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Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: Rodriguez on 09 January 2009, 11:21

Title: Head Gasket.
Post by: Rodriguez on 09 January 2009, 11:21
Ok ladies and gents.  I've got my paranoid head on today.  The chariot is running fine after I replaced the starter yesterday, but I am now worries about me engine. 

Ok symptoms:  Coolant level and temp remains ok and no sign of contamination but seems a liitle pressurised.  Dipstick reveals clean oil but I'm getting a small amount of mayo on the cap. And I know its cold but the white steam from the exhaust seems a little excessive.

Now am I worrying about nowt considering the car's age and the weather we've been having or is there further checks I can do, short of poaching a compression tester from somewhere.


Cheers in advance.  Hope everyone's having a reliable new year :evil:
Title: Re: Head Gasket.
Post by: sidecarphil on 09 January 2009, 11:55
if you got a good amount of antifreeze in the car

take the plugs out see if they are the same colour as your antifreeze
Title: Re: Head Gasket.
Post by: Conker on 09 January 2009, 12:48
The condensation out of the exhaust is pretty mega at the moment due to the temp. Mine looks like a power station first thing in the morning!! When my headgasket went, I had no mayo, but loads of steam out the back even when the engine was really hot, but the main way I coul tell (excluding the compression test) was that water consumption was huge.  A full coolant tank would only last 30 minutes before it was dry.

If your water level isn't changing, its prob just steam.

Title: Re: Head Gasket.
Post by: rubjonny on 09 January 2009, 12:50
all sounds perfectly normal to me, the coolant system is designed to pressurise to raise the boiling point, and a bit of mayo is normal when only doing short trips.  bit of  steem from exhaust also normalk, cold air makes it look worse than it is plus water is a natural byproduct of combustion.
Title: Re: Head Gasket.
Post by: Rodriguez on 09 January 2009, 15:39
Thanks guys


Just finished me second bottle of scotch now, so the demons are silent again :wink:
Title: Re: Head Gasket.
Post by: tobz. on 09 January 2009, 16:09
 :shocked: Jeez second bottle of scotch finished by 15:30!!! I'd be more concerned about that than my head gasket.
Title: Re: Head Gasket.
Post by: my white golf on 10 January 2009, 10:52
it all sounds fine to me, i was warming my car up the other morning and scrapping off the ice when a woman walking past said my gosh it looks like its on fire!
Title: Re: Head Gasket.
Post by: Mk2George on 10 January 2009, 11:07
it all sounds fine to me, i was warming my car up the other morning and scrapping off the ice when a woman walking past said my gosh it looks like its on fire!

Hehe yeah, all sounds familiar to me too, letting mine warm up on a morning to defrost and after about 5 minutes i have trouble finding the car amidst all the steam :) My old 8v was tha same too - completely normal
Title: Re: Head Gasket.
Post by: ozegti on 25 January 2009, 17:42
Right, this sounds ok to me then. I pulled my spark plugs a few days ago and they were all dry, but grey in colour. I've had mayo occasionally on the cap, but the main thing is, it's leaking from the T piece with the top hose. Need to sort that out. Might need to change the water pump as well. :( I'm off to london tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes!
Title: Re: Head Gasket.
Post by: Ben Lessani on 25 January 2009, 18:26
Dude you should see what I found when I removed my rocker (http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=103752.0)!

Compression testers are only like £20 from Halfords, I bought mine ages ago and thought I'd only ever use it once - its been one of the best diagnostic tools I have owned, I've used it tonnes of times!

I don't reckon my HG is damaged at all, but I did have a torn breather that was probably just sucking in water, along with the fact my airbox was also wet inside!
Title: Re: Head Gasket.
Post by: DarnPB on 25 January 2009, 20:03
Right, this sounds ok to me then. I pulled my spark plugs a few days ago and they were all dry, but grey in colour. I've had mayo occasionally on the cap, but the main thing is, it's leaking from the T piece with the top hose. Need to sort that out. Might need to change the water pump as well. :( I'm off to london tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes!

Grey is a nice colour for spark plugs. Black is undesirable and shiny dripping black is 'orrible.
Title: Re: Head Gasket.
Post by: ozegti on 25 January 2009, 22:28
It was strange.. kinda like a gunpowder grey.. like a fuse to a cracker grey!

I'm off for as run to London tomorrow, so I'll have a comp test, replace and de fur the t piece, put some coolant in and hope for the best! Might replace the vacuum hoses while I'm at it.

Title: Re: Head Gasket.
Post by: Jay on 25 January 2009, 22:39
It was strange.. kinda like a gunpowder grey.. like a fuse to a cracker grey!
Grey-Brown colour? That's normal :wink: