Thread: Oil (?) in expansion tank

thats porridge...

to have a guess...

your not using red OAT are you?


the red OAT is what generally turns the oil to the black sludge if your using normal coolant you'll get porridge that will seperate out of the coolant over time.

depending on a, how lucky you are and b how well maintained the vehicle is. IT may not be the head gasket and if you are getting no other symptoms of head gasket failure then the even money goes to the oil cooler.

I was thinking on the head gasket as soon as I read the title

If the oil cooler let go inside the radiator .... then it is a tough job to remove all traces of it in the coolant system ..... (Unsure if you have replaced the radiator due to oil cooler dramas)

Thanks for the responses so far.

The coolant was green, but have had the system flushed, the header tank cleaned. The replacement coolant is red, same spec as Toy-ota LC. Have run the truck for nearly 200k's since yesterday with no reappearance of the slime.

Have also replaced the header tank cap as it had been leaking (due to the destruction of the original rubber seal).

Have been wondering the possibility that someone incorrectly dropped oil or brake fluid into it, as opposed to an actual system leak (head gasket or oil cooler). I don't know the history of the landy other than it was registered and run in Kalgoorlie, with a reasonable record of service.

The info I have received so far is that such a young vehicle (4 yr with 71k) shouldn't have either the cooler or head gasket go just yet!!

Anyway will stand on and see if the issue returns.....

Thanks for the responses so far...all good guff.


aew849
a slightly less slimey 04 130 DCPU......

When my oil cooler let go I ended up with grey porridge in the header tank like you have posted. Found the leak was one way and only when you get the system warmed up.
Sod of a thing to get replaced via Land Rover as you heve to buy the who assembly at $1100. That price was a couple of years ago.

Rovacraft has them for 700 odd beer tokens...I was passing the door and secured one, however after running the vehicle for two days now there is no return of the goop to the new coolant.

JC from Hobart ensures me it is a simple job......he didn't see me swearing and cursing just changing one stinkin radiator hose !!

So when the gunge returns I stick a new cooler on, and get to know the turbo and exhaust manifold intimately in the process.

Thanks,

aew849