oil in coolant reservoir ... urgent ... Peugeot 206 Xri ... 2006

Question

I need some advice I'm broke and I need the car (like it's not an option) it hasn't overheated yet .

This just happened about a week ago, I'm driving way slower like 50/60kmh and 70/90kmh when in downhill but in neutral.

I'm doing my very best to only use the car for the utmost necessary, dropping picking daughter to school then daycare then back home.

It's rainy season in my country and the little one just came out from a bronquitis episode so yeah exposure to water is not an option.

I know pouring my life drama won't fix the car, but I really need someone to break it down cold to me, like I'm really ucked up, or there could be a silver lining that would allow me to still use it a little, while I whre around or do something to get the money to fix it.

Update prior posting: my wife just called saying she feels a burning scent (no smoke or anything visible, no over heating visible through the gauge)

Please see below the way the tank looks. FYI after the picture was taken I "squeezed" one ioff the hoases attached to the radiator and coolant went back over the coolant reservoir and "cleaned" whatever polish fecal looking matter there was, so it's a really thin layer.

I refilled the coolant to compensate the overflowned coolant.

Answer 1

Not good. The proverbial "milk shake".

But... from the color I'd sooner suspect the transmission cooler is what is leaking, not engine oil from a blown headgasket.

Check the transmission dipstick (if you have one) and see if has this same frothy opaque appearance. It should be red, amber, or even a dark red approaching black - but should have none of the milky appearance in your reservoir. If it does, it's a failed transmission cooler, which shares part of the radiator. This is a far more common failure than a head gasket leak.

You can also check the engine oil on the dipstick as well. If this is milky, than the culprit is engine oil -- most likely from head gasket failure.

If it's just the transmission cooler section of the radiator, you might get by with a radiator replacement and a full transmission flush and filter change. This needs to be done soon, as coolant will eventually ruin clutch packs and internal transmission components. A new transmission is likely more money than a head gasket.

I understand your hardship, but driving the vehicle will continue to cause damage until this situation is fixed.

I'm assuming this vehicle has an automatic transmission. If not, then the ATF in coolant failure I'm describing does not apply.

Good luck. Check the transmission fluid and engine oil,and report back to us.

Answer 2

You can drive it, but engine cooling will be sub-par

This means you will have to monitor engine temperature fastidiously.

It also means that the more you drive, the more you will damage the cooling system which you'll end up having to refresh/repair/replace.

Based on a rudimentary internet search it looks like your engine oil cooler is air-cooled, not coolant-cooled.

The good news is that this eliminates the oil cooer as a possible location where oil and coolant can mix to form the cholocate milkshake.

The bad news is that the other likely location where this can occur is the interface between the engine block and cylinder head, so it looks like you'll need a new head gasket to fix the problem.

Once that is installed, you will also have to take care of undoing the damage to the cooling system. You'll have to have the following items evaluated for flushing/replacement:

• clogged coolant hoses

  Basically the gunk needs to be flushed out. No need to replace them IMO.

• clogged radiator

  It's possible to reverse-flush them, but time-consuming. Most mechanics will just recommend replacing the radiator

• clogged water pump

  Flush out the milkshake. Some might suggest replacing it for peace of mind.

• coolant flush

  From experience, it can take several flushing iterations to get all of the milkshake out.

All the best.

Answer 3

It could be the wrong kinds of coolants mixed together. Color looks off to be oil. GM’s Red/Orange (colorblind here) DexCool when mixed with Ethylene Glycol coolant would cause a chemical reaction and build up a nasty thick slug just like this. I would absolutely not drive it. The stuff in your cooling system is no longer coolant, it is plugging up hoses and passageways. It may not show on the gauge that it’s overheating because at the temp sender it good but you could be frying the rest of it. It will cost you less to fix it now if you ruin the motor. Humanity survived for 10s of thousands of years without cars. You and your daughter can do it for a few weeks. I’ve done it for months when my sons where little. I got to where I preferred public transportation over driving to and from work and school.