engine is broken . Others tell me no thats not possible . What do you suggest ?? Pls pls answer
No way I could tell you. I'd trust the mechanic working on it. But, if you can't trust him then maybe you can take it somewhere else to get a second opinion.
I read Dexcool is ethylene glycol based. Will this create a milky sludge in the oil pan if it got in there?
Yes. Strawberry 🥛.
Any coolant or just water in the oil will cause the oil to get thick and milkshakey.
@@BarboursAutoHelp I have a 2000 4runner, takes the red coolant. Reading on forums about the dreaded strawberry milkshake....i drained some oil and it was black, thought it had a red tinge...am i being paranoid...is this the beginning? Or will it turn to strawberry milkshake immediately and be very obvious? It has only been running rough for a few days. Thanks, great vid.
What does it mean when the water comes out first? I happened to have coolant mixed in my oil I caught it super quick bc I happened to have finished rebuilding the engine and this happened. Just got my heads resurfaced and installed just waiting on a new water pump (the new one seemed fine but changed it again justttt incase it came faulty and caused the problem).. all coolant lines seem to be good no cracks, bends, or anything. Heads seemed to be good since the machine shop didnt say anything bad. Any other recommendations before I fill the coolant back up and try it for a second time?
Oil floats on water. So water/coolant comes out first, then the oil/green slime (emulsified oil) comes out and if it looks like his video, expect to wait for a long long time for it to stop.
Bought a 96 GTI back in high school… but with no car knowledge i accidentally put coolant instead of motor oil…. 😅
Im wondering how to clean this water and oil mixture from the engine ?
The way I did it was change the oil and filter. Drive it for a week and change oil and filter again. Your PCV system will clean the minor stuff.
Did the vehicle shake while trying to drive it after the first oil change? My car started shaking day one of changing oil due to coolant getting into oil and oil getting into coolant ?
ty
In the last couple of days, the oil dipstick started jumping out and splashing oil under my hood when I rev the engine. I checked the dipstick and it sorta looks like this. Not good, right?
The bad thing is that I have absolutely zero money right now and I need the car. Can I run it like this for short daily 5 minute rides or will I destroy the engine?
Also, is there a chance that it is a temporary thing due to extreme cold (-25C)?
If the oil looks like that and the dip stick is shooting out it’s possible the engine is shot already. Only thing I can think of that would cause the dip stick to shoot out is high crank case pressure. Which is typically caused by blown piston rings or an issue with the PCV system. I wouldn’t recommend driving it. You need a tech to take a look at it asap.
@@BarboursAutoHelp If the engine is bad, wouldn't you feel it while driving, even slightly? Absolutely nothing feels off while driving or idling in any way, the check engine light is not even on.
How about condensation? I've seen that sometimes condensation just forms inside because of low temperatures. I'm going to inspect more thoroughly in a few days when the weather will warm up again.
@@techalyzer sorry. I gave the best answer I could. I’m just guessing. However I wouldn’t gamble. I’d get it looked at asap.
@@BarboursAutoHelp I took another look and a short ride just now, when it's much warmer.
The oil is back to being the usual dark color, up to normal level and the dipstick didn't shoot out this time, it didn't even move, and I really tried, I drove up to rev limiter.
I guess some kind of condensation thing from somewhere was the issue.
A bit of coolant was still missing and I had to top it up, but in this case I suspect the aftermarket radiator which has slightly thinner connection tubes and I had to use hose clamps to stop it from leaking, maybe it's still dripping very slowly...
In any case, today the engine was perfectly fine and the oil clean.
I have an 04 Nissan Titan 5.6 that just started leaking a yellowish fluid. I have never seen this before and I’m clueless what it is. Do u have any idea what it might be??
What color is your coolant?
@@BarboursAutoHelp it’s still the green color it usually is.
Well, not sure what system other than the cooling system that would use yellow fluid. I thought it may have been possible that your cooling system had yellow coolant in it. Guess not. So, I'm not sure. Have you gotten under your vehicle to see where it may have come from?
@@BarboursAutoHelp all I can tell is it is comin from the front somewhere and it’s also leakin from the back Ig the differential it what it is called.
Not sure.
Normally there will be bubbles on the dip stick “if” water was in the engine
I have that problem happening to my g37 what would you think it is?
How much coast just too replacement water pump labor coast $$$$
What if you see this mix comming out your exhaust
That's not good.
@@BarboursAutoHelp Is it possible, though, that this mix (of oil and water) could cause billowing white smoke to come from the exhaust pipe? I have this issue going on with a 2007 Hyundai Accent that appears NOT to have a blown head gasket / block or head crack via a compression test and a leak down test I did on it. So I'm trying to rule out why I had a bunch of white smoke come out the tail pipe when I started it the other day after having it sit a long time. The oil looks like classic chocolate milkshake / water in oil appearance. thanks.
Mines is white looking do I have to change the whole engine
It’s all relative to how much damage was done.
Can that blue devil engine block chemical work?
I've heard of it working. I've never used it. However, it's my opinion that it's best to repair whatever is leaking. Thats my best answer. However, if I was in a situation where I couldn't afford to repair my vehicle properly and was not a mechanic I would be tempted to use it just because of what I've heard about it. But don't confuse me im not endorsing that.
@@BarboursAutoHelp I was thinking about purchasing one, and let my mechanic deal with it. I believed he said " coolant was going inside the engine block."
I'm a "by the book" kinda guy. My opinion is it's best to repair. However, if you choose to use the product please let us know how it goes.
@@BarboursAutoHelp sure will.
@@BarboursAutoHelp pp
My oil is black after my husband had his mechanic replace the oil, he said we need an engine. I'm not convinced
OK.
Mechanic is probably wanting u to do some tricks fo him
My e36 is taking water from radiator and mixes the water and oil and heats and turns off after 5 minutes
Head gasket? Had same problem with my e36. I recommend you to sell it and buy a volvo 740/240 🤪
@@bjrn4954 mine is an 1.6 btw i fixed it with a liquid that fixes leaks cylinders and gaskets and etc for 20 euros and it worked and even cleaned the engine and doesn't drain water from radiator anymore!Btw i drifted a bit today again and it didn't heat or something and when i got home and Checked water and engine and they where ok and when i looked at the oil it was ok but then i saw a bit of white on the top and i was like wtf and i cleaned it with paper and when i dipped 8t in again i see again a bit of white on the corner but i hope that's just temporary
So whats the fix
For my vehicle it was the water pump that caused it. I have a video linked in the description.
Took me a week to figure out how water was getting to my oil pan...........FREEZE PLUG
I see if your oil looks like chocolate peanut butter pudding you have a malfunctioning engine
Its called condensation right?
Or it can condence when hot right?
Say what?
Yeah i dont know, just a wild guess
What are you talking about?. Elaborate. Are you talking about the vehicle in the video?
What im trying to say is that, when coolant(water) get in the oil, the motor will have condensated water on it, because water will damp or condence when its hot. Im just asking if im right or no, because thats what i have heard.
I had the opposite happen, oil in the coolant but not in the oil. It was the oil cooler not a cracked head or block/cylinder.
In the same car? Where is the oil cooler in these and how hard is that to fix/diagnose?
@@rje613mine was a 2012 Subaru Impreza. Ill tell ya it was a lot less hard to change out the oil cooler than it would've been to repair a gasket or put a whole new engine in 😂
@@rje613the oil cooler on mine was right beneath the oil filter, but mine sits on top of the engine so that was kinda easy. Check a diagram for your specific vehicle
@@clairycarrieriverstone6406 I checked the service manual last night and found where it was on mine. How did you diagnose that though? How did you figure it was that and not something else? Appreciate the responses btw. I'm hoping it's the same issue on mine because I swear if I have to do the head gasket I might jump off a cliff 😂
@@rje613 mainly because the only cause of oil being in the coolant but NOT in the engine is because the oil cooler is leaking the oil into the water but it can't reverse the water into the engine.
I'm just here for the completely moronic questions & the hilarious responses from the vid creator. How do some of you people manage to get your arms through the correct holes in a shirt?
The oil coming out of that engine looked nasty. That engine will need a LOT of work or a total rebuild before it'll run again.
My car over heated and got it fixed but it still would over heat and I just looked at my dip stick and it looks just like that