Oil Cap

[LukeC]

Over the weekend I heard a humming noise coming from my engine near the belt. (Corsa 58 Plate Active 1.2) Everything looked normal turned the car off and it had gone, drove it for 10 mins and back again but then turned it off again and its not came back yet. I decided to check the obv bits on the car, when i checked my oil cap it had a milky substance on the cap. Has anyone got any advice im not good with cars.

Thanks

[synaesthesia]

That's not good - that normally means water is mixing with the oil and that is an engine destroyer.

On older cars that's a head gasket failure very typically, on newer (wow, this is happening on a 58plate?) it's probably a water pump gasket or similar. Either way do NOT DRIVE IT ANY FURTHER. Get it to a garage ASAP.

[SYNACK]

Might be an idea to get the coolant system checked and flushed, without the proper additives things can get a bit squiffy in the cold. Just so long as there is not oil in it as then you need to get a compression test done to check for a head gasket issue. @Sirbendy is generally the one to ask about such things as his Car Fu is strong

[twin--turbo]

the mayo may just be down o moisture build up and can occur naturaly.

 

Does the car run and pull fine, has the water level dropped recently?

[broc]

check for droplets of water on the dipstick..... if it is clear & the oil level is normal then twin-turbo might be right, especially if you do a lot of short trips without the engine (&oil) ever getting a chance to reach normal temperature. Modern oils contain additives to reduce the chance of this crud forming but there are limits. Is it due a service soon, it might be worth mentioning it to the garage?

[LukeC]

Thanks so far. The car is running and pulling fine from what i can tell i just noticed the noise i mentioned earlier. Water level is spot on never dropped always been the same. I poped into vauxhall on the way home and got one of the guys to look at it and he said it looks to be a build up of moisture, he offered diagnostics @ £70 per hour to be 100% sure but he said they might not find anything even if something is wrong. So im unsure what to do this is why i asked the question.

 

It last had it service early Sept this year, gets serviced every year.

I drive to work Mon - Friday 10mins each way approx Top speed 30Mph

And one of the day i travel around 20 miles each way

And occassionally go out for the day at the weekend this varys in distance and time.

Edited November 12, 2012 by LukeC
More info

[broc]

I would suggest that moisture build-up is the most likely explanation for the crud then. 10 mins urban driving might get your water temperature up to 'normal' but I doubt the oil will have warmed up much.

 

Watch the levels (oil & water), look for an oily film on the surface of the water in the header tank... ONLY CHECK THIS WHEN COLD... please don't take the cap off when the engine is hot/running! Check the dipstick for water droplets.... if everything is ok then take the car for a decent run 1-2 hours as often as you can (given the price of fuel).... you don't need to thrash it, just get the engine nice & hot.

[Sirbendy]

Yep, no water drop/oil film in header or full-on mayo in oil, you're probably looking at condensation in the engine, and that's nothing to worry about. All my Vauxhalls have done this. I do short trips too. If I do a nice long run (for instance, this Friday I'm off to the Neurosurgeon for a "future planning" session in Oswestry), it clears up beautifully.

 

A PITA, but mostly a harmless one. It can slightly choke the breathers, but it'll be fine. I intend to run the Astra from Telford to Oswestry and back in Sports mode and bounce the old girl off the redline a few times, which should clear it.

[Gonk]

For some reason the vauxhall 1.2 engine is prone to mayo on the cap. its just a characteristic of that engine. Just keep an eye on the water level.

[Sirbendy]

Also common to 98% of the 8 valver 1.4/1.6s..

[Gibbo]

This is a common problem at this time of year.

[synaesthesia]

dammit, now i know why I prefer older cars. "Common problem this time of year" - sod that, don't any of these makers want their engines to las.... oh, yeah. Modern engines.

Disposable Items.

 

 

Give me a decent engine like a K-Series (with a proper gasket/head setup!) any day.

[Gibbo]

I was having this discussion with someone yesterday about stop-start technology and how that's going to be an expensive thing to repair several years down the line when the car is out of warranty and is on it's third or fourth owner.

 

I've gone back to an old Pug 306 diesel. It was an absolute pleasure to do a full service on it at the weekend, not have to worry about MAF sensors, climate control, dual mass flywheels, diesel particulate filters and the like. The ride is smooth and quiet and it still returns the same MPG as the 2007 307 I've replaced.

[witch]

I've got stop/start on my car - Mitsubishi ASX3 Diesel - and it doesnt really work very often anyway because if the fans are on at anything other than very low, as they would be if you were cold or hot, it doesnt kick in. Probably would be expensive to fix but in the end I would just switch it off and do without anyway so not bother.

[cpjitservices]

Id keep any eye on the temperature gauge, if it rises astronomically all of a sudden then it could be a head issue, but it is more than likely moisture build up. Vauxhalls have a tendency to do such a thing. It's worth keeping an eye on.

[LukeC]

thanks all much appreciated. @cpjitservices i dont have a temp guage on my das any other way to tell?

[Miscbrah]

thanks all much appreciated. @cpjitservices i dont have a temp guage on my das any other way to tell?

 

Yes it'll boil over, but you should get a warning light on the dash beforehand.

 

If you are in a life-or-death situation, you can whack the heaters on full and wind the windows down and that SHOULD cool the engine enough to keep you moving. Worked on my Astra anyway.

 

The 'common problem' thing's why we didn't spot the blowing head gasket on my 1.6 Astra! Fixed up alright though.

 

Oh well, Calibra now Nice basic old c20ne engine. Pulls like a train should you need (and I don't like to strain it) and drives like a reliable old Cavalier for commuting. No sensors going all the time and no weird lights; either 'perfect' or 'grumpy - screw a new bit on'.

Edited November 13, 2012 by Miscbrah

[cpjitservices]

Listen out for the fan cutting in more than usual or a lack of power due to the engine getting too hot.

 

Also, after every couple of journeys pop the bonnet and look at the header tank and see if the water in there is bubbling/boiling, if it is it could be a sign of the head is going to blow, if you do see bubbling - very slowly and I do mean very slowly release the cap off the top to release the pressure and heat, keep water levels topped up.

[cpjitservices]

Yes it'll boil over, but you should get a warning light on the dash beforehand.

 

If you are in a life-or-death situation, you can whack the heaters on full and wind the windows down and that SHOULD cool the engine enough to keep you moving. Worked on my Astra anyway.

 

The 'common problem' thing's why we didn't spot the blowing head gasket on my 1.6 Astra! Fixed up alright though.

 

Oh well, Calibra now Nice basic old c20ne engine. Pulls like a train should you need (and I don't like to strain it) and drives like a reliable old Cavalier for commuting. No sensors going all the time and no weird lights; either 'perfect' or 'grumpy - screw a new bit on'.

 

Two examples there of (in my opinion) perfect work horses, Cavalier good and reliable, as are Calibra's albeit a bit more sporty than a Cavi. I miss the old CVH engines in fords too!!!! Brilliant Engines!

[twin--turbo]

Two examples there of (in my opinion) perfect work horses, Cavalier good and reliable, as are Calibra's albeit a bit more sporty than a Cavi. I miss the old CVH engines in fords too!!!! Brilliant Engines!

 

Got a CVH in my kit car

[twin--turbo]

 

Give me a decent engine like a K-Series (with a proper gasket/head setup!) any day.

 

 

I would have spat my coffee out if I had been drinking it.

 

Good engine, cunning design with the long bolt. But HG's go on these and garages don't really like doing them as they are a PITA...

 

And if you go to a garage with a KV6 with a water problem the technicians will magically vanish!

[synaesthesia]

I did say with a proper setup for good reason. Bolts that don't expand and gaskets that aren't made from tracing paper for instance. You can make a K-series downright bulletproof by using the land rover gaskets and bolts. Didn't have a spot of bother from either of mine. Did the gasket and bolts on my 400 as soon as I bought it. Would have done the sump too if I didn't get given a Honda

[twin--turbo]

My friends Freeland popped it's first head gasket at 48K, and the second at 56K.

 

You should not have to "Make it Bullet proof" , they should last unless there is a catastrophic cooling system failure.

 

I lost a lot of water in my old Mondeo V6 when a loose plate in the pump wore through the casing, I noticed the heater going cool and then the needle heading skywards.. Switched off, and coasted down the hard shoulder and up behind another motorist and the AA . with the steam still belowing the AA man was of the opinion that the engine was kippered but after a tow to the next service station and some water in she statred cleanly. we then found the water comming out the pump casing and it was a tow all the way home.

 

Rob

[twin--turbo]

http://www.claytune.org.uk/images/stories/mondeo24/pump1.jpg

http://www.claytune.org.uk/images/stories/mondeo24/pump3.jpg

http://www.claytune.org.uk/images/stories/mondeo24/pump4.jpg

 

You can see where the loose plate wore at the side of the case.

 

Rob

Edited November 13, 2012 by twin--turbo

[Sirbendy]

the lack of the temp gauge annoys me on the Corsa C/Astra H etc. What good is a warning light? It's too late by then. Or if it drops fluid, there's nothing left to fire the light..useless design. My Z series with the external thermostat (I had the internal one punched through, damn silly thing) is as close to bombproof as I can get. 2001 8 valver (so cavalier design of engine, Z16SE derived from X16SZR, which derived from C16SE/C14SE, which dates back a LONG way).

 

People say it's the "worst of the worst" for power etc...yet the autobox will merrily spin the wheels up to 3rd, it's more than happy over the ton, and it's no slouch. Give me the old 8 valve growl..

 

I've boiled mine once when the internal thermo jammed shut, but the heater matrix and full fans can easily pull them down to cold very quickly. I just did it in stages to avoid thermal shock, and let the engine idle down until it was around 80 degrees on the gauge, then shut down as normal. Then fill with boiling water from a kettle. Job done, no harm befell.

 

Best one I ever saw was a 1.8 CVH Sierra that arrived at my house one night, sounding like i was about to explode...no lights on etc. My mate jumped out and hid behind my motor..."the fanbelt's gone, I had to run without lights to get here (no alternator, no water pump).

 

Shut it down, opened the bonnet...steam galore, 2 hoses blown off. Let it cool, reassembled it, new belt on, refilled with coolant, kicked it in the guts...and off it went quite happily. Soon destroyed by an Astra-G in a flat spin that ripped the roof clean off.

Edited November 14, 2012 by Sirbendy