Hey Guys,

I got a problem that I know is going to get worse. I was checking my radiator fluid and noticed that there was a little oil in the reservoir. I know this ususally means head gasket or worse but Im hoping is isnt. It isnt overheating either. I will try a compression test soon.

Has anyone seen this before?

96 ti E36
M44 1.9
41k

Thank You

i was going with head gasket as well. has anyone ever overheated the car and caused the block to warp, cause this could have been a cause of it.

I have never overheated it?

Can oil get in the coolant anywhere else besides the head gasket?

do you use water wetter? i hear that water wetter with prestone antifreeze causes those oil/grease bubbles. my mom had those in her 7er i just used a plastic fork to get them out, they never came back.

Oil in the coolant, hmmmmmmmmm... that can't be good.

Overheating would be secondary on my list of concerns, get the headgasket checked, muy pronto.

Originally posted by joe325i
do you use water wetter? i hear that water wetter with prestone antifreeze causes those oil/grease bubbles. my mom had those in her 7er i just used a plastic fork to get them out, they never came back.

I had that too, but I never pulled them out considering they are part of the water wetter's ingredients.

my mom didnt use water wetter though... so i thought it was kinda wierd... so i removed them and they never came back.. mabye she added some antifreeze and the coolant mixture didnt like it.

flush your coolant system again.....completely and use BMW only coolant....

afterward, have a friend follow you on the freeway...then open it up hard at max RPM....

see if he sees WHITE SMOKE coming out of your tail pipe....as that indicates coolant leaking into the combustion chamber...
(Light brown-ish is ok...that's just fuel)


I agree with the other guys...it might just be sludge from mixing coolants...

-LuxoM3

Thanks for all of the informative inputs guys.

As a matter of fact I do use water wetter. I am also using BMW coolant. I wonder if it is the water wetter because I am not showing any symptoms of a blown head hgasket besides the oily like substance in the coolant.

I will check for white smoke today.

Thanks again

if it happens once some crap might have just gotten in or comtimination what have you... if it happens more than once, then id worry about leaks, failures of seals and gaskets.