oil in coolant reservoir

[laeltaba]

my coolant reservoir has oil, does this mean i have a blown head gasket? i'm pretty sure this is something major, how much does labor typically cost to have it fixed by a mechanic?

thanks!

[jlevie]

If it is a manual transmission car, the oil can only come from a leaking head gasket. But if an auto, it could be transmission fluid from a leaking cooler (inside the radiator).

[EA8]

If it is a manual transmission car, the oil can only come from a leaking head gasket. But if an auto, it could be transmission fluid from a leaking cooler (inside the radiator).

Dude ... you've had an answer for almost everything. I'm gonna throw away my bentley and bombard you with questions from here on out :D

Cheers

[laeltaba]

the car is a manual trans. i'll replace the gaskets... Thanks!

[SpecM]

the car is a manual trans. i'll replace the gaskets... Thanks!

bad news, dude...

have the head itself checked out too, a cracked/warped head can go along with a head gasket failure

[ethirtydavid]

mine cracked at the same time it blew. heads alone will run around $200 if wrecked..