How to fix coolant getting into the oil.

[erikv11]

Yes, rad fluid is coolant.

Either method you mentioned will work to flush it. If you run water while draining just keep an eye on things - most of all no overheating, and no letting the reservoir run dry is a good way to help achieve that.

You can run the car with just water for a few days or a few weeks as long as there is no chance of it freezing in the block. Wouldn't recommend it for a long hot trip.

[kallekula]

If you have an oil cooler mounted to the back of the engine that could also be the culprit. Check with other known good unit or pressure test somehow.
Good luck, let us know when this has been sorted out.

[jonesg]

Bad seal in the turbo might allow coolant and water to mix.

[02V70]

Bad seal in the turbo might allow coolant and water to mix.

Could that seal, and the oil cooler go bad because of overheating?

[erikv11]

Turbo seals could be the reason but they basically never go bad. Would not go out due to overheating.

[02V70]

For flushing out the oil, can I use old engine oil to do that?

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Have you checked to see if your radiator and trans fluid is okay also. Since it overheated the pressure could possibily compromise the radiator? The trans fluid is also cooled by the radiator's trans cooler section.

How do I check the trans fluid? I can not find a dipstick for it.

[Krons]

How do I check the trans fluid? I can not find a dipstick for it.
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Should be a yellow dipstick down to the drivers side of the engine toward front of transmission as you are looking under the hood. It is way down there, skinny arms help to get past all the intake and hoses.

[02V70]

For flushing out the oil, can I use old engine oil to do that?

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Have you checked to see if your radiator and trans fluid is okay also. Since it overheated the pressure could possibily compromise the radiator? The trans fluid is also cooled by the radiator's trans cooler section.

You can use old engine oil. Run engine at idle for 5 minutes till the it is mixed (check) and then light driving for a few mile and drain. If you have more used oil I would recommend using it for a second flush before spending money on fresh oil. Would buy the cheapest oil filter and replace for each used engine oil flush.

I have an oil cooler mounted to the back of the pan. According to the manual, it has around 1 qt of oil in it. Would a few miles of driving be enough to circulate the oil though there? Does it have a thermostat that opens at a certain temp?

[erikv11]

A few miles is enough. The biscuit oil cooler like your car has on the pan does not have any thermostat, oil is always circulating through there.

[vtl]

For a proper coolant flush you need to use a product that bonds residual oil and let it flush, otherwise it will stick to pipes and passages. Something like "Liqui Moly 2051 Radiator Cleaner". Could be domestic as well, for half the price.

You would probably need to do it for a few times, once in a while, until every drop of oil leaves the cooling part of the engine, which can take a long time.

Don't drive on a pure water for a long time - it will coat all the hot surfaces with lime stone and will worsen heat transfer by an order of magnitude. Also don't drive with the same coolant for too long: the same thing happens, when the coolant has no more additives to fight the lime stone. Coolant is definitely not a life time fluid.