1.6TD Oily Water - What is going on...?

[peepingheads]

Hello, just joined the forum, been reading it for ages though.

About me, I have had a VW van for over 20 years, a T2 Devon, T2 Panel, now have a T4 Caravelle 2.4D but I needed a T3!

I found a T3 that needed a good clean, mechanically it seems OK, drives very well, and stops well, even in a straight line.

The van is a T3 Westfalia Joker with a 1.6TD engine, engine has done about 75K miles, van reads 120K miles, didn't pay that much for it, so I am happy.

I have just come back from a trip to Germany in the van, about 2000kms all in, on the way back I got the 'Temp LED' flashing at me, the temp guage was in it's normal position, just to the left of the LED.

I stopped and let the engine cool for a while, had a look in the expansion tank and discovered that the cap was a bit foamy with brownish muck on it, I cleaned that out, topped up the tank, about 1L of water, interesting that none of the water from the header tank has be used, so I checked the pipe and it was clear, I could blow down it.

Checked again at a stop about 400kms later and needed a little more water, not much, about a cup full(?) No further flashing on the LED but there is some muck in the water, looks and feels, even smells a little oily.

Engine runs OK, no smoke, pulls fine, about 110kmph on the road, turbo seems to kick in OK and all sounds good. Starts on all cylinders from cold with the heaters on for 30 seconds. Cab heater is good, warms OK.

Oil looks clean, at least on the dipstick, no residue at the top of the dipstick tube.

I am going to flush the cooling system and refill it, run it and see what happens.

My first thoughts are that there may be a head gasket problem, but I would have thought that I would have more dramatic episodes with the coolant..?

Any ideas, help and suggestions welcomed!

[Titus A Duxass]

My first thoughts are that there may be a head gasket problem, but I would have thought that I would have more dramatic episodes with the coolant..?

- Head Gasket problems are not always dramatic. Mine ran for about a year (inclúding a trip to Italy) with a random blinking Coolant LED.
You could be lucky and not have anything more dramatic for years, or it could go bang tomorrow. Travel with breakdown insurance.

[badger]

might be a leaking oil cooler; the cooler is sandwiched between the oil filter & the block on a 1.6TD. Simple enough to replace too.

[Simon Baxter]

might be a leaking oil cooler; the cooler is sandwiched between the oil filter & the block on a 1.6TD. Simple enough to replace too.

^^ What he said! ^^

[oldiguana]

eyup ducks,just having the same probs,marladys van has needed topping up more regularly over the last 12 months,always noticed the block was a bit wet around the oil cooler,but come to change the header tank today and theres a load of oily sludge/gunge floating in the header tank,so i think ive got the same problem,.........will any oil cooler do as ive got the one of the 1y i put in marladys van????????......cheers in advance

[peepingheads]

I thought I would update this as the problem, for now at least, appears to be solved!

I took the advice and replaced the O ring under the oil cooler, I also replaced the oil cooler as well. Changed the oil and filter.

Washed out the cooling system as much as possible, hose pipe and water etc. Removed the header tank and cleaned it out with some oil dispersing stuff my dad had, the stuff for oil spills on the road, came up very clean after that.

For info, when I let the coolant out it was quite clean, the sludge and oil was only in the header tank, though a little came out of the radiator when I flushed it.

Refilled the system with water and tested it, did about 200kms and had a look, water was clean, bit milky as I put some flush in it, but no oil or sludge. Going to drain and refill with coolant this weekend.

Engine runs a little cooler now, temp guage lower that before.

[Bilbo Blue]

Don't forget to put antifreeze in!