Urgent !Engine Oil mistake !

PNOOKALA

MEMBER
VOLKSWAGEN

Hi,

I have a 1998 VW and today while I was checking for the coolant, engine oil and screen wash fluids, I by mistake added a little (very little) of coolant into the engine oil. Can you please let me know how dangerous this is? Or should I be worried at all?

Thanks !

PNookala :roll:

5 Replies

LOSONE

MECHANIC
1,616 POSTS

Be worried as it will mix with the oil and cause air bubbles that can and will cause engine damage. DRAIN immediatly. You may have to change the oil and filter twice to get all the oil removed!

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Sunday, May 7th, 2006 AT 5:45 PM

FRIEDEMANN

MEMBER
47 POSTS

It would be to your benefit (and ours) if you could be more exact on volume.
A little bit for one person is a whole container to another. So to be safe, we have to say. Dump the oil.
If you had said it was a teaspoons worth of?Straight coolant or coolant/water mix or water, the respone may have been different. ----"Its not the best, it will steam off or get caught in the filter or form sludge.

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Tuesday, December 12th, 2006 AT 6:38 PM

LOSONE

MECHANIC
1,616 POSTS

Like I said in my 1st response, water and oil do not mix. Regardless of the amount as it doesn't matter, the oil must be drained and the filter changed. I have seen the same incident a few times and it make take up to 3 oil changes to completely rid the engine of water sludge. The problem will become water sludge in the oil galleries and could lead to engine failure. The amount isn't important.

Correct the problem before it does break!

Losone

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Monday, December 18th, 2006 AT 9:17 AM

FRIEDEMANN

MEMBER
47 POSTS

Yes I realize we should cover our butts here, but the reality is: there is moisture in the air and that air is in the crankcase and that gets boiled out every day when the engine hits operating temps. For extended periods and it is reintroduced back in as the motor cools.
As for pure antifreeze itself, I agree, it is NOT a good thing but the fact is many times cars come into the shop with a leaking head gasket and they have been driving that way for quite awhile. Gaskets do fail. However, it is not necessarily a killer of engines. Depends on quantity. That is all.

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Monday, December 18th, 2006 AT 12:35 PM

SERVICE WRITER

MECHANIC
9,123 POSTS

With all due respect, coolant will wipe out the lower end of the motor. The cost of a few oil changes is nothing in comparison with the potential of a motor.

Cheap insurance. :)