MG CAR OWNERS FORUM

Greetings everyone,
the coolant bottle and associated radiator pipes for my 2013 Mondeo TDCI contained a sludge with a caramel colour.
While my son was behind the wheel, it sputtered to a halt and entered limp mode.
At first, we suspected a head gasket, but after doing some research online, we realised it could be the oil cooler.
removed it and discovered all gaskets and seals to be in good condition.
The coolant chamber was not being dripped into by the oil path in the alloy frame.
I have verified that the gearbox cooler is in good condition.
The engine has not seized because a spanner can be used to spin the crank shaft.
Is there anything else that could have caused the sludge to form besides the head gasket failing?
I am thankful.

Will the oil be impacted as well?

According to the dipstick, there is some water in the sump. So, what does that imply about the underlying issue?

Sniffing the coolant with an appropriate gas analyser to check for combustion gases is something I would suggest doing.
A compression test is another option to think about.
Neither of these, alas, will probably provide a definitive answer.
Depending on the location of the gasket failure, a sniff test may still be able to pass even though the head gasket is compromised. A sniff test will be successful if the failure is contained to the oil and coolant channels and does not extend into the cylinders.
Has the cooling system's pressure changed in any way? Tell me how much coolant you have. Has there been any decrease?

Sound counsel. When you see "mayonnaise/caramel" on the label, it usually means that oil and coolant are combining in some way, but pinpointing exactly where can be tricky.

On top of that, I'm curious as to whether the coolant hoses harden rapidly when cooled, if it forces coolant out of the expansion tank, and whether the oil level rises or appears milky after running. I wouldn't put much stock in running it until it was diagnosed if the dipstick showed contamination. Bearings are vulnerable to coolant in oil. It might be prudent to conduct a pressure test on the cooling system and double-check the oil cooler under pressure and temperature before deciding to fix the head gasket.

Hello there! I've begun disassembling the engine and have refrained from running it ever since we discovered oil in the coolant.
The compression test showed a reading of approximately 200 psi for all but cylinder #3, which registered 175 psi.
Any original coolant was likely vented to the ground because the bottle was full of sludge.
The oil cooler was removed, but I still haven't figured out what's causing the problem, whether it's a head gasket failure or something else (like EGR).
My goal is to determine whether the engine needs to be replaced or if it can be repaired.

In my opinion, I would fix the problem if the engine is otherwise fine. After purchasing a new engine, you may discover that it has an issue that is identical to or even worse than the one you were attempting to repair.

I was wondering if these have water cooling lines for the turbo. (The mondeo diesel included, I am completely ignorant of diesels.) If that's the case, it's possible that they're mixing there because of some broken seals.

Only engine oil is used to cool the turbo. There isn't a connection for water or coolant there.