oil in my radiator?

1989 GMC SIERRA
185,000 MILES • V8 • 4WD • AUTOMATIC
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BIGGDADDY2
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
i think i have oil in my radiator /antifreeze, what could be causing this
Nov 24, 2010 at 4:56 AM
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SQM
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
  • 6,383 POSTS
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
Hello,

The most common cause of oil and coolant mixing is a bad head gasket. When you have a bad head gasket there will be oil in coolant and coolant in oil.
Best way to find out if you have a blown head gasket is to do a test.

Here is a helpful guide on the test:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

When you have a blown head gasket, there is usually white smoke out of the tailpipes.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/white-smoke-or-steam-coming-from-the-exhaust-pipe

I have attached diagrams for your reference.

Please let me know of any questions.
Thank you.
Sep 25, 2021 at 6:05 PM
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