GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk5 => Topic started by: MikeFGTI on 26 January 2012, 15:12
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Hi all
I have an 06' GTi with 80k on the clock. It gets 'well used' but i'm always careful to let it warm up/cool down and servicing is always kept up to date.
Last night i noticed mayo on the inside of the oil filler cap, so i immediately panicked about the head gasket. The thing is there is nothing else to suggest any problem - starts/drives fine, no white smoke out the back, coolant level fine, oil on dipstick seems fine....
Are there any other problems i should be considering other than the gasket? Any advice on what i should check/test would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Mike
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Have you got a picture of it? Is there a lot?
Often condensation forms which causes there to be a bit of mayo around the lid (especially if you do short journeys).
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hi Alan,
Cheers for the reply.
I dont have a photo but will try and take one later.
There is a fairly light covering on both the underside of the filler cap and the 'neck'. To be fiar, i have been doing mainly short journeys recently, and presumably the build up of condensation is more likely in cold weather- its just i've had the car for 3 years and i've never noticed this happen before...
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wipe it off an take it for a good run then take cap off an check it
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This is perfectly normal in cold weather and/or after repeated short runs.
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I wiped the oil off first thing this morning, did 5 miles to work and checked the filler cap when I got to work. There was mayo on the underside of the cap again -admittedly not as much, but surely if this was condensation, it would take some time to form once the engine is starting to cool down?
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Most of us get this mate if you only do short journeys over the winter. If the coolant in the tank is still nice & clear don't worry about it.This weekend give the oil filler cap a good clean with a cloth & then give it the beans on a decent run. :wink:
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ok cheers mate. I'll do that.
I did look at the coolant in the dark last night and (by torch light) it possibly looked a bit murky. I'll have another look in daylight.
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Mine does the same as i do a lot of short journeys. Only a small amout of mayo though. When I do a couple of longer journeys it soon goes.
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I wiped the oil off first thing this morning, did 5 miles to work and checked the filler cap when I got to work. There was mayo on the underside of the cap again -admittedly not as much, but surely if this was condensation, it would take some time to form once the engine is starting to cool down?
5 miles is nothing, clean it off and do around 15 and then see if it comes back.
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I have the same; my coolant is fine. In fact I had to change my coolant bottle since the sensor inside the bottle was giving me an engine error message is frosty weather, so I had a good opportunity to inspect the fluid as I transferred it from one bottle to the new bottle and it was absolutely fine.
Also I am not losing any at the water sits at the full line.
I do lots of short journeys and it's the winter so that combination means I am going to suffer. Someone suggested elsewhere that VW redesigned the oil filler cap some time back so I have ordered one and a new seal to see if that makes a difference. The seal I have cannot be great since I have the mayo but no other obvious problems and at £6.66 for a new one which will come Tuesday it's worth a try from my perspective.
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Thanks for all the replies.
Here are a couple of photos showing the filler cap and the neck of the rocker cover, after having wiped all the gunk off and been for a long journey. There is a decent covering again.
What makes me think there may be something else going on here is that i've had the car for over 3 years and I think I would have noticed this going on before now.
Any further thoughts much appreciated.
(http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w422/MikeFGTi/IMAG0027.jpg)
(http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w422/MikeFGTi/IMAG0028.jpg)
Cheers
Mike
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looks the same as mine, more or less
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I've just spoken to the service manager at the local VW dealers. They say the problem is a build up of 'oil emulsification' on the rocker cover and i need to take it off and clean it down. I guess i'll give that a try and see what happens.
Thanks for all the replies. I'll let you know if this cures it.
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Interesting. Will you put a new gasket on? I might do that myself
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My 55 plate Gti has exactly the same. I've been doing a lot of short journeys recently. I did a 250 mile round trip the other weekend, checked it when i got home and it had all gone. A few short journeys since then and it's back. No other symptoms so i'm hoping its just moisture build up/condensation.
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Apparently VW dont sell the gasket separately, and it is only available from VW as part of the rocker cover! ECP sell the gasket seperately for about £25.00 but the garage told me that if you're reasonably careful, the old gasket should go back on fine.
I started on it last night and should get it back together tonight after work.
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My 55 plate Gti has exactly the same. I've been doing a lot of short journeys recently. I did a 250 mile round trip the other weekend, checked it when i got home and it had all gone. A few short journeys since then and it's back. No other symptoms so i'm hoping its just moisture build up/condensation.
............it will be.As before they all do it this time of year on short journeys,just keep cleaning the gunk off with a clean cloth & either do longer journeys or wait untill the weather warms up & it will go. :smiley:
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Just picked up My new oil filler cap and it's a completely different design underneath much deeper around the base and goes right into the hole rather than sit on top as the old one did. I have already put it on and it is so tight on to the engine block and the rubber seal is much thicker. I could hardly get it back off th engine. I didn't clean the mayo before I put it in and when I had a look I have already noticed much less mayo at the top and on the cap.
I am convinced moisture was getting in the old one only time will tell if it completely disappears but I will keep you posted. Could be £6 well spent
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Is the revised one different to the one i've got (shown in the photo)?
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Here are the photos of the inside of the crankcase and rocker cover which i took last night. its all back together now, so fingers crossed. VW had the rocker cover off some time ago and about 50% of the screws were loose, and the rest werent torqued up to 10nm. It looks like the gasket has been leaking slightly.
(http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w422/MikeFGTi/IMAG0031.jpg)
(http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w422/MikeFGTi/IMAG0030.jpg)
(http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w422/MikeFGTi/IMAG0029.jpg)
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Yes yours is the same as my old one
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Cheers Sam. Guess it cant hurt getting one.
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so was there an emulsification on the rocker cover?
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Just in the neck of the filler cap and the hollow areas of the rocker cover next to it (the bits most susceptible to cold/condensation I guess). All clean everywhere else.
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so in effect there is no problem other than around the cap. Might be worth spending the £6 on a new cap and see if that helps