Squidz28

so i noticed my car was smokin the other day. what i saw was white smoke so i knew it was anitfreeze leakin. i lifted the hood but i just couldnt really pinpoint the problem because the antifreeze was drying up to quick to even get an idea where it was coming from. so i left it alone and left it sittin for about id say a week and a half. well today i figured i should get off my lazy butt and fix the thing. when i pushed it out of the garage i figured i should fill up the radiator before i started.(duh) it was a little low but when it filled to the top i notice there was oil floatin at the top. when i cranked it i found a crack in the plastic part of the radiator, under the pressure cap. i need a new radiator for sure but can someone tell me why oil would be there. maybe a cracked or worn seal? please help guys. thanks

wrencher

iTrader: (2)

Is it an automatic? did the oil look like trans fluid?
The trans cooler in the radiator could be seeping some into the cooling system.
Your gonna need a radiator anyways if it is cracked.
This is an LS1 car right? if it is engine oil that will be a problem then, it would have to be internal engine if it is getting into the cooling system.
Unless it is an eary LT1 or other that has an internal radiator mounted oil cooler.

Squidz28

its a 99 z28 m6. i had a problem before where the power steering cooler went out and the power steering fluid and the radiator fluid keep leaking into eachother. but i checked that and thats ok. my engine oil is a little low, bout a little lower than half from the full mark. so since it dont have a transcooler or tranny fluid then what could it possibly be on the inside of the engine then?

wrencher

iTrader: (2)

You z has a PS cooler?
well that could be the issue right there. You very well could have some left over PS fluid in there. I would bet that is likely the issue.
Not a common problem to get engine oil into the coolant w/ out some pre-existing issue. overheating running problem etc.
Otherwise head gaskets are the most common to cause this.
Not always easy to find the problem if it is internal engine. The oil usually has to have some pressure behind it to get forced into the cooling system.
I would repair the radiator problem clean the cooling system as best as possible & keep a close eye on it.

Squidz28

i agree with you about the power steerin cooler leakin possibly, but ive already ruled that one out. when it went out last time the radiator was overflowing with powersteerin fluid and when i opened the cap to the ps it was yellow in cooler(tellin me that the radiator fluid seeped into it also). this time tho the ps fluid is fine and when i open the cap on the radiator its more of a brownish oil. im pretty sure its engine oil this time. i just am skeptical about replacin the radiator right yet before i fix the oil issue or im afraid that it will just happen again ya know

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

I think its tranny fluid in the coolant. Most likely its getting in where you said you found a crack, thats exactly where the tranny line goes into the radiator for its cooling.

Get a new radiator, its cracked.

Squidz28

the oil didn it look red tho it looked more like motor oil

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

When I had a cracked radiator under my pressure cap and I was getting tranny fluid in my coolant, I told everyone that I would bet my nuts it was oil.

It was tranny fluid. It gets dark and forms globs of it. It will stick inside your radiator cap too.

If you're radiator is cracked, you need a new one anyway. Get one and flush the coolant system BIG TIME to get it all out of the block.

Viper

iTrader: (6)

But he's an M6.....

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Didn't catch that.

I guess its not tranny fluid then

Power Steering fluid is more likely than oil, but you never know. Have to do some testing.

wrencher

iTrader: (2)

Ding! J/K

I really wonder if it was severly over heated. Because if engine oil is getting into the cooling system & not vise versa it is gonna be hard to find/confirm.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Can the PS cooler be taken off and checked for leaks?

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

I would check the Power Steering Cooler again..

Squidz28

i will check it again, but im almost positive because i had that problem before. if that were the case, it would look like yellow oil when i opened my powers steering cap. i already had replaced the cooler and not just had it fixed. oh and it did not overheat. it was runnin at normal operating temperatures. bout 210 or just a hair past is normal for me. im thinkin my block might be cracked where the coolant flows through it at. but that would put water in my oil though. this is pretty confusin. i appriciate yalls help so far

Squidz28

does our cars have a crank case oil cooler by any chance? maybe that could have broken, leaking oil into the radiator?

wrencher

iTrader: (2)

Nope only the early LT1's did.

Squidz28

well damn, i dont know what else it could be. i guess im just goin to tell everyone that asks it blew up but still runs.