2002 BMW X5 3.0i coolant in engine oil, and engine oil in coolant

[beamer9]

Update: Added Prestone coolant flush and cleaner. Flushed 3 times until coolant was coming out clean, then let the motor run out the remaining coolant through the radiator plug. Added Bar's leaks head gasket repair and sealer hd-1 including distilled water and antifreeze. Each step I drained the oil antifreeze mixture and replaced with 7.8 quarts of cheap regular motor oil. Added Motor Medic engine oil flush, ran for 5 minutes, pulled the oil filter, and drained the oil, then using a rag wiped out the inside of the oil filter area, and the top inner section of the oil cap to remove the yellow sludge. I then added 4 quarts of synthetic European formula motor oil to wash out the non synthetic oil and water residue, and put the oil drain plug back in. Filled with 7.8 quartz of synthetic, and went for a couple drives.

So far no over heating, the Coolant is no longer mixing with the oil, and both oil and antifreeze are stable. I'll be changing oil one last time in a week because of the potential sludge release and remaining water residue. The total cost has been around $225 bucks.

[g300d]

Good you got it sorted out, hope it holds up.

[beamer9]

Hi All,

The Barrs head gasket repair had a catastrophic failure on Tuesday. The coolant rushed into the engine, then started to overheat, and shutdown in middle of street. I managed to fill back with a little water and make it home (it started when I added water but barely.). It was a miracle it made it a few blocks home then it started sputtering again... This was after I spent a couple days replacing the oil filter housing gasket. So I'll be replacing the head gasket myself. I hate working on greasy engines

[X53Jay4.8is]

Originally Posted by beamer9

Hi All,

The Barrs head gasket repair had a catastrophic failure on Tuesday. The coolant rushed into the engine, then started to overheat, and shutdown in middle of street. I managed to fill back with a little water and make it home (it started when I added water but barely.). It was a miracle it made it a few blocks home then it started sputtering again... This was after I spent a couple days replacing the oil filter housing gasket. So I'll be replacing the head gasket myself. I hate working on greasy engines

Why didn't you just do the proper analysis in the beginning (signs of water showing up in oil) which would have lead to a head gasket failure rather than place some bars leak (in a BMW yikes!!!) in the coolant system? Band Aids and BMWs do not go together. A proper repair was in order. You may have done more damage than you originally had when the first signs of water showed up in the oil? Well when you rip down the engine you'll know how much more beyond a head gasket is going to be needed to complete the repair.

[beamer9]

I'd disagree with you. There was no warning. I didn't use cold water, and the Barr's fix got me by till I can afford to i nvest time rebuilding my head, and if it had worked longer that would of been better. Either way I still have to do the head. Which Im already disassembling the head.

[beamer9]

As for additional work, I already started with the oil housing filter gasket before the barrs gave away. The result of my engine oil flush eatting away at gunk and gaskets. The car is over 200k, and was already leaking, the rebuild is necessary. I hear guys on here whining about a head gasket replacement but really how much more work is cleaning up a little mess left over on the Coolant system when the head already needs to be pulled. Your already replacing all the gaskets, valve seals, lapping valves and machining head along with possible acid bath... It sounds like fear mongering. I see it as nothing to lose. No offense but an engine is an engine. BMW engine isn't any different than any other engine, but so many make our like its a unique sensitive baby. OK it is somewhat sensitive, it likes different fluids but other than that its not very unique, except they break down like nobodies business.

[mig25]

If your engine ever overheats, NEVER put cold water or cold antifreeze in it.
Chances are the aluminum cylinder head will warp thus causing oil and antifreeze to mix.
ALWAYS wait for the engine to totally cool down before adding cold fluid to the radiator.
Time for a new head gasket job, maybe a new cylinder head. (hopefully not a new cylinder head)

[g300d]

You rolled the dice and took the chance, nothing really wrong with that. You indicated you understood what could happen and weighed it all before going this route.

I personally would not have gone the route you did but I see your reasoning. I appreciate you posting your results, it's a learning experience that will benefit the community.

An engine is an engine, true. This particular one IMO has a few considerations with regard to your situation:

BMW designed it to run hot constantly for efficiency, and really went out of their way to do it with their DME controlled variable coolant thermostats.

The gaskets and plastics of the era are not particularly durable as seen across the board on all M54 equiped models.

Cooling system that vents later than usual at 2bar.

All the above combined with the age and mileage makes these systems a bit more fragile than simpler designs and makes it so that some stopgap measures will not work so well compared to other simpler engine models.