Oil cooler or Head Gasket

**JASON GSI** · 15th July 2010, 10:33

At the weekend i came to do my driver checks as we all do.I checked the oil a little low but ok but when i came to check the coolant it was like thick coffee coloured cream?. The car drivers fine does not over heat but has used oil (which i assume is in the water).

Does anyone know if it is definitely the oil cooler or the head gasket?
Is it worth fixing or should i get rid.
Its a 2003 Vectra GSI 3.2 V6 36000 miles only

**davidj387** · 16th July 2010, 00:54

As it runs fine it is more likely the oil cooler. You can only be sure if someone can pressure test it.

With a head gasket problem you often get poor running and overheating but not necessarily. If it is a gasket then as its a V6, which one

**DaveW555** · 16th July 2010, 13:59

Couldn't agree more, whip the oil cooler off and get it pressure tested, I would put money on it being the cooler that is fubar'd, as david said if it was head gasket you would more than likely have rough running etc. Make sure you buy a good quality flush for it when you put it back together though, I reccomend the Forte one.

**poves** · 17th July 2010, 00:27

Oil cooler went on mine a while ago , about £100 for a new one.
Mine was overheating also , and the coolant was like a thick cream coloured gloop , which was blocking the pipes and needed loads of flushing out.
Be warned though , the cooler is a right pain in the xxx to replace , about 2-3 hours as you need to remove the plenum ,throttle body and top intake chambers.