Why is Oil in car radiator? (PLEASE ANSWER QUICKLY) Thanks?

Earlier today, while I driving home in a car i purchased less than a month ago from a mutual friend, a ';Low Coolant'; light came on. When I got home I let the car cool off for about 2 hrs so I would be able to check the radiator without burning myself. When I opened it I could see very dark, thick, slimy oil in the radiator.





What caused that?





Is it serious?





How can it be fixed?





Thanks!Why is Oil in car radiator? (PLEASE ANSWER QUICKLY) Thanks?
Robert M is right. Might be the serious stuff and it might not. Check your oil and see if it is a milky color instead of the color it normally is. If it looks milky you have a cracked block or blown head gasket which is serious. If its ok then look into the coolant that the car takes and see if it was mixed with a regular anti-freeze. It might just be that the car has a coolant leak and needs to be filled. Your friend may not have known and put regular anti freeze in there instead of dex cool.





AT ANY RATE, CHECK THE OIL DIPSTICK FOR THE MILKY COLOR! DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR WITH A BLOWN HEAD GASKET OR CRACKED BLOCK! BAD VERY BAD!!!Why is Oil in car radiator? (PLEASE ANSWER QUICKLY) Thanks?
YO PEOPLE, you need to include the NAME, Make, Model, Year, Country of orign, Engine size. All cars are NOT the same!!! You could have a head gasket failure. THis gasket has a space that allows the engine oil to get pumped from the engine block through it, and feed the cylinder head with oil. If your gasket fails or your cylinder head has warped, then this ';oil feed'; hole can increase in size, and eventually begin to pump oil into one of the many water channels. Also, your problem MIGHT be that the engine was designed to use a specific coolant, and the previous owner has mixed the WRONG coolant with it. This can cause a chemical reaction between the coolants, and precipitate out a brown, thickened mass that only LOOKS like oil. This is why it is important to include car psecifics when you ask questions like this!! IF this is a GM car, read the ';dexcoolsettelment.com'; web-site, and other GM litigation web-sites. Good luck!!
It is bad. It is serious. It can be fixed. It will be a lot of work. Water escapes though a bad head gasket or cracked head. Oil gets communicated through there to mix with the water in the cooling system. Look for a shop to have the head removed and checked for cracks, warpage and to be reconditioned or replaced- and you'll need a new head gasket. This may cost you around $1500, depending on the car.
Blown head gasket. 1400 bucks.
It is VERY serious.It is probably a blown head gasket.I wouldn't drive that car until you get it fixed.
Uh-oh, it's about as serious as it could be. That sounds like a cracked head, blown head gasket or cracked block. They're all expensive. I hate to say it but you've got to cross your fingers that it's only the $1,000 repair here.
Cause? Transmission fluid leaking into radiator (there are probably trans fluid lines leading into the bottom of your radiator)





Cause #2? Blown head gasket





Serious? Yes, very.





Fix? May need radiator repair or fluid lines are damaged/worn. Flush cooling system, fill with fresh coolant, check radiator for leakage.





Fix #2? Remove cylinder head, replace head gasket, reinstall.
you have violated the 11th commandment thou shalt not buy or sell a car or house from a friend or relative/and thou shalt not co-sign a loan for anybody you are not married to