Oil in header tank, no water in oil - just bought car!

[cunningham]

Hello all,

 

This is my first post on here, had a browse through but couldn't find what I was looking for so here I am!  

 

So I went and bought a 54 plate yellow vrs with 139k on the clocks with some service history. Bought the car from a private trader, it had been serviced and had a coolant flush. Took it for a test drive, drove perfectly, dmf was whisper quite no vibrations from it either. Took it back checked it over and did the deal. I got about ten miles up the road and the coolant light came on, had to drive a further ten or so miles before I could pull over. The temperature never went above 90 the whole time. Pulled over to check it and get water from the garage, opened the header and it was black inside, dipped my finger in and it was pure oil. There was no sign of water on the oil cap.

 

Needless to say I went straight back to the guys door and he said that he can guarantee its not the head gasket as he had been using it personally. He reckons that it is the oil cooler and has put it in to his garage to get sorted.

 

Does this sound right to anyone? I am a little heartened with the whole situation and I am not sure if I should take the car back or not. Any ideas or suggestions? 

 

Thanks very much,

Regards.

Blair.

[mikey vrs]

A faulty oil cooler can cause this fault.......the fact that the car had a coolant flush before you got it suggests to me he knew there was a issue.

[mogwye]

Agree, I had the same problem and it was the Oil Cooler, fairly easy to change.

 

DB

[cunningham]

Is it possible it could be the head gasket or unlikely as no water in oil and no temp spike? Yes I was thinking the same thing, when I was waiting he went away and called his mechanic and I overheard him saying that he gave it a coolant flush while changing the oil cooler and the coolant was pink before hand and they changed the oil cooler. He never mentioned that the oil cooler had been changed to me. The car has a one month warranty on it. What do you think? Thank you for your speedy reply!

[mikey vrs]

It can take a few flushes to get the oil/water mix out of the system,when you pick it up id check the coolant first then give it a good 10 mile+ run & then check the coolant again,if its clear from oil then you should be ok. 

[mikey vrs]

Also was the oil cooler brand new or has he fitted a secondhand one to try & save money! the secondhand one could have the same problem. 

[cunningham]

I'm not sure if it was new or s/h as he hadn't mentioned it at all. He never heard back from his mechanic so he is going to go down tomorrow and find out for me. I'm not 100% sure if I want to take the car back tbh. It's got 139k on the clock, no service history just tipex under the bonnet when the timing belt had been done twice. There's a few patches of yellow paint on the sills and and arches that don't match the car and the gear box was a little bit 'catchy' if you get me between 1st & 2nd. It comes with a months warranty though. DMF was silky smooth and quite and it drove faultlessly. He's taking my old dog as a trade in for £400 and is taking £200 off the previously agreed price for all the inconvenience so the car will be £1400. What do you think?

 

I've been looking about and I can get one that's been mapped, lowered ect (everything that I would like to do) with 130,000 odd miles for around 2.2/2.3k, or buy one totally standard one with fsh with similar miles for the same money. In a dilemma here lol     

[iiPaul]

I'm not sure if it was new or s/h as he hadn't mentioned it at all. He never heard back from his mechanic so he is going to go down tomorrow and find out for me. I'm not 100% sure if I want to take the car back tbh. It's got 139k on the clock, no service history just tipex under the bonnet when the timing belt had been done twice. There's a few patches of yellow paint on the sills and and arches that don't match the car and the gear box was a little bit 'catchy' if you get me between 1st & 2nd. It comes with a months warranty though. DMF was silky smooth and quite and it drove faultlessly. He's taking my old dog as a trade in for £400 and is taking £200 off the previously agreed price for all the inconvenience so the car will be £1400. What do you think?

I've been looking about and I can get one that's been mapped, lowered ect (everything that I would like to do) with 130,000 odd miles for around 2.2/2.3k, or buy one totally standard one with fsh with similar miles for the same money. In a dilemma here lol

Personally I would buy a standard one with a fsh, and make it your own by adding your own mods. But that's just me

[vRSAnt]

It is what it is. A secondhand car with uncertain history, but at that price bloody cheap.

Only one way to find out....stick with and put up with the pain? At that price, personally I would.

 

Mines from new and has wanted for naught mostly ( ok bending the truth slightly) but even so you end up having to do bills just keeping the car on the road, its the nature of the game unfortunately for most cars of this age. e.g. radiator replacement, header tank replacement, front wishbone bushes, issue with the alternator load wire,

for me I can look forward to future possibly turbo and dmf/clutch but still motoring on for now.

 

There is no one person on here who is going to give you a bill of health or anything based on some description of the cars faults. Although the closest you would get is naming the reg or most of to determine if anyone recognises the car might help ?

[cunningham]

I might take the chance and see how it goes. Would be happy to get a year out it till I get my scooby on December. The reg is SL04 DKF its yellow with black tinted windows, maybe someone will recognise it? Cheers

Edited 2 January, 2015 by cunningham

[Hammerhead980]

I might take the chance and see how it goes. Would be happy to get a year out it till I get my scooby on December. The reg is SL04 DKF its yellow with black tinted windows, maybe someone will recognise it? Cheers

I had the same on my 1.4 mpi when i got it and flushed the coolant system as there was black gunk in the expansion tank

 

Still have a few traces of it but nowhere near as much as i had before.

 

Dirty bottle possibly or something worse??

[Mwhippet]

Most people only get rid of second hand cars because there having too many problems with them or just bored .... Someones probially traded it in or sold it private which everyou bought it because they knew of this fault happening or why would they have just randomly done a coolant change especially if it's had belts done the coolant should have been changed then .... If the garage has put a oil cooler on it they might have got a gasket wrong or something so it's started leaking .... Also if it was black before hence the reason they have flushed out without replacing the whole cooling system you'll never really get the bottle to stay as clean as it should ....

[Phil-E]

The notchy gear change will be one of two things. Either it needs a gear oil change or the rivet on the selector fork is breaking.

 

Try a gear oil change first as this could very well be the cause at that mileage.

 

Phil