Hi guys... I really need all the input I can get so all info and help is MUCH appreciated! Ok, so I have a 2000 Monte SS 3800 Series 2 V6 that I recently had some work done on because it was leaking oil. I took it to a mechanic that my boyfriend has used for 15yrs and who also had done work on my Monte once before, he changed the water pump and oil pan gasket. So this time he says the front and rear crank case seals needed repaired and the valve cover gaskets. After he had my car for a cpl days he calls and asks me if the oil pressure has ever dropped while I was driving it and I said no, because I've never had any issues with oil pressure, the only oil related notification I've ever had was that the level was low and that it needed changed. So he sounds a little perplexed and said that when his guy took it out for a test drive after they did all the work the oil pressure kept dropping and then going back to normal, he said he did change the oil and thought it might be debris on the screen or the vent tube was clogged or the sensor was malfunctioning but he did throw in there ever so quickly that he could hear the rods and Pistons... I KNOW this cannot be good and I tell my boyfriend his mechanic has f'ed up my engine and I hope he does the right thing and fixes it on his dime... A few days later my boyfriend says the mechanic called him and confirmed there was some engine damage and he had to replace some rod bearings and somthing else I can't remember what it was but also said he topped off my coolant. I've had the car back one week today and I get a message that my coolant is low so I get home and check it and sure enough, it's low. So I'm trying to see just how low it is by propping my flashlight up in such a way that it's shinning through the overflow tank and when I look down inside all I can see is black sludge... It's not brown, it's not grey... It's BLACK and there's a lot of it! So I use my little grabber tool and pinch a paper towel to it and stick it down in there and when I pull it up it's COVERED in oil.. I actually did this 5 times and I think I got most of it out. Oh and he also told me that when his guy took it on the first test drive when he brought it back there was oil pouring out of the rear valve cover and says they probably just didn't line the seal up right so he would redo that seal. So my question is, does this mean my block is cracked? I mean I would think that if he topped off the coolant he would've noticed if there was oil in there right? So assuming there wasn't any then and there is now AND my low coolant indicator came on (this is the first time in the 2yrs I've had it that it's come on) I'm thinking there's still something wrong with it. My oil pressure seems to be fine and it's not overheating or anything so what should I do? Should I be worried and call him up on Monday and tell him what I found? I attached a picture of the oil soaked paper towels... Please help! Btw my boyfriend is mechanically challenged, he can add washer fluid and pump gas, that's about it so he's no help here and he gets an attitude anytime I suggest his mechanic may have screwed my car up but I don't wanna go accusing him and flying off the handle for no reason. Thanks in advance for ANY help!! I had to add the picture in a separate post.

Brandy

 

Ok. The picture is attached... I think...

 

If he had to go that deep into the engine to do repairs, it is quite possible that a gasket did not seal properly. But normally when you have a cracked block or leaking head gasket, the oil and the water will make a "chocolate milkshake" looking substance. Open your radiator cap and look inside. What does the fluid look like in there??
That fluid on the paper towel looks very dark and does not look like the oil and fluid has mixed...but there is still the question, "where did it come from?"
Hopefully someone else will post with their thoughts. If your car was not like this BEFORE you took it to this mechanic, I would probably not go back to the same one trying to find out what the problem is.
Sorry I don't have any definite answers for you Please keep us updated

 

That is what I was thinking too... About it not looking like chocolate. When I was a teenager, as punishment my stepdad made me help him rebuild the engine on his 73' half ton 3 speed on the column chevy truck and that was the first thing he taught me to look for... I also had a head gasket blow in one of my cars while I was driving it, I thought someone shot at me when it blew because it was so loud then the car instantly lost power... ironically this happened right in front of a car dealership! A salesman came out to help a damsel in distress and when he pulled the dip stick out and I saw the "chocolate milk" I said "blown head gasket" and he looked at me like I said I was Jesus or something LOL he said he was shocked that I knew what that meant... so anyway...


I'm hoping there is some other explanation and the fact that the oil was just floating on top of the coolant gives me a little bit of hope. I will definitely do what you said and look down in the radiator and I'll also check my oil to see what color it is. The fact that it's running fine, not stalling or overheating or misfiring also gives me hope but like you said "where did it come from" and to me it seems like a lot... so I'm also going to check the coolant tank again after I drive it to see if any more has leaked into it since last night. I just don't know of any other way it could get in there aside from him pouring it in there on purpose! But again, I don't want to accuse him of any wrong doing because he is a really nice guy and I feel like he's been pretty honest with me.. the total charge for the crank case seals, valve cover gaskets and replacing my rear rotors and break pads was $1066... does that seem high to anyone? And he didn't charge me for the other stuff he did AFTER his guy drove it and the rear valve cover leaked all over the engine... he said the oil was pouring down the back of the engine and that's also when he said he could hear the pistons and rods... I don't know, I'm just frustrated and DO NOT have the money to replace my engine! Thanks for your input and advice, I'll let you know what I find after I check the radiator and oil.

 

I know all about frustration and hope you find out what is wrong with it soon.

 

Hi Brandy. Something definitely smells fishy here. Maybe like somebody, not necessarily he mechanic you've been talking to, but maybe his employee that did the work is trying to cover their tracks by pouring oil into the coolant reservoir. Like P343 and you said, coolant mixing with oil should look like a chocolate milkshake. That black oil just aint right. I guess it could be possible it just hasn't had time to mix, but IDK.
I suggest taking it to another shop and have them do a combustion gas leak test preferably with a combustion gas analyzer. You could do do a chemical gas analysis yourself since you seem pretty savvy around motors, but that test is a little less dependable. Could also be a cracked head.
Check out these videos.
1. (There is also supposed to be a part 2 to it).

2.

 

If crank case seals are the same as valve cover gaskets, those are pretty cheap and fairly easy (unfortunately, I believe it recalls removing the upper intake to get at some of the bolts, but it's been a while since I messed with that, but if it does, new injector o-rings and upper intake gasket should have been done and being so close to the lower intake gaskets, might as well do those). As for oil pouring out, yeah, if that gasket slips out, you can have that (and when in stalling a new gaskets fixing that issue and cleaning up the mess is all on the mechanic, he made the oops installing it).

As for rod bearings, if he replaced those, the means removing the oil pan to get access at them (I never changed rod bearings on an engine, so I am not sure that can be done with the engine in the car).

As for oil pressure, it's not uncommon for the oil pressure sensor to fail and report incorrect pressure and/or seep oil out.

Now, the oil in the overflow bottle. That I am very curious about. If you can tell it is floating in the coolant, then that does not sound like old gunky coolant. As Barbara mentioned, pop open the radiator cap and take a peak (then you know if it's actually low and/or an idea if you see oil there). I can't say I have heard of anyone with oil (or large amounts of oil) in there coolant, normally it's large amounts of coolant in their oil.

If you can, I suggest pulling the over flow bottle out (I believe you need a 10mm socket to remove the speed nuts at the top, a pair of pliers to release the hose clamp and you might have to remote the strut brace). With the bottle out, dump all the gunk and crud out. Next attempt to clean it. You can fill it half way with water and dish soap and shake it (be careful, there are tiny vents hopes at the top), dump that out and then put a wet rag in, shake it with that. It may not get all the gunk out, but hopefully a start. If you clean it up, and start fresh, then you know there was no oil in there and can see if it comes back or not.

As for hearing rods and pistons, if you have the hood up and the engine running, do you here clicking/clanking/scraping type sounds?

I don't want to accuse the mechanic of wrong doing, but based on your account, something does not sound like it lines up right. The oil in the coolant part really has me curious only because I have not heard of that before with these cars. But there can be a first for anything.

 

I concur with The_Maniac. And the only way to replace the rod bearings is to remove the oil pan which means removing the engine cradle to allow the pan to clear. With the bearing replacement and reassembly this would be about an 8 hour job.

 

Ok... So I went to work for a few hours today, it's about a 20 mile trip one way. Before I left I took off the radiator cap and checked the oil (pics attached I think) the oil level was good and the coolant looked like coolant. I ran some errands came home, let it sit and checked the coolant reseviour and there's MORE OIL in it!! is there any sort of hose or valve that could be faulty that's allowing the oil to get in there? I just wanna cry right now because I just gave this guy over $1000 to fix it and now this!! I live in central Indiana just north east of Indianapolis if anyone knows a good mechanic around here please give me his number... No way I'm taking it back to the same guy!

 

I guess it would only let me attach one picture at a time...