# Oil in radiator

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-in-radiator/12680>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [April 8, 2008, 11:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-in-radiator/12680 "2008-04-08T11:17:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ricardj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a88e57/32.png) [@ricardj](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ricardj)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 11:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-in-radiator/12680/1 "2008-04-08T11:17:52Z")

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My '95 Lesabre has a little bit of oil (or some dark fluid) in the radiator. My first thought is a head gasket or an intake gasket, but somebody told me this 3800 engine has some part, maybe a oil cooler, which is connected to the radiator and which may leak into the radiator. Any ideas? Thanks. I hate the thought of the expense of a head gasket. The oil and the tranny fluid both look fine.

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**Author:** ![SteveF](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevef/32/2_2.png) [@SteveF](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveF)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 11:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-in-radiator/12680/2 "2008-04-08T11:47:41Z")

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The advice about the oil cooler may be right on target. It is referring to the transmission oil, not engine oil. That is, transmission oil may be getting into the coolant via a leak in the one-piece radiator and oil cooler. If so you merely need to replace the radiator and flush the transmission. This is not a cheap repair but much simpler than a head gasket job. Of course, you need to verify the problem before seeking repairs.

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-in-radiator/12680/3 "2008-04-08T13:20:27Z")

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Many cars have a radiator that is also a transmission oil cooler as well. The bottom part of the radiator is for the tranny…while the top is for engine coolant. It could very well be just the radiator. Get it fix. Not only could tranny fluid be getting in the radiator…but water could be getting in the tranny.

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**Author:** ![ricardj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a88e57/32.png) [@ricardj](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ricardj)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-in-radiator/12680/4 "2008-04-08T18:19:32Z")

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Thanks for your advice; hopefully it is not major.