coolant in engine oil

[03xpo]

hello all...really need some help...i have a 2003 expedition with a 4.6.. i notice a few months ago that it was losing coolant....but no coolant dripping on the ground or anywhere else...also notice when i went to change the oil..the oil filler cap had water and oil in it...it looked milky...so i checked the oil dip stick and it showed only oil on it..no water...the other day my wife was driving the expedition...and the low oil light came on...so i checked the oil and it had water in it...it looked milky...the engine still runs very smooth. ..it doesn,t over heat(and it was never over heated)...there is no white smoke coming out the tail pipe. ...i had a tech come over and do a test to see if it was a bad head gasket...the test showed that the head gasket was fine....someone said it could be an intake manifold gasket leak..someone also said there,s a valve on the intake that connects to the pcv valve and a coolant line on the right side...please help with any info maybe i mess something any ideal would be helpful...thanks

 

[FordandPolaris]

How fast is it losing coolant? Also have you changed the oil yourself to see if all of it is milky?

 

[03xpo]

every morning she drive about 15 miles a day.....i didn,t change the oil yet and i,m not running the motor at all...i just checked the dip stick and it was all milky

 

[FordandPolaris]

Hmmm, i didnt see that you had posted in another area, but I agree the only thing that really comes to mind is the oil cooler needing new seals maybe? Sorry I cant be of more help, i hope someone else chimes in with experience or more knowledge. Good luck!

 

[FordandPolaris]

http://www.expeditionforum.com/showthread.php?t=14483

This thread may help you somewhat, there are some good diagrams in here of the various cooling ports, and the last one has the cooler circled in red.

 

[CARO'S98EB]

there is a freeze plug inside the timing cover on both banks I think. One of them could be leaking.

 

[stamp11127]

First thing to do is get the oil out of there asap. Don't run the engine at all with the oil/water mix any more than necessary. If you run it too long the bearings (connecting rod and main) will be eaten up. It looks as though someone has taken 80 grit sandpaper to them and the engine will still run and not give any indication of trouble brewing. When you change the oil, run the engine with the radiator cap off so that pressure doesn't build up and mix with the new oil.
Most of the mechanic specials I buy have blown head gaskets with the owners saying "we didn't drive it much, only to get it home". Once I have the engine apart the bearings are always shot and the crank is usually scored.

 

[wesalexleft]

Did you get this resolved?

I have a 2003 Mercury Mountaineer with the same problem and wanted to see if you'd ever found the problem. I have the 4.6L V8 and it has a very small coolant loss that's unaccounted for. In order to find it, I pressurized the coolant and left it overnight. In the morning I returned to find the coolant still at 13 LBS (down from 15 LBS). I did it again throughout the day. After 24 hours of being under pressure, there was coolant in the oil. It hadnt mixed as the truck was off. I'll be doing a leak down test to try and find the leak, but hoping it turned out to be an oil cooler, etc. I've recently done intake gaskets, which should mean there okay, but not for certain yet. I've considered or hoped for an oil cooler leak, intake gasket leak, that PVC/coolant leak, and the dreaded head gasket leak absolutely last.

Did you get yours confirmed?

Thanks,

 

[Totaltelecom]

Bump! Did either off you arrive at a solution? Please help

 

[stamp11127]

This is an old thread. Probably will get an answer from the op.

Start a new thread concerning your problem and please include all relevant information without writing a novel.