Problem (previously posted) + concerns about what I'm being told

Data: With no previously noted malfunctions, 2015.5 T5 V60 refused to start - just a "click" - "jumping did not help
Towed to dealer - diagnosis: starter motor failure
New starter motor - still no start
Diagnosis - oil cooler failure - water in oil causing drag & hard to turn over
Plan of action: replace oil cooler, drain & refill engine

Questions/concerns:

Being old school, the oil coolers that I am familiar with are simple "mini" radiators - looking at a picture of the Volvo unit, I see 4 connections. Is it indeed the case that the oil and coolant are both attached?

Dealer says that they will make sure that "everything is fine" - if this co-mingling of oil and coolant has caused the engine to be hard to turn over, hasn't the damage already been done? In my experience, coolant in the oil is a death sentence.

Advice?

 

That makes no sense at all.

 

The only way that I can make any sense of it is to assume that the coolant in the oil did enough damage to make the engine hard to crank. This, of course brings up other questions - the car has only 46,000 miles on it. Even if it is "loosened up" enough to start, what might be the residual effects that would only surface as the miles accumulated?

 

Assuming the diagnosis of water in the oil is correct and their plan of action corrects the problem, then any damage would already be done. That said, I've never heard of water in oil keeping a car from starting. Its pretty common for head gaskets to fail and people notice it by the oil frothing not a sudden no start...

 

It's curious to say the least. Seems like working you over for the cost of an oil change wouldn't make much sense, though.

 

No cost - it's all under warranty ("Certified" car)

 

Well, if you do need a new engine, I guess they can put one in.

But to answer the root question, coolant mixed with oil provides plenty of lubrication to start a car. The car would never be seized from that. I'm sure they'll figure it out.