bstark Posted March 24, 2002 Share Posted March 24, 2002 Can someone please tell me if my theory is feasible, or are my worst fears (head gasket) the most likely explanation? The car is a 1700 Supersprint, and the engine was fresh 3000 miles ago. I have only driven about 100 miles since the 3000 mile service last week and she is running the best I can remember - zings round to 6000rpm, more power throughout the range than before the service, sits at 80 degrees, even in traffic, idles properly and sounds great - really smooth. I had a look under the bonnet for the first time since the service after a glorious blat today and the oil breather pipe is covered in greeny yellow slime from the contents of the catch tank - which contained about 3mm deep of this stuff (smelt of oil). PANIC! Pull out the dipstick and the bottom 3mm or so has some white goo on it with clear fresh oil above all the way to the max mark. Clean it off, re-dip, and there's just oil. Slightly less panic. Wait for engine to cool down, and remove oil filler cap - no sign of any goo, just remnants of fresh oil - inside of the rocker cover, and what I can see of the tappets all looks clean too. Now just confused. My hopeful theory is this: During the service, car was left out in the rain with the bonnet off. 2 or 3mm of water fill the open topped oil catch bottle. Subsequent driving adds some hot oil from the breather pipe which mixes with the water and creates horrible slimey greeny yellow stuff that gives me heart attack. What do you think - is this feasible? Like I said, the car feels better than ever to drive (and the passenger carpet is still damp - it was dry before the service). If not, any other ideas? Or am I about to fork out some cash and lose the car for a while? sad.gif Bob Stark Supersprint first-timer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted March 24, 2002 Share Posted March 24, 2002 If your coolant has changed colour from whatever it was (green or blue) to a muddy brown colour, then I'd be suspecting a head gasket. If it is still a nice shade of whatever colour it was, then it sounds like your theory holds water (sorry)......... I believe you can get a kit from Snap On to test if combustion by-products are in your coolant. If they are, then again, a head gasket sounds likely culprit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstark Posted March 24, 2002 Author Share Posted March 24, 2002 The coolant in the expansion bottle is still a nice shade of blue - is this a sensible place to check it? (The radiator hasn't got a top filler). Bob Stark Supersprint first-timer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Brother Posted March 24, 2002 Share Posted March 24, 2002 Bob, Just a thought, but was the car washed as part of the service? If so, that would explain the water everywhere/wet carpets. Steve www.Se7en-Up.co.uk id=green> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F355GTS Posted March 24, 2002 Share Posted March 24, 2002 White goo in the sump doesn't sound good! if it was just the breather then It might just be condensation if the car has been standing for a while. I guess the thing to do is clean the goo from the breather pipe, give it another run and check again, if there's goo in the sump then I would worry and get it checked out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstark Posted March 24, 2002 Author Share Posted March 24, 2002 Yep - washed and polished. I wasn't too concerned about the small bit of white goo on the end of the dipstick, as once I wiped it off and re-dipped it didn't reappear (assumed condensation). Far more worried about the greeny yellow stuff in the oil catch tank! Bob Stark Supersprint first-timer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave H Posted March 25, 2002 Share Posted March 25, 2002 If the oil itself looks OK, and the coolant appears a nice colour, I wouldn't worry too much. My old xflow used to suffer from condensation in the block, which would create horrible looking goo where the water was driven off. The dipstick would always have some on it when withdrawn, but would be OK on the second or third dip. There are kits to test for hydrocarbons in the coolant if you want to be absolutely certain. Dave H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Turner Posted March 25, 2002 Share Posted March 25, 2002 Back in my youth when all oils were, shall we say 20w50 and leave it at that, Duckhams Q always left a creamy deposit whereas GTX never did. Its probably clutching at straws but if it did not do it before the service and they have filled with a different brand of oil could this be the cause, but do modern oils still have this tendency? Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstark Posted March 25, 2002 Author Share Posted March 25, 2002 Thanks for all the replies so far - the more I look into it, the less it sounds as though there is a problem (unless someone comes along and tells me otherwise...). Th only thing no-one seems to be able to explain is the greeny/yellow stuff in the oil catch tank. It's a very oily consistency, but not very thick, and looks like whatever it is has mixed together very well (ie. not oil sitting on water). There is no sign of any foaming anywhere. Any ideas? If I do check the coolant, where's the best place to take some from (short of draining the radiator)? Bob Stark Supersprint first-timer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DohNut Posted March 25, 2002 Share Posted March 25, 2002 It would seem that you need to get a representative sample of the cooling water. I would suggest loosening the Jubilee clip at the bottom hose of the radiator -AFTER you have ensured that any coolant from the expantion tank that may get syphoned in is of good quality. or you could take it from one of the heater hoses, you dont need to empty the whole radiator, and even if you did there is not the bleeding problems that you have with the Rovere Vx engines.(in my experience) N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstark Posted March 25, 2002 Author Share Posted March 25, 2002 I've been talking this over with some mechanically minded blokes at work, and there is another theory to explain the greeny/yellow stuff in the oil catch tank: Does anyone know how screen washer fluid would mix with hot fresh engine oil, gently mixed with the motion of the car? I'm just wondering if they got a part timer to do things like polish the car and top up the screen wash (they charged me for it so I assume they did it!). If he put some in the wrong bottle, realised or was told his mistake, and poured it away (leaving 1 or 2mm at the bottom)... Any chemists out there know if these would mix? Bob Stark Supersprint first-timer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstark Posted March 26, 2002 Author Share Posted March 26, 2002 In case anyone's interested, I tried mixing some warm oil and some neat blue screenwash together yesterday, and I ended up with a suspiciously familiar looking greeny yellow mix with a slightly runnier than oil consistency. If you add any water to it, then it starts to separate and, for want of a better description, gets gloopy bits in the mixture. The garage proprietor is talking to the mechanic as we speak (what chance a straight answer?). Bob Stark Supersprint first-timer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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