13 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHHead gasket vs. cracked cylinder liner??
Leading reported evidence
Check coolant tank, empty except
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
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Unsuccessful attempts
1
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Read evidence and context
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Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
checked the coolant tank, empty except for some "mayonaisse), then the oil, looks like chocolage milk.
Leading evidence: 'Check coolant tank, empty except' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'on cylinder 1, our vast experience' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check center cylinders' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Discussions that suspect a cause
1
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Suspected cause
If the issue is on cylinder 1, our vast experience with this MOF says cracked head.
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Run engine makes horrible sounds as it beats itself
Suggestion or failed attempt
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Suggestion
If cylinder cracked in short time crack will complete and a piece will come loose and then next time engine started and run engine makes horrible sounds as it beats itself to pieces.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Run engine makes horrible sounds as it beats itself
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
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Unsuccessful attempts
1
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Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
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Suggestion
If cylinder cracked in short time crack will complete and a piece will come loose and then next time engine started and run engine makes horrible sounds as it beats itself to pieces.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
13 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T011819Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
My wife was driving my 2000 C4 Cab (50,000 miles) on Thursday when the temperature light started flashing. Had her turn the car off and turn it back on, no flashing light so she drove it home. On Sauturday I went to drive the car and the light was flashing again. checked the coolant tank, empty except for some "mayonaisse), then the oil, looks like chocolage milk.
I guess it is my turn. So how do you determine if it is a head gasket failure (I should be so lucky) or a cracked cylinder liner? Is there an easy way to differentiate?
The worst is that I had an extended warranty, but it ran out last January. Too bad it did not happen a year ago.
Sorry to hear.
Only way I believe you could find out either way would be a borescope through the spark plug hole. That would only determine a slipped liner though, the head gasket would have to be removed to determine if it had failed.
Usually look similar. A compression test might help if leak between two cylinders. The two adjacent cylinders will be both low on compression.
Bubbles/oil in coolant might be present if head gasket leak, but also could be present if leak from crack in cylinder wall.
Borescope as someone else suggested or removal of head of affected bank most likely required.
Check center cylinders. For 3.4l engines these are the cylinders mostly (all?) afflicted with the cracking.
If cylinder cracked in short time crack will complete and a piece will come loose and then next time engine started and run engine makes horrible sounds as it beats itself to pieces.
If cylinder cracked but no piece loose yet, engine might be salvagable. Autofarm in UK sleeves these engines. There might be a place or two in USA that does the same thing.
Have not researched this.
If sleeving not an option, a replacement engine called for.
Sincerely,
Macster.
I believe someone had one fail, but it was found out to be a misinstalled gasket. There was a foreign object in between the gasket and the deck of the block.
Hey guys, I have the same kind of problem. I am eating coolant as welll. And i dont know where it goes. I took it to porsche and they said there is moisture/coolant in cylinder one. The engine light flashes on startup and stays on after that. There is no oil in the coolant tank, but i think there is coolant in the oil because i drained the oil and it was very thick and black. Any ideas what the problem could be? i was thinking cracked head or blow head gasket. Any pointers would be great... thanks!
2004 c4 tip.
This thread upsets me..
I hate hearing about milky oil and burning coolant...
Are the sleeves in the 3.4L defective in some engines or what? My 996 with nearly 100k is running strong. Knock on wood.
I am dealing with the same issue. My 3.4 has recently developed a cracked cylinder head on bank 1-3. 2001 C2 with 73,000 miles. I am the original owner of the car.
I am still waiting to hear if the cracked head is reparable, or if it is new motor time. Cost of new motor > value of car.
I would stop running the motor firth thing
second, its NOT a head gasket.
You might have to have it opened up to find the issue, but running it will make the problem bigger. Are you the type to do your own work, or have it done, where are you located, do you have a warranty?
<hoping for a good outcome>
We have NEVER, EVER witnessed a blown head gasket from any M96 engine even with coolant temps of 300F. The cylinders and cylinder heads are weaker than the multi-layer steel head gaskets that the M96 engine uses.
If the issue is on cylinder 1, our vast experience with this MOF says cracked head. We can repair 3 of the 4 most routine crack areas of the M96 head and I also have a good selection of good use heads as well.
A cracked head is not a new engine as long as collateral damage has not occurred, be sure before having a head repaired that there is no collateral damage to contend with, the diagnostics behind this can be extensive and if not carried out you can quickly throw good money at bad..
DO NOT RUN THE ENGINE ANY LONGER!!! Just a few seconds can create enough collateral damage to require a death certificate to be issued.
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