Help, oil in water

[fast1]

Hi there, new here
Oldies have a vx v6 auto
There is oil appearing in the radiator
Where should I start looking?

Thanks

[strgas]

what color is the oil ?? pink or brown ??

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

If you don't want to see oil in the radiator, don't look in there.....


Seriously though, inlet manifold gaskets are notorious for leaking on the ecotecs.

[fast1]

Its browny looking mud

[strgas]

check the spark plugs for signs of incorrect burn you have engine oil in the cooling system , it could be from blown head gasket or worn inlet gaskets or maybe the manifold has worn away , remove and check manifold gaskets and manifold condition if they ok move onto the cylinder heads and head gaskets checking oil passages thru head gaskets ..

[Adriianz]

could be a head gasket, thats what happened to my vr lol like a brown milky substance.

[Maxseverity]

could always be rust if its milky brown. my radiators rusting away atm

[Tree cutter]

Are you sure it is oil and not just the residue from the tablets that lubricate the waterpump seal.
My Calais had a brown sludge in the coolant until i changed the coolant and did not put any pellets in the cooling system. Next time i changed the coolant i put the pellets in and i now have brown sludge in the coolant so i think it is the pellets that cause the brown sludge.

[quombone]

Lower intake manifold gasket(s) 99% of the time!
Had the same problem with my VT, searched and stressed for weeks. Bit the bullet, brought a Gregory's and got some priceless info from this site and did the job myself. Once there, the gaskets were cracked, warped and leaking.
2 day job for me (get a Gregory's) the car has no sign's of oil now for 2 months.

[stevoss]

yeah if its brown inlet manifold
if its red = core in radiator is gone
otherwise low compression and brown hd gasket

[bricat]

As quombone said!!! Daughters car was same and just tightened gasket at rear water jacket.

[johnno010684]

mate i have exactly the same thing in my VT, pretty bad only takes couple of thousand k's til the green coolant turns to brown sludgy crap!

[CommVTS]

most likely intake manifold gasket, happened to mine. Pretty rare for head gasket to go in a VT from what I've heard.