Yoeman Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 Help 2012 3.6 Journey pushed all the engine oil into the cooling system and it bubbles out of the overflow after a 10 mile drive. I do know that engine has been reported as a big problem with heads cracking yet it’s not under warranty because of rebuilt status. Would it be correct to consider the oil cooler as potential cause or am I dreaming Engine runs fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 Engine runs fine with all the oil in the cooling system? I can't imagine for long...Pressure test the cooling system for starters. Could be the internal transmission cooler in the radiator has ruptured. 2late4u and Summer Solstice 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summer Solstice Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 If all of the oil in your engine had gone into the coolant system, your car would be knocking and ticking for just a bit before catastrophic damage occurred. What jkeaton has suggested is far more likely. Transmission oil will float on the coolant and make it look dark, murky, and frothy in the coolant reservoir and the radiator. Your radiator is divided into two parts. Coolant flows in the large main section. The transmission has lines that connect to one side of the radiator. The radiator is separated internally. This separation will develop a leak that allows the transmission oil to seep into the main part of the radiator. This is not uncommon in an older car. Don't drive it like this. Your transmission and coolant will both run hotter than normal. Get the coolant system pressure checked as suggested. Also pull the engine oil dipstick and the oil fill cap. Look for any light colored froth or slime. That is a sign of coolant in the engine oil from a head gasket or worse. If the coolant and radiator system check fine, then you would have a leak-down test done on the engine. That would find any issues with the heads or gaskets. At this point, that sounds unlikely. One step at a time. 2late4u and jkeaton 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hankster Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 Probably the engine oil cooler under the intake manifold is leaking the oil into the coolant. The transmission cooler is part of the ac condenser. Not in the radiator on the journey. jkeaton and 2late4u 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffhoward001 Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 I agree with that the engine oil cooler sounds like the most likely cause. It's a great feature as it really prolongs oil life, but it's a known part that needs to be replaced as the edges towards 100K. Good news is that it's not *terribly* difficult to replace. I believe it sits under the intake manifold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OriginalHawk Posted February 1, 2020 Report Share Posted February 1, 2020 I had the same problem. Dealership said it was the oil cooler. I’ll be replacing mine this weekend. My question is do I need to replace the reservoir tank or is there something that I can use to clean all the oil residue? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2late4u Posted February 1, 2020 Report Share Posted February 1, 2020 3 hours ago, OriginalHawk said: I had the same problem. Dealership said it was the oil cooler. I’ll be replacing mine this weekend. My question is do I need to replace the reservoir tank or is there something that I can use to clean all the oil residue? Thanks should be able to clean it good enough to be okay use some dawn dish washing soap,,,,,, Summer Solstice 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OriginalHawk Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OriginalHawk Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 Thanks! One more thing. Should I change the oil after replacing the oil cooler? 2late4u 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 On 2/2/2020 at 9:28 AM, OriginalHawk said: Thanks! One more thing. Should I change the oil after replacing the oil cooler? Unless you think coolant contaminated oil is good for the engine.....lol....Yes. Change the oil larryl and Armando G 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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