Contaminated Radiator Fluid

[MaxS15]

Evening,

I'm hoping to pick up a Surf this weekend, and fix an issue with

It's a 3l diesel Gen 2 SSRX.

There is mixing of oil into the coolant, presumably engine oil but he does note that no creamy residue is on the oil filler cap. His mechanic friend thinks it is a broken oil cooler (which transfers the heat between radiator and engine oil?)

Does this sound plausible, I.e. he's not trying to get rid of a car with a cracked block or head?

And are there any things I can do to double check his theory, and do you think it's safe for a 5 mile journey home before I get down to fixing it? He says it's never overheated.

Thanks.

[Growler]

If its an auto then this could be transmission fluid mixing in the rad as the oil coiler is at bottom of radiator.

[MaxS15]

Thanks for the help. It is an auto, so I guess it's a 50/50 chance it's the engine oil cooler as he suspects. I'm guessing that engine oil mixing will make the coolant quite dark, maybe if it's not so dark I'll suspect the transmission oil cooler.

If it is the transmission fluid I take it I'm looking at a new radiator? Any other parts too? Is a radiator change too difficult? Im pretty handy so long as i dont have to pull the engine!

[Growler]

From memory there isn't an engine oil cooler on a gen 2 or gen 3, unless fitted aftermarket, only the transmission cooler on the bottom of radiator, so make sure you check the pipe work routes.

Minimum you are looking at is new rad, flush and clean transmission and replace all fluids, depends on how long it's been like this if it is the transmission it may have caused internal clutch issues.

Rad is easy enough to replace but make sure you bleed all the air out as this will cause issues later on if not.

[tashtego]

If it is the ATF (autibox oil) that has mixed with coolant ( the interface between coolant and ATF cooler at the bottom of the rad has corroded) I would leave this surf alone .

Water destroys autoboxes.

Cheers

[Bogus]

And im with Tash on this one. You could end up with a goosedautobox.

[charvell]

If its an auto then this could be transmission fluid mixing in the rad as the oil coiler is at bottom of radiator.

The engine oil cooler on the gen 3 on the right hand side of the block under the oil filter bit of a pig to get too.. Tony N did mine