I think my van is about to get expensive

VW T5 2.5 130bhp.

Two years of trouble free motoring and not a penny spent other than a pre-roadtrip service.

Last week the oil light came on and the best I could do was grab a bottle of cheap stuff from a motor disco and top up, so I did, and promptly forgot about it. Yesterday the light came on again so I went to top up and found the minging yellow grease under the cap. Not a lot, but enough. I checked the coolant and it’s gone very dark and grimey.

I’m not a mechanic but I know enough to suspect a head gasket failure. Currently procrastinating on here rather than get on with an inspection.

Feel free to speculate and throw big numbers and £ signs at me.

£4,400, at least…

[Disclaimer; I don’t have a T5 and I’m not a mechanic, I could be wrong on my estimate ;)]

It might be cheaper than you think, a head gasket isn’t hard to replace is it? I’ve only ever done motorbike head gaskets, and they were far from difficult.

classic signs of hgf

get it looked at asap – or trade it in!

Anyone want to buy a van?

Oh dear, get it looked at as soon as. Tow it to garage if you can. Where you based? Find a good independent. It’s heading towards pricey but you might be lucky.

VWs are also renowned for water pump failures

Water then leaks into the oil and makes it look like head gasket

Could be a lot cheaper now

If a water pump failed could it fail gradually or just go altogether? The van has never overheated. Also, would this explain what looks like oil in the coolant?

I appreciate you trying to get my price down;)

Porous head? Hope not but Ive heard of a 1.9tdi Touran suffer from the alu? Head failing.

How long would a porous head take to develop? Nearly 90,000 miles by any chance?

90k miles . Timing belt ? Has it had a water pump yet ?

My golf did this due to failed water pump just stop drving it and get it to a mechanic who knows vws

Thetime from pump failure to terminal engine failure fr us was about 6 miles!

The 2.5 engine is renowned for water pump gasket failure. As said above the coolant and oil leak in to each other.

When was the water pump and cam belt last done? It’s worth doing both and the gaskets at the same time.

Water pump seal did that on mine
they can be a mare to get out need a special tool about £400 for the job at VW van centre Thought that was 5 years ago

There is no timing belt, it’s got a chain. Not sure if it’s ever had a water pump.

I just went out and checked the coolant reservoir. It’s almost entirely oil.

No yellow grease on the dipstick though. Just what I’d describe as a ‘normal’ amount under the cap, like a smear around the threads from condensation or something.

I deduct that when you topped the oil up you poured it in the coolant res in error…..
£25 for my services, Ta

My 130/2.5 is at 135,000 miles and (touch wood) has not had any water pump/timing chain etc issues.

Hop on to the T5 forum, it’s full of help on stuff like this…

The first opinions over there is a bust oil cooler. Just not sure how to check it but I’m planning a full inspection tomorrow.

I was going to say the oil cooler.

We had an auto Golf that spewed oil onto the cooling system, erupting out of the header tank like expanding foam.

When the oil cooler fails, the oil is at higher pressure than the water so its forced into the cooling system and contaminates the system. It never overheated or damaged the head. It was a pain flushing the rad and heater matrix but it worked fine after a new oil cooler was fitted.

Good luck.

First check – Oil cooler core failure first.

Than sadly it’s cracked cylinder head or less likely gasket.

Good luck.

i’ll give you a grand for it

The t5 forum is on the t4forum

If your expansion tanks full of oil than more than likely its the oil cooler. Pretty straightforward to fix but a bugger to totally flush out of your system.

Pretty straightforward to fix but a bugger to totally flush out of your system.

I’m psyching myself up for it. Is there some kind of magic fluid available that I can use? Trying to think of something that won’t rot any seals or anything.

I took the radiator out and flushed it upside down, back to front any which way using fairy liquid and hot water, then flushing it through with a hose for a while. I disconnected the hoses to the heater matrix and attached longer hoses to try to flush it through in both directions. Take out the thermostat housing toflush out the block too. There may be a block drain plug somewhere too. There is one on my Land Rover. Be systematic.

It’s a job that just takes time. Flushing stuff at garage paying hourly rates makes it well worth doing it yourself.

May not be as bad as you think. As someone has said the oil coolers are prone to failing. The cooler is a heat exchanger where the oil passes heat through a matrix to the coolant. if the matrix is corroded and a pin hole appears it will pass whichever fluid is at the highest pressure into the other. In this case engine oil into coolant.
Get the heat exchanger pressure tested before anyone pulls the cylinder head off your van!
Then as mcmoonter has said really flush the cooling system, best using a flushing agent to help. Then when you have got as much gunk out as possible refill using the proper pink G12 anti freeze / coolant not the blue standard antifreeze.

To check the heat exchanger take it off the van (its an alloy box shaped thing beside the oil filter housing) fully drain it of oil and coolant. Then make some bungs and im thinking a bit of bike inner tube etc held on with hose clips with one end tied up but with the valve accessible . You need to pressurize one side ie oil side. Leave the other side (coolant) open then get some pressure on it around 30psi if you can and stick it in a bucket of water just like checking an inner tube. You will get a load of bubbles as it fills up then look for a steady stream of small bubbles.
good luck!

A friend of mine had the oil pressure warning light come on the other day (2006VW T5 2.5 130bhp 80.000 mile transporter) he kept driving as you do 🙄 took it into the garage the next day to discover Diesel in the sump, catastrophic failure of the lubrication system and a Bill for oil pressure diagnosis, and a new engine, The vans a right off he is gutted.

Why write it off?!

Ah you mean sell the van at a small price to the garage?..

Remember when I said I wasn’t a mechanic? Well I’m doing a good impression of one!

Two hours work getting that bumper off! At least now I can see all the parts even if I have no idea what they are. Feel free to start naming components for me so I know what I’m looking at.

Firstly, any idea what the bottle of coolant is in the bottom right corner? It’s full of blue fluid and importantly, not oil.

That skinny little intercooler up top is connected to the PAS so that’s not a problem.

I’m assuming that big-ass cooler in front of the radiator is the oil cooler that we (and the blokes on the T5 forum) think is the problem. It’s a lot bigger than I was expecting. There’s also an oil cooler on the oil filter housing. Is there any way I can test the components to see what’s broken before I order anything?

Last question…I was thinking of using Muc-Off to flush it out. It mixes nicely with water and is designed to be kind to components. Any problem with this logic?

I know I’m pushing my luck here and I’m perfectly prepared to drive to a garage and get bailed out if I need to! But who doesn’t like a bit of an educational challenge?

Firstly, any idea what the bottle of coolant is in the bottom right corner? It’s full of blue fluid and importantly, not oil.

Is that not the windscreen washer fluid?

Blue fluid looks like windscreen washer.

Small radiator in front of the big one is intercooler – that can come off.

Get a Haynes manual.

Get a Haynes manual.

There isn’t one.

Currently googling loads of stuff. VWT4 forum is not busy enough!

Top tip. whilst teh front is off, get a set of DEPRO caravelle lights fitted and check the T5 forum for the steering column wiring mod. All four lights then will be on when using main beam. Well worth it imho.

And do the rubber gates coupling and freewheel on alternator and a/c compressor (if fitted) as these are 100k interval service items.

I feel your potential pain, just had a quote for a new Clutch and DMF on my T5 130, £1,600 from the stealers and cheapest so far is £830 from Mr Clutch.

Good luck with the repair!

MUTDz

Porous head? Hope not but Ive heard of a 1.9tdi Touran suffer from the alu? Head failing.

Classic sign of using the wrong coolant, the VW Specified coolant has anti corrosion inhibitors that are designed around the metals used in the engine,put the wrong stuff in and the first thing that fails is usually the heater matrix, the driver normally complains of a strong smell inside the car.. 🙄

Maybe it’s the angle but I cannot see any sign of orange coolant in what I think is your header tank (round thing with blue lid on passenger side directly above behind end of intercooler).

Maybe it’s the angle but I cannot see any sign of orange coolant in what I think is your header tank

That’s where the oil has collected. It was full of pink coolant last time I checked.

If it was definitely the oil cooler I’d order one and fit it myself. Is there any way to check where the leak is before I hand it over to the garage with a sack load of money?

Took the undertray off and had a good look around, no sign of anything making it to the outside world.

Is the oil cooler separate on these or is it a heat exchanger around the oil filter housing?

Best thing to do would be to find the spare part on somewhere like German Swedish and French’s website GSF, or Ebay, then when you know what it looks like it’ll be a lot easier to find.

Possibly something like this?

http://m.gsfcarparts.com/154vg0120

sharkattack – Member 
Remember when I said I wasn’t a mechanic? Well I’m doing a good impression of one!

Let’s not get too carried away now!

Unfortunately you’ve wasted your time pulling the front end apart. The oil cooler (more accurately a heat exchanger really) is between the oil filter and the engine. Remove the filter, undo the water hoses and the centre hollow bolt that the filter screws to. You’ll now have the cooler in your hand. Make sure you replace the seals as well and make sure they seat correctly. Don’t over torque the hollow filter bolt.

Hope this helps.

Is the oil cooler separate on these or is it a heat exchanger around the oil filter housing?

As far as I am aware they are with the oil filter housing.

Not sure why you have took the bumper off, as you are looking at the intercooler and coolant radiator behind that. Oil cooler radiators on vehicles are tiny in comparison to a coolant item. The laminova type cooler is becoming more popular as it also helps warm the oil at cold engine temperatures then once all up to temperature becomes an oil cooler.

Think the item you are looking for is this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/201095760489?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0