Could use a diagnosis!

So I seem to always turn to you guys for help, and I appreciate everyone’s help. Now I’m a car enthusiast, but I’m no gearhead. So when it comes to the internals of an engine, I can get rather lost.

I have a 2000 Grand Am, which is apparently notorious for have UIM and LIM leaks. My car for about a year has been eating coolant at a slow, but appreciable rate (it never leaks outside of the engine, though). Today, I pulled off the oil cap and noticed a sludge which I’d imagine can’t be great for the engine. Does the car eating coolant and the sludge oil have anything to do with one another? If so, is it normal, or should i be concerned with it…

Thanks for the help!

if its a 3100 or 3400 engin its most likeley the lower intake gasket leaking

its a 3400 and its definitely the lower manifold leaking… unless you’ve had it replaced with the updated gasket. get it swapped soon or else you’ll spin a bearing.

my brothers hawk had a leaking LIM gasket. Dealer time :slight_smile:

done a few, but most likely the LIM gasket. let me know if you need anyone to take care of it for you…

definetly have done at least a half dozen. If it hasn’t been done yet… Its like a neon head gasket

definatly lower intake gasket, make sure if u take it somewhere it gets a engine block flush. we have one where i work.

real easy job takes me around 3 hours and i only did a couple of them if you got basic car experence you should be abel to finish it in about 5-6 hours just dont clean off the old gasket with a cookie use sand paper

Yeah, don’t wait to get this fixed.

Have you changed the oil, what condition is it in? does it look like a milk shake?

if your oil cap has a good amount of sludge on it or if you pull out the dip stick and it looks milkey brown i wodent even drive it till fixed if you absolutley have to atleast change the oil