I have a 1995 Saturn and there is oil leaking into my cooling system? What could be causing this?

It has been suggested that a head gasket is going bad, but the car only has 90,000 miles and is not over heating. My dad describes this problem of having oil in the water but no water in the oil.I have a 1995 Saturn and there is oil leaking into my cooling system? What could be causing this?
It depends on the oil-- the transmission cooler is in the radiator and may be leaking- usually you can see the red color- unless the transmission oil is burnt--then its brown. Engine oil is generally black. If it is engine oil it is probably a head gasket.I have a 1995 Saturn and there is oil leaking into my cooling system? What could be causing this?
Yes, change the head gasket. Newer GM cars have a cast iron engine block and aluminum heads, which expand differently when heated and cooled. There may be a portion of the head gasket's mating surfaces, that allows the oil to leak from the lubrication system, into the cooling system. Taking off the radiator cap, only to find a brown foamy deposit on the inside of the cap, is the clue to this problem.
it's oil in the water. look at your oil cooling lines too the rad thy have replacement ones for 30 to 60 dollars that goes on the front of the rad
You need to check if it is transmission oil or engine oil, if its transmission oil the oil cooler might be leaking(if its an automatic transmission with a cooler in the radiator).
Your dad is right. You have a bad head gasket. Big bucks to fix.
Engine oil is cooled in the radiator, just like the cooling water. The reason oil would be turning up is because it is run tubing through at a higher pressure to prevent water from getting into the oil, which would ruin the engine. The leak is probably there, as if it were the head gasket water would also get into the oil.
without being able to see it, if it has an automatic trans., it could be the trans. cooler/radiator. it can be leaking from the trans cooler which is connected to the radiator(drivers side?).it is possible for there to be a internal leak.


it is also poss. that it is the head gasket, in either case you need to take it to a shop that you trust.
Likely the head gasket. There is a pressurized oil passage that transfers oil to the camshaft(s) in the head. There is a hole in the head gasket where the oil is pumped through and it could be leaking across the deck of the block into a coolant passage.





Also check the rad if it is an automatic. There is a transmission fluid cooler that runs through one tank of the rad and if it has a small hole in it, it could be pumping trans. oil into the rad.





Oh and P.S. - Saturn uses aluminum block and cylinder heads. Don't go and change the head gasket without getting it properly diagnosed. It is worth the money.
is your car an automatic transmission? if so it is possible that the transmission oil cooler in the radiator is leaking into the radiator. causing oil to seap into the coolant. both fluids are under pressure during normal driving transmission oil is at least40 to 60 psi and engine coolant is only around 15 to 17 psithere fore the oil will push in to the coolant .
head gasket take a plug out and turn the motor over water may shoot out the hole if its bad enough been there done that got shot in the eye doing this lol wasnt fun. but was funny after..