Reader Question
I took my van to have the oil changed today and they said my oil was milky looking…we replaced the thermostat about two weeks ago as the temperature gauge started running from cold to hot…it ran over to the 1st red line one morning as I came to work..
I immediately turned it off…the check engine light came on for maybe a second and went off….we changed the thermostat…the temperature gauge has not run into the hot zone since….but I have to keep putting coolant in the bottle every couple of weeks….
I do not have a wet tailpipe, nor do you smell the antifreeze….the guy at the oil place said I could have a cracked head??? I have 60,000 miles on my van it runs like a sewing machine…it has not run hot since we put in the thermostat.
I have seen a few wet spots on the pavement leaving work each day….no one needs a big repair bill and this is the last thing we need…is there any thing we can check before taking it to the Chevy dealer….I’m not sure I trust them….my van is a V-8
Thank you for your time in reading this…I look forward to hearing from you….
Linda
Howdy Linda,
If you got chocolate milkshake looking engine oil…….that is NOT good news. The oil gets that color when coolant and water enter the oil chambers of the engine…..its NOT supposed to be in those chambers. It usually finds its way into the oil via a blown head gasket or some other internal engine damaged part caused by extreme overheating.
First things first. You need to get a cooling system pressure test ASAP. Sounds like you might have an external coolant leak, which needs to be repaired. But the test will also determine if there is an internal coolant leak….which we need to talk about. An internal leak is going to be BIG bucks.
I would take the vehicle somewhere that you can trust and you feel are competent enough to make this critical diagnosis for you. A fast lube place is probably not a good choice.
Once they get the external leak (if there really is one) repaired, and they determine that there IS an internal leak. I would suggest you try the over the counter product I talk about on this page. Don t follow the on the can instructions, but rather do it like I suggest here. It works!
Keep me posted.
Blessings,
Austin Davis