Head gasket 20k miles?

Head gasket 20k miles?

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Discussion

99hjhm

426 posts

185 months

Saturday 27th January 2018
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frenmor said:
It’s with a garage at the moment being diagnosed but there aren’t many things (to my only semi educated brain) that it can be other than cylinder head... guess repair will be £1k+
It could be many things, thats the joys of owning something SO complex, why there is a massive industry of motor vehicle repair. Even Rolex watches break sometimes.

I'm guessing you have an extended warranty with the car and have had it serviced within their guidelines to think you have any kind of comeback with anybody?

normalbloke

7,401 posts

218 months

Saturday 27th January 2018
quotequote all
frenmor said:
It’s with a garage at the moment being diagnosed but there aren’t many things (to my only semi educated brain) that it can be other than cylinder head... guess repair will be £1k+
Could be EGR cooler(if fitted) or oil cooler. There are a few things that can easily spew oil/coolant upon failure other than head gasket.

frenmor

Original Poster:

62 posts

95 months

Saturday 27th January 2018
quotequote all
Oil cooler makes sense esp as engine was running absolutely fine when the steam happened. Is that significantly cheaper than cylinder head?

normalbloke

7,401 posts

218 months

Saturday 27th January 2018
quotequote all
frenmor said:
Oil cooler makes sense esp as engine was running absolutely fine when the steam happened. Is that significantly cheaper than cylinder head?
Very much so. When is the prognosis due from your investigating garage? Do report back.

frenmor

Original Poster:

62 posts

95 months

Saturday 27th January 2018
quotequote all
Monday they’re calling. I’ll report back. Many thanks everyone for the help. Minus a bit of silly “I can’t believe you think you have any recourse you moron” trolling this is a seriously valuable resource. Thanks guys.

Super Slo Mo

5,368 posts

197 months

Saturday 27th January 2018
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jas xjr said:
i mentioned this as i have a friend whose girlfriend used to drive a couple of miles per day. the car rarely got up to operating temperature. i mistakenly thought this could be a similar issue.

mr slomo , what is that under the tarp? smile
That is my old E28 525e. Had it 7 years, it’s been in the garage since 2012 but I’ve had to drag it out as I’ve shut my office and had to put all my inventory somewhere.

The car is being broken and sold off piece by piece. Snag is I go to Korea for 4 weeks on Monday...


imagineifyeswill

1,224 posts

165 months

Saturday 27th January 2018
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With doing short journeys the engine never really gets properly hot to get rid of condensation, this is what causes the build up of emulsified oil commonly referred to as mayonnaise. The polo engine has a plastic breather mechanism on the lower offside rear off the engine which tends to get filled up with this mayonnaise which in cold frosty weather can freeze solid due to the water content, the result of this is the engine cannot breath and pressurises and can eventually overcome the seal on the filler cap or the breather hose and blow engine oil and condensed water out all over the belt end of the engine. Once the engine has warmed the blockage thaws and there is no sign of why the engine would have blown out its oil, its reasonably common on these engines.

99hjhm

426 posts

185 months

Saturday 27th January 2018
quotequote all
frenmor said:
Monday they’re calling. I’ll report back. Many thanks everyone for the help. Minus a bit of silly “I can’t believe you think you have any recourse you moron” trolling this is a seriously valuable resource. Thanks guys.
I didn’t call anybody a moron, I’m not trolling either, saving you some time and effort. I build engines for a living, your problem doesn’t sound like a head gasket. Atleast you are getting it professionally looked at which is the right way to go about it.


jas xjr

11,309 posts

238 months

Saturday 27th January 2018
quotequote all
Super Slo Mo said:
That is my old E28 525e. Had it 7 years, it’s been in the garage since 2012 but I’ve had to drag it out as I’ve shut my office and had to put all my inventory somewhere.

The car is being broken and sold off piece by piece. Snag is I go to Korea for 4 weeks on Monday...
wish i could help. no room in my garage either.shame you have to sell it.

frenmor

Original Poster:

62 posts

95 months

Saturday 27th January 2018
quotequote all
imagineifyeswill said:
With doing short journeys the engine never really gets properly hot to get rid of condensation, this is what causes the build up of emulsified oil commonly referred to as mayonnaise. The polo engine has a plastic breather mechanism on the lower offside rear off the engine which tends to get filled up with this mayonnaise which in cold frosty weather can freeze solid due to the water content, the result of this is the engine cannot breath and pressurises and can eventually overcome the seal on the filler cap or the breather hose and blow engine oil and condensed water out all over the belt end of the engine. Once the engine has warmed the blockage thaws and there is no sign of why the engine would have blown out its oil, its reasonably common on these engines.
I would like to think so but I don’t thibk it was cold enough this morning. And the fault developed when I’d done 15-20 miles..... but would be nice....

Super Slo Mo

5,368 posts

197 months

Saturday 27th January 2018
quotequote all
jas xjr said:
Super Slo Mo said:
That is my old E28 525e. Had it 7 years, it’s been in the garage since 2012 but I’ve had to drag it out as I’ve shut my office and had to put all my inventory somewhere.

The car is being broken and sold off piece by piece. Snag is I go to Korea for 4 weeks on Monday...
wish i could help. no room in my garage either.shame you have to sell it.
I have been procrastinating over it for years. Chassis rot turned out to be a bit too extensive to fix without taking the engine out. I don’t have space for that.

Most of the good bits have gone now. The shell will get scrapped in March or April I think.

frenmor

Original Poster:

62 posts

95 months

Monday 29th January 2018
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So I heard back from the garage. Apparently the oil is being forced out through the dipstick and the water is leaking into the sump... The only explanation for this is a failed head or head gasket (apparently the car doesn't have an oil cooler fitted???)..

Any ideas if they are correct in this PHers?

frenmor

Original Poster:

62 posts

95 months

Monday 29th January 2018
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In any case I am getting the car recovered to the a VW main dealer subsidiary of the co. I bought it from. They agree it is not normal and they are going to investigate and try to make a claim under Manufacturer good will for me. Wish me luck.

Also serves to have a 2nd opinion as I just don't see how a head gasket can fail after 22k miles....

The Rookie

286 posts

196 months

Tuesday 30th January 2018
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frenmor said:
So I heard back from the garage. Apparently the oil is being forced out through the dipstick and the water is leaking into the sump... The only explanation for this is a failed head or head gasket
Not the only explanation at all, as above, a breather issue could do that.

GreenV8S

30,150 posts

283 months

Tuesday 30th January 2018
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The Rookie said:
a breather issue could do that.
Does a breather issue account for coolant in the sump?

frenmor

Original Poster:

62 posts

95 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
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VW dealer is pretty bullish on me getting something back off VW on this... Given extraordinarily low mileage for the issues.

Somehow I still don't believe it can possibly be the head gasket though given no warning lights ever came on on the dash. I await update and official VW verdict on this.

GreenV8S

30,150 posts

283 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
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frenmor said:
given no warning lights ever came on on the dash
What warning lights would you expect to see?

frenmor

Original Poster:

62 posts

95 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
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Well for the head gasket to break you need extreme oil pressure or extreme heat right? So you would expect the oil pressure light or the heat light to come on (obviously in a more "up market" car you have dials for these)...

Perhaps there is no warning for high oil pressure only low oil pressure though?

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
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frenmor said:
Perhaps there is no warning for high oil pressure only low oil pressure though?
I've never, EVER come across a "high oil pressure" light in anything.

frenmor

Original Poster:

62 posts

95 months

Wednesday 31st January 2018
quotequote all
Fair enough so the oil pressure light is purely for low oil pressure.. Seems kinda stupid but not surprising. A lot easier when you have gauges for these things.