Corsa Comfort C, 1.7dti, 52 plate. Oil & Water

[Rob Hughes]

I have engine oil in my header tank & also thick oily sludge in the coolant pipes going from the header tank into the radiator & also into & through thermostat housing... Has been leaking alot of oil on the driveway for some time.
Also starter motor is very intermittent, although its almost new, its not cranking at all or dimming any dashboard lights.
Any solutions..?
1.7dti Corsa Comfort C, 52 Plate.

 

[Burnerman]

It sounds like its a bit sorry for itself, Rob!
Oil contamination into the coolant will be either a blown head gasket or a porous oil cooler.....if the coolant blows out (cap off) with the engine running then its the head gasket for sure.
There's been a few posts on this recently.
The starter issue is a power failure to the solenoid, which sits on top of the starter....check connections, and then its a voltage check with someone turning the ignition on for you.
John

 

[Rob Hughes]

The head gasket & pump came to mind first so im glad im not alone on that one...!
The car has'nt overheated at all & i only noticed the oil in the water after investigating a "no heat from the heaters" problem. Was told earlier on today that the starter motor was full of oil... was thinking maybe rear crank oil seal...(?)
Doing a code diagnostic comes up with heater control circuit code & crank shaft sensor faults..
Gonna flush the pipes & header tank, along with the radiator & thermostat hosing tomorrow & hopefully get to the bottom of the "leak" issue. Thanx.

 

[Burnerman]

Oil in the starter does indicate a blown crankshaft oil seal at that end......which also explains the mess on your drive. Check where the gearbox bell housing bolts to the engine, I'll bet there's a few drips!
Water pump failure sends the engine temperature sky high, and would boil the coolant.....but it wouldn't introduce oil unless the head gasket has failed with the heat.
Not the best diagnosis, I'm afraid!
John