2001 Mazda Protege Repair Question
Mileage: 127,000 miles.
Mazda Protege Radiator Problem
Asked by (pending member)Answer
Was the cooling system cleaned after repairs? It could be residual oil in system. Are you still getting overheating and coolant losses issues now? Is there any sign of coolant in engine oil?
The cooling system was cleaned. I am not having any problems with my car overheating and no coolant in the oil, only in the overflow. I have had no problems with fluid loss.
I noticed the oil in overflow when I checked my oil. This was the only problem I had before I had my head gasket checked was oil in overflow.
If oil is present in the overflow and not the radiator, that does not make sense if it is from the engine because any fault with the engine would have oil in radiator and coolant as well.
How many times was the recovery tank cleaned and was it thorough?
How much oil is present?
I checked my overflow the other day and oil was present I checked the radiator and could not see any presence of oil. I cleaned out the overflow and replaced it with new antifreeze. I do not understand why when I check my overflow after I have been driving and let it cool that there is oil in the overflow. I then check the radiator to find no oil or only a trace of oil. I believe the shop only cleaned the radiator once. The overflow has a oil ring around the outer edges which you can see as soon as you open up the overflow tank. I will check when I get home tonight to see if I have oil in overflow after being cleaned out again.
Should I have my radiator flushed again or can the head gasket still be leaking.
I won't jump to conclusion too quickly if everything is working correctly now. If oil is present, have it cleaned and monitor the situation for a while longer. Let the shop knows about it. Sometimes it needs a few cleaning sessions as residual oil in cooling system needs some time for them to be purged out.
I cleaned out the overflow tank and checked it the next day and there was oil in my overflow so I checked the radiator and it had a grayish looking film on top of antifreeze and some dark oil spots. Is there any other place oil can be getting into my radiator besides the head gasket?
Yes, a cracked cylinder head is the most likely cause if you do not have pressure in system.