1998 Volvo pcv question

JasonVolvoMan · Post by **JasonVolvoMan** » 16 Apr 2016, 17:54

Just finished with replacing my pcv system on my 1998 xc70 with 205000 miles.
After installation was complete I started the car up and stood over the engine to make sure everything was good. The first minute everything seemed fine. Then I noticed the coolent overflow bottle start filling with a brown liquid and eventually over flowed with Murkey brown, oily coolent. I have. Ever seen this happen before. So I drained the coolent system. At first nice green coolent came out then brown coolent and the. What looked to be straight coming from the drain stem of the radiator.
Next I pulled the oil pan plug out and out. Some basically chocolate milk straight coolent, not even oil.
Would this be a bad turbo or a blown head gasket. ?

Post by **theWIFES_S70** » 16 Apr 2016, 18:10

Hey Jason, sorry to read this. How was the car before you tackled the PCV system? As far as I know, it's not really connected to the coolant in any way...

Post by **bmdubya1198** » 16 Apr 2016, 18:20

I don't this this would have to do with the turbo. Not sure this has to do with the PCV, either. The only thing I know relating to brown/oily coolant is a bad head gasket.

JasonVolvoMan · Post by **JasonVolvoMan** » 16 Apr 2016, 18:31

Thanks guys. I think what happen is when I did the pcv the engine finally got a strong vaccume on it and blow away a seal that was already bad and made it worse. So now there is a vacuum straight to the oil.

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 16 Apr 2016, 18:32

Either the head gasket is bad or the oil cooler in the radiator has cracked and your mixing coolant with oil in there.

JasonVolvoMan · Post by **JasonVolvoMan** » 16 Apr 2016, 18:48

Thought of the radiator. Out I replaced it 2 years ago. Going to try to do a cooling system pressure check. And should I hope pin point the problem

Post by **bmdubya1198** » 16 Apr 2016, 18:57

Very well possible the improved vacuum finally blew out the seal. A compression test will reveal a leaking head gasket. Definitely check the radiator, too, considering the oil cooler is part of it.

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 16 Apr 2016, 19:34

I'm confused what kind of seal you guys think is damaged by vacuum but not excess pressure from a clogged PCV?

JasonVolvoMan · Post by **JasonVolvoMan** » 16 Apr 2016, 19:47

I forgot to say I had low coolant light came on with no visualable leaks anywhere

Post by **bmdubya1198** » 16 Apr 2016, 21:02

polskamafia mjl wrote:I'm confused what kind of seal you guys think is damaged by vacuum but not excess pressure from a clogged PCV?

The PCV being clogged is probably what weakened it to begin with. Shock to the system..? Or just bad luck that it happened when it did.