A4 oil in the water problem

I've got a1998 A4 1.6 (engine codeAHL) and have engine oil getting into the
coolant, I've replaced the head gasket and had the head skimmed at the same
time but the problem has not gone. Question is there an oil/water cooler
somewhere on the car and if so does it occassionally fail?

"Steve" > skrev i en meddelelse
...
> I've got a1998 A4 1.6 (engine codeAHL) and have engine oil getting into
> the
> coolant, I've replaced the head gasket and had the head skimmed at the
> same
> time but the problem has not gone. Question is there an oil/water cooler
> somewhere on the car and if so does it occassionally fail?

You have the oilcooler sitting next to the oilfilter, this unit goes bad all
the time.

/Carsten

Doh!
"Carsten Hjorth" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Steve" > skrev i en meddelelse
> ...
>> I've got a1998 A4 1.6 (engine codeAHL) and have engine oil getting into
>> the
>> coolant, I've replaced the head gasket and had the head skimmed at the
>> same
>> time but the problem has not gone. Question is there an oil/water cooler
>> somewhere on the car and if so does it occassionally fail?
>
> You have the oilcooler sitting next to the oilfilter, this unit goes bad
> all the time.
>
> /Carsten
>

"Steve" wrote in message
> I've got a1998 A4 1.6 (engine codeAHL) and have engine oil getting into
> the
> coolant, I've replaced the head gasket and had the head skimmed at the
> same
> time but the problem has not gone. Question is there an oil/water cooler
> somewhere on the car and if so does it occassionally fail?

Had the same problem with wife's car (same model, same engine). Head gasket
had to be replaced twice and coolant system flushed thoroughly before the
oil more or less disappeared from the expansion tank. In other words: Try a
proper flushing of the coolant system, and observe for a while.

Rune
Norway

"Steve" > wrote in message
...
> I've got a1998 A4 1.6 (engine codeAHL) and have engine oil getting into
> the
> coolant, I've replaced the head gasket and had the head skimmed at the
> same
> time but the problem has not gone. Question is there an oil/water cooler
> somewhere on the car and if so does it occassionally fail?
>
>

Generally water in the oil = headgasket

Oil in the water = oil cooler, although it's not exact science lol

I don't know if the 1.6 comes with an oil cooler, if it does the cooler is
square and the oil filter usually screws into it.

http://vwdoc1.tripod.com/personal/in.../oilcooler.jpg
http://vwdoc1.tripod.com/personal/in.../upperhose.jpg
http://vwdoc1.tripod.com/personal/in...firstflush.jpg

I handled a ruptured oil cooler problem on an Audi A4 with the 1.8 engine.
UGLY!!!
You can see, from the oil cooler picture, oil coming out of the coolant
pipe.
It was recommended by an excellent VW tech to use a little Dawn soap during
the coolant flushes. IT WORKED very well to get that nasty stuff out
"easily".
I had the vehicle run for a week and no oil came back into the system. ;-)

later,
dave
(One out of many daves)
I have to change the head gasket in my 1991 Passat 16V engine one day (same
problem but real light)



"Steve" > wrote in message
...
> I've got a1998 A4 1.6 (engine codeAHL) and have engine oil getting into
> the
> coolant, I've replaced the head gasket and had the head skimmed at the
> same
> time but the problem has not gone. Question is there an oil/water cooler
> somewhere on the car and if so does it occassionally fail?

Nasty.

Hope that isn't in my future.

Tony
98.5 1.8TQM

dave AKA vwdoc1 wrote:
> http://vwdoc1.tripod.com/personal/in.../oilcooler.jpg
> http://vwdoc1.tripod.com/personal/in.../upperhose.jpg
> http://vwdoc1.tripod.com/personal/in...firstflush.jpg
>
> I handled a ruptured oil cooler problem on an Audi A4 with the 1.8 engine.
> UGLY!!!
> You can see, from the oil cooler picture, oil coming out of the coolant
> pipe.
> It was recommended by an excellent VW tech to use a little Dawn soap during
> the coolant flushes. IT WORKED very well to get that nasty stuff out
> "easily".
> I had the vehicle run for a week and no oil came back into the system. ;-)
>
> later,
> dave
> (One out of many daves)
> I have to change the head gasket in my 1991 Passat 16V engine one day (same
> problem but real light)
>
>
>
> "Steve" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>I've got a1998 A4 1.6 (engine codeAHL) and have engine oil getting into
>>the
>>coolant, I've replaced the head gasket and had the head skimmed at the
>>same
>>time but the problem has not gone. Question is there an oil/water cooler
>>somewhere on the car and if so does it occassionally fail?
>
>
>

"dave AKA vwdoc1" > wrote in message
. ..
> http://vwdoc1.tripod.com/personal/in.../oilcooler.jpg
> http://vwdoc1.tripod.com/personal/in.../upperhose.jpg
> http://vwdoc1.tripod.com/personal/in...firstflush.jpg
>
> I handled a ruptured oil cooler problem on an Audi A4 with the 1.8 engine.
> UGLY!!!
> You can see, from the oil cooler picture, oil coming out of the coolant
> pipe.
> It was recommended by an excellent VW tech to use a little Dawn soap
> during the coolant flushes. IT WORKED very well to get that nasty stuff
> out "easily".
> I had the vehicle run for a week and no oil came back into the system.
> ;-)
>
> later,
> dave
> (One out of many daves)
> I have to change the head gasket in my 1991 Passat 16V engine one day
> (same problem but real light)
>
>

I had the same problem on one of my cars in the past, the cooler is normally
made out of an alloy and the channel between the oil and water starts to
degrade a leak occurs, causing the water to mix with the oil.

It's not a hard job to do but if not nipped in the bud can ruin your engine