Coffee colored coolant - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

gerlad · 03-05-2017, 02:35 PM

Hi Everyone, first of all apologies if this is a repitition of previous threads! I have a lovely Jungle Green Boxster S 2002 model and have had no trouble with it at all. I have kept on top of all of the servicing and regularly check oil and water and it was on a routine check that I found the coolant problem. This can only have happened in the past two weeks and what was a nice red colored coolant is now like a latte! The car has been running perfectly and as strong as ever but I have of course stopped driving it while I investigate. What I plan to do is try draining it all and flushing before replacing it with coolant to the required spec. If it happens again I'll look at the oil cooler/heat exchanger with a view to changing. I can't think that it would be a cracked head or head gaskets as the engine when running was so strong. The temperature also stayed the same. Can anyone allay my fears with regards the more serious issues and confirm if I am taking the right action? I am not even thinking of starting it until the coolant has been replaced so grateful for any advice/support. My only remaining problem is getting two corroded phillips screws out from the cover!
Thanks everyone! Gerlad

Gelbster · 03-05-2017, 02:45 PM

http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/65604-engine-diagnostics-intermix.html

madmodz · 03-06-2017, 06:05 AM

Happened to me. I was fortunate to have an honest mechanic at that time who told me it was the oil cooler. It was. Anybody else would have told me I had a liner crack. Start with the oil cooler. If you don't have a S cooler, now is the time to get one.

j.fro · 03-06-2017, 09:01 AM

Happened to me and it turned out to be a cracked head. The car was running fine, too. Be sure to do an oil change along with the coolant flush. When the car is running, the oil pressure is higher, thus the oil in the coolant. Once the car is off, the pressure is greater in the coolant, and then the oil gets contaminated. Coolant does terrible things to engine bearings and other moving bits.

Porsche9 · 03-06-2017, 10:20 AM

I see you are in England. Hartech has a really good reputation. You may want to take it there to have it inspected and get an honest answer.

jcslocum · 03-07-2017, 03:33 AM

Is there any water in the oil???

My oil cooler failed and allowed water into the coolant but no coolant made it into the oil. As mentioned above, the S oil cooler is about 2x bigger than the base and bolts right on. The oil cooler is on the drivers side (USA) of the engine kinda of under the intake. Easy to take off and check/change.

That is the new S cooler installed:

Oil on 1 side, water on the other. It was very easy to apply a small bit of air pressure and see the bubbles. I recall the relief when the bubbles showed.

gerlad · 03-07-2017, 05:18 AM

Thanks for your comments and pics they are most helpful. I am not running the car at the moment as a precaution and Porsche are going to pressure test the coolant system next week. Fingers crossed it's just the oil cooler!

gerlad · 03-07-2017, 05:19 AM

Thanks Porsche9. Its going to a Porsche dealer for a pressure test so fingers crossed it's just the cooler!

gerlad · 03-07-2017, 05:21 AM

Thanks j.fro. Its going to Porsche for a pressure test next week so fingers crossed it's just the cooler!

gerlad · 03-07-2017, 05:23 AM

Thanks madmodz. Its going to a Porsche dealer whose going to do a coolant pressure test so fingers crossed!

gerlad · 03-07-2017, 05:25 AM

Thanks Gelbster. I am taking it to a Porsche dealer for a pressure test on the cooling system so hopefully, worst case scenario, its just the oil cooler!

jcslocum · 03-07-2017, 05:44 AM

OK, I should have said this earlier. Drop the oil and look for coolant. If it is in the oil to water direction, you get a the brown coolant. If the pressure test the coolant and don't know if there is any coolant already in the oil., they can force the water into the oil and get a false positive result of water in the oil. Take your time and see what's up with the oil first.

gerlad · 03-20-2017, 06:57 AM

Thanks Jon. Have taken it to Porsche in Tonbridge, England. They have told me that its the oil cooler and are replacing it this week. They are also going to flush and clean the cooling system and replace the coolant. All in including the oil cooler its going to cost £785. They said a pressure test might give a false reading like you said so instead of charging me for a useless test they are changing the cooler first of all as this is the least expensive option. As the car has lost about a litre of oil they have said that this is the more likely cause. If it happens again with the new cooler we are looking at a potential cracked cylinder head! Fingers crossed its the oil cooler!

kindest regards

Gerlad

MPDano · 05-10-2018, 05:50 AM

Thanks for these pictures. Helps me in starting my oil cooler replace project on my 2001 S.

Escy · 05-10-2018, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerlad

Thanks Jon. Have taken it to Porsche in Tonbridge, England. They have told me that its the oil cooler and are replacing it this week. They are also going to flush and clean the cooling system and replace the coolant. All in including the oil cooler its going to cost £785. They said a pressure test might give a false reading like you said so instead of charging me for a useless test they are changing the cooler first of all as this is the least expensive option. As the car has lost about a litre of oil they have said that this is the more likely cause. If it happens again with the new cooler we are looking at a potential cracked cylinder head! Fingers crossed its the oil cooler!

kindest regards

Gerlad

I like your optimism. You might pay £785 to find out the car is scrap. I had a 2000 Boxster S that suffered the same symptoms and it was due to a cracked cylinder head, it's a common issue on the Boxster S.

SteveC · 09-14-2019, 01:53 PM

How did you flush all of the old oil/coolant out? I seem to have the same problem and my entire system is gummed up.

maytag · 09-14-2019, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveC

How did you flush all of the old oil/coolant out? I seem to have the same problem and my entire system is gummed up.

I've been known to run simple green through the system, with water. I doubt know if it's the right way, but it seemed effective. It's environmentally friendly; it can run down the driveway into the gutter, and it cuts grease.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Starter986 · 09-15-2019, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveC

How did you flush all of the old oil/coolant out? I seem to have the same problem and my entire system is gummed up.

SHOUT it out. Drain your coilant (Yes, I just invented that word denoting an oil and coolant mixture) and refill the system with Shout and water (look for a vid on utub). Do that several times. Drain fill rundrain fill run drain fill run. The final rinse should be distilled water. Check out the vid. It's there.

piper6909 · 09-15-2019, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starter986

... coilant (Yes, I just invented that word denoting an oil and coolant mixture)...

I love it! Do I have your permission to use it?

Starter986 · 09-15-2019, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piper6909

I love it! Do I have your permission to use it?

I'll license it to you. Maybe useage of the word for some of that Florida land?

Yes. Coilant is for all to use. Properly credited, of course. I'd like to enjoy posterity like Crios.

Cheers!