7 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHCoolant on top of engine near oil cooler - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Leading reported evidence
Clean area including scraping small amount of o-ring residue
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
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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.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Cleaned area including scraping small amount of o-ring residue from mating surfaces, Replaced 4 o-rings using part numbers 99970738940 and 99970740940; 2 of each.
Coolant on top of engine near oil cooler - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Read full discussion summary
Leading evidence: 'Clean area including scraping small amount of o-ring residue' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Clean area including scraping small amount of o-ring residue' (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.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
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.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Cleaned area including scraping small amount of o-ring residue from mating surfaces, Replaced 4 o-rings using part numbers 99970738940 and 99970740940; 2 of each.
Coolant on top of engine near oil cooler - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Disconnect top tube, unscrewing 4 allen screws, removing oil cooler
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
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.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
My process for resolving this issue consisted of draining about 2 gallons of coolant, Removing intake tube to allow for clearance when removing oil cooler, disconnecting the top tube, unscrewing 4 Allen screws, removing oil cooler with small pry bar (required very little force, allow a few seconds for remaining oil and coolant to drain from cooler, slide oil cooler rearward and into a plastic bag.
Coolant on top of engine near oil cooler - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Test cooler
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
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.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Remove and pressure test the cooler, it looks like it has an external leak.
Coolant on top of engine near oil cooler - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Use blue loctite
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
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.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
Reinstalled oil cooler using blue loctite on the 4 screws and hand tightened as not to strip threads.
Coolant on top of engine near oil cooler - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Frequently discussed actions (5)
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
Clean area including scraping small amount of o-ring residue
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Cleaned area including scraping small amount of o-ring residue from mating surfaces, Replaced 4 o-rings using part numbers 99970738940 and 99970740940; 2 of each.
Coolant on top of engine near oil cooler - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Disconnect top tube, unscrewing 4 allen screws, removing oil cooler
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
My process for resolving this issue consisted of draining about 2 gallons of coolant, Removing intake tube to allow for clearance when removing oil cooler, disconnecting the top tube, unscrewing 4 Allen screws, removing oil cooler with small pry bar (required very little force, allow a few seconds for remaining oil and coolant to drain from cooler, slide oil cooler rearward and into a plastic bag.
Coolant on top of engine near oil cooler - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Replace 4 o-rings
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Cleaned area including scraping small amount of o-ring residue from mating surfaces, Replaced 4 o-rings using part numbers 99970738940 and 99970740940; 2 of each.
Coolant on top of engine near oil cooler - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Coverage and how to read this overview
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.
7 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
986Forum: 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: 20261026T200546Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
I found coolant on top of the engine near the oil cooler a week ago. I attempted to find the source but ended up just drying the fluid and monitoring the issue since the car was otherwise functional. No oil in coolant reservoir, no intermix detected on dipstick, no smoking exhaust. This area is near the intake manifold, head gasket, and oil cooler. If it were head gasket leak I’d expect intermix and smoke so I’m leaning towards oil cooler. What do the experts here think? Pictures coming in a few.
[Image-only or quote-only post; no author-written text.]
https://986forum.com/forums/uploads02/IMG_32391590768218.jpg
https://986forum.com/forums/uploads02/IMG_32381590768458.jpg
https://986forum.com/forums/uploads02/IMG_32371590768723.jpg
The oil cooler has two sets of o-rings. The water side of the oil cooler and or the o-rings could be failing.
Here is a picture of the bottom of an oil cooler;
https://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/SuperCat/1041/POR_1041_ENGOIL_pg6.htm#item20
Thanks Guys,
I'm looking at the following diagram for the o-ring part numbers
and see more than two sets (total of four o-rings and that's likely due to the intermediate plate)... Also, after reading other posts related to oil cooler replacement I recall that some suggest an oil change. If I drain the coolant, bleed the coolant from cooler by removing breather tube, all of the coolant should leave the system so shouldn't I expect virtually no cross-contamination?
Please advise and thanks so much!
You need to drain the cooling system before pull the cooler. This makes it a good time to do any cooling system updates like a low temp stat, water pump, or anything else that needs doing. And by the discoloration on the sides of the cooler, it may not be the o-rings that are leaking.
When pulling the cooler, slide a plastic bag under it when first lifting it, that prevents any residulal oil or coolant from getting into the wrong passages.
Update for anyone else with this issue. My process for resolving this issue consisted of draining about 2 gallons of coolant, Removing intake tube to allow for clearance when removing oil cooler, disconnecting the top tube, unscrewing 4 Allen screws, removing oil cooler with small pry bar (required very little force, allow a few seconds for remaining oil and coolant to drain from cooler, slide oil cooler rearward and into a plastic bag. A few ounces of oil and coolant were caught in the plastic bag and maybe an ounce spilled out into either of the passages; so little that I’m not worried about cross-contamination. Cleaned area including scraping small amount of o-ring residue from mating surfaces, Replaced 4 o-rings using part numbers 99970738940 and 99970740940; 2 of each. Reinstalled oil cooler using blue loctite on the 4 screws and hand tightened as not to strip threads. Refill and burp coolant system with the same coolant drained; no intermix in drained coolant and it had less than 10K miles on it.
Easy job. Hardest part was waiting a week for the o-rings. During last 100 miles I’ve inspected area and coolant reservoir and there is no longer coolant leak or any sign of intermix in reservoir.
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
