R50/53 coolant loss/ no leaks/foam in oil?? (I think...)
5th Gear
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 664
Likes: 1
Sorry to say that it looks like coolant in the oil. Although another possibility could be condensation build up in the oil. Was it sitting for an extended period? When was the last time your engine got up to operating temperature? If you don't let it get up to operating temperature for a long time...like only driving 5 minutes to work each day for a week or so, the condensation inside of the engine doesn't get a chance to fully evaporate, so it builds up. I hope that is all it is.
I would change the oil, then check it often and see if it keeps happening.
I would change the oil, then check it often and see if it keeps happening.
If you can do a compression and a leak down test, that may save you from doing an oil change if catastrophe has already struck. Otherwise some great suggestions / info from Alice.
5th Gear
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 664
Likes: 1
The thing is that that much coolant in the oil would be crazy noticeable. Keep fillin it up and checking under the car. If it is not leaking and the oil level is not going way up, then it could be that the coolant was nearly empty to start with. I know from experience that when you drain and refill the coolant, you can either bleed it or keep running it and refilling the reservoir. It will only drain from the reservoir when it hits a certain temperature, so the reservoir could be full and there could technically be no coolant in the engine. It took me a week of refilling the reservoir before all the air got out. There was no leak, but every day I would fill the reservoir, then at the end of the day it was empty. It scared the crap out of me the first couple of times.
It could be a head gasket, but for that much coolant to be in the oil, the oil would be overflowing. +1 for the compression test.
If you determine that it is the head, then buy a bentley or haynes manual and a head and go to it. The hard part with heads is dealing with the timing chain. Everything else should be easy. I'm pretty sure you don't have to remove the engine or anything drastic. The $$$ part is the actual part, not the labor.
It could be a head gasket, but for that much coolant to be in the oil, the oil would be overflowing. +1 for the compression test.
If you determine that it is the head, then buy a bentley or haynes manual and a head and go to it. The hard part with heads is dealing with the timing chain. Everything else should be easy. I'm pretty sure you don't have to remove the engine or anything drastic. The $$$ part is the actual part, not the labor.
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