Technical Oil in coolant with check engine light

[tboi744]

okay so i was driving home and got a check engine light. when i got home i could hear the radiator fan on full but the temp gauge wasn't even reading a temp. I go and check the oil level and the oil is absolutely fine. check the coolant and its turned the classic mud colour that happens when there's oil in the coolant. dose anyone have any ideas in what could be wrong? from some research I'm guessing its the head gasket that's gone and now is leaking oil into the coolant. i don't really want to take it to the garage and drop a load of money. is attempting a head gasket replacement myself too ridiculous? is there anything i can do to help diagnose it before i drop a load of money on it at a garage?
i have a mk2 04 plate Punto

any help is much appreciated

 

[bugsymike]

okay so i was driving home and got a check engine light. when i got home i could hear the radiator fan on full but the temp gauge wasn't even reading a temp. I go and check the oil level and the oil is absolutely fine. check the coolant and its turned the classic mud colour that happens when there's oil in the coolant. dose anyone have any ideas in what could be wrong? from some research I'm guessing its the head gasket that's gone and now is leaking oil into the coolant. i don't really want to take it to the garage and drop a load of money. is attempting a head gasket replacement myself too ridiculous? is there anything i can do to help diagnose it before i drop a load of money on it at a garage?
i have a mk2 04 plate Punto

any help is much appreciated

May help if engine details included, size, fuel petrol or diesel,engine series etc.
For example I had a similar issue on a Fiat Doblo 1.6 diesel and the oil cooler had failed, it is mounted on the oil filter housing on that model and resulted in the oil pumping into the cooling system.
Yours could still be a head gasket issue , all I am saying is check everything first, as you would be a bit "miffed" if you went to the trouble of changing the head gasket and the fault was still there.
If it is a head gasket changing it depends on your level of skills , but I am sure there are plenty of Forum members here who can give advice.

 

[judderbar]

A few things come to my mind

1. If the cooling system is not well maintained you get air in the coolant and the coolant is that muddy rusty colour. But there is no oil floating on the surface of the water.

2. If the temperature sensor fails the fan runs at full speed and the gauge I think reads zero.

3. The cooling system is pressurised so an oil leak into the coolant is likely to be also with water into the oil.

So I think there is just a coolant sealing problem and a temperature gauge problem

 

[bugsymike]

A few things come to my mind

1. If the cooling system is not well maintained you get air in the coolant and the coolant is that muddy rusty colour. But there is no oil floating on the surface of the water.

2. If the temperature sensor fails the fan runs at full speed and the gauge I think reads zero.

3. The cooling system is pressurised so an oil leak into the coolant is likely to be also with water into the oil.

So I think there is just a coolant sealing problem and a temperature gauge problem

Well worth checking what you mentioned, though re coolant pressure side I have experienced several cars, VW Passat petrol, Doblo 1.6 van diesel where the water cooled oil cooler on the oil filter housing has failed pumping oil into the cooling system rather than the other way around, I also had a British Leyland 1800 that pumped the oil from the engine into the cooling system via the head gasket resulting in the engine seizing whilst doing 70mph in the outside lane of a Motorway which was fun missing the 20 tonne lorry I had just overtaken and diving across to the hard shoulder and again the temp stayed in the middle!
None of the above resulted in water in the oil so no emulsified oil as a guide.