Headgasket or oil cooler problem 306 hdi

[Welshy_Pete]

Hello I've just had my car fully serviced recently also new anti freeze as well. The radiator been fine the water level also engine oil the same as well. But recently the radiator water a tiny bit foamy or frothy. But that cleared up now in to black sludgy stuff in there. You put your finger in there its oil for sure the only thing it can be. Something recently the car was smoking black then white smelling funny. That cleared up then black, white blue smoke this cleared up to nothing. Now there no smoke at all fromt cold to hot nothing clean now all the time. But since back then the oil in the radiator problem started.

The car doesn't over heat it runs normal temp, The oil clean in the engine and on dip stick and oil cap, The radiator doesn't loose coolant. Also the car starts and runs fine hot or cold. The car doesn't smoke anymore it just normal all the time now.

The only things I can think of is the headgasket or oil cooler problem.

So I'm not sure whats happening at the moment.

Its a 306 hdi.

[citronut]

certainly sounds like it could be the oil cooler

[Peter.N.]

I would agree, normally with head gasket leakage you will lose water. Try disconnecting the hoses from the cooler and joining them together with a piece of pipe, it will take a long time to clear if that is the problem. You can help remove the oil by trickling water into the header tank and letting it overflow, the oil will come to the top and be washed out.

Peter

[addo]

Yes, you do need to remove the cooler to test it properly - you can put 80PSI into one of the water connections and cap the other - then, dunking it in a bucket of water will show any escaping air.

However - if it's anything like the petrol 1.4s, it's the head gasket sealant bead around the oilway that's died of old age.

[Welshy_Pete]

Hello is the oil cooler on the oil filter housing or somewere else?

thanks

[spider]

On the oil filter housing, the same as the XUD's really.

You'll see it, its bolted (well a 'fork' and the central nut) to the oil filter aperture on the block itself.

You'd want a new seal if you remove it (between block and cooler) I seem to think these are actually just an oil filter seal but I'm not sure. New coolers tend to come with them I think, I cannot recall having ever replaced one though.

You could temporarily bypass the water hoses (join them together) to check it although running like that will cause the oil to get too hot, so not really a good idea other than testing purposes.

Pic: Note this is from a 1.9XUDT, there was no pic showing for the DW10 for some odd reason for me. You can see clearly though item 3.

[Welshy_Pete]

I took the old oil cooler of today. The radiator hoses were all clean just normal.

But I took the radiator bottle of and inside I could feel oil so decreased the inside of it and washed it out of the car of course.

I just need anther good working order oil cooler now to see what happens.

[Welshy_Pete]

I've got some good news I changed the oil cooler and 90% of the oil cleared up. I cleaned the radiator abit its much better now. I just top it up when a small bit comes up through the over flow to get it out.

The car will be on the road shortly its been along time and this problem would of been longer.

[spider]

Excellent

[Welshy_Pete]

This is anther thing the original oil cooler is much heavyer and has alonger bolt with thread.

The after market lucas kind is very light and shorter bolt and thread.

There 2 diffrences but they both fit fine but you need the right bolt and thread to match each oil cooler.

[spider]

Interesting to know.

I bet the aftermarket one was a lot cheaper than the oem part though, I seem to recall them being into three figures I could be wrong.