3.4- oil in coolant overflow tank

[PJB]

My friend's wife has an '01 Pontiac Aztec with a 3.4 and it keeps getting oil into the coolant overflow tank.

My friend got the intake gaskets replaced but the oil still gets in there.

He was told it wasnt the head gaskets by the mechanic that fixed the car but he seems to think theyre the problem.

Does it seem like the head gaskets are the issue or could it be something else?

 

[Crazy K]

a trans cooler inside the radiator failed in my 92 lumina. it looked like oil for a bit until it became clear that it was red in color....

 

basically it is difficult to tell the difference of trans fliud or oil in the collant system, if it is only a minimal amount.

 

 

[shyguy164]

a trans cooler inside the radiator failed in my 92 lumina. it looked like oil for a bit until it became clear that it was red in color....

 

basically it is difficult to tell the difference of trans fliud or oil in the collant system, if it is only a minimal amount.

 

 

 

If the wall between the trans cooler and radiator breaks down, you should have heat in your car almost immediately due to the trans fluid circulating through the heater core.

[Crazy K]

a trans cooler inside the radiator failed in my 92 lumina. it looked like oil for a bit until it became clear that it was red in color....

 

basically it is difficult to tell the difference of trans fliud or oil in the collant system, if it is only a minimal amount.

 

 

 

If the wall between the trans cooler and radiator breaks down, you should have heat in your car almost immediately due to the trans fluid circulating through the heater core.

 

that sounds like a serious leak! in my case, it was only a pinhole that slowly leaked over time. no such result occurred... anyhow if it did.... the tranny would most likely starve itself of fluid and drop out of gear before you felt heat!

[shyguy164]

a trans cooler inside the radiator failed in my 92 lumina. it looked like oil for a bit until it became clear that it was red in color....

 

basically it is difficult to tell the difference of trans fliud or oil in the collant system, if it is only a minimal amount.

 

 

 

If the wall between the trans cooler and radiator breaks down, you should have heat in your car almost immediately due to the trans fluid circulating through the heater core.

 

that sounds like a serious leak! in my case, it was only a pinhole that slowly leaked over time. no such result occurred... anyhow if it did.... the tranny would most likely starve itself of fluid and drop out of gear before you felt heat!

 

This happened on my friend's 92 Transsport awhile back. He'd have full heat in the car after idling for like 5 mins. And this was in winter too! We both had no clue anything was wrong until his heater core exploded. Then the mechanic found the tranny fluid in the coolant side of the radiator.

[PJB]

Im pretty sure the radiator is ok in this car. Its only got 5x K on it.

Ill have him check it out anyway though.

[slick]

Yep, test the fluids to be absolutely sure. Generally with leaky intake gaskets, these gm engines get milky oil. Seems not to be the case. Sounds more like a bad seal or bad radiator.