I just bought a 1988 Pontiac Bonneville for my daughter (all she could afford), yesterday. My husband went to check the water in the radiator and called me to tell me that there is oil(?) in the radiator. What should I do? Would it be oil, or could it be something else? :confused:

It is grayish in color... or pinkish?

Grayish does sound like oil. That is usually a head gasket failing. Pinkish is transmission fluid, and means its new radiator time as the trans cooler is usually in the radiator ( and trans servicing time as well to be sure no water got in there)

Thank you so much. After fixing, then just flush radiator? Or what? Sorry, not my area of smarts!

Depends... if it's the head gasket yes. (NOT a small job)... if it's the radiator cooler because its pinkish... you would be replacing the radiator to fix it.


But a cooling system flush in either case would be in order after fixing the problem... because coolant is in the engine.. the hoses and heater core.

Sounds like a blowen head gasket.