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[edwardmickey]

This morning, I completed a short journey, the CID showed coolant loss.

When I have stopped, I checked and found that the expansion tank was only about 1/3rd full of coolant.

Under the oil cap, I could see a creamy light brown mayonnaise substance 

There is no oil in the water.

I can see no obvious oil leaks.

Engine runs fine.

Having topped the collant up, it is still losing coolant. I put about 2 litres of water in and it's below 1/3rd again?

A local garage have diagnosed a head gasket problem.  They put some kind of glass cylinder over the coolant opening that put some gas expelled through a dark fluid.  He claimed that - as it changed to a lighter blue colour, that it was a sure sign that H/G was to blame!

Please tell me that he's wrong!!


Thanks for any help guys   :-/

[Kevin Wood]

Mayo under the oil cap is not anything to worry about alone, especially if the car does short trips. Do you see any mayo on the dipstick?

Testing the gas from the expansion tank is normally one of the more conclusive checks for head gasket problems, I', afraid. However, I would still have a very careful check for coolant leaks before condemning it because it's a rare failure.

Check the heater bypass valve for any signs of leakage and also for any signs of water having dripped down the rear of the engine. Oil filter cover plate, coolant bridge, thermostat housing and the coolant transfer pipe at the rear of the engine are the things I'd want to rule out before going any further. Might be worth taking the time to remove the plenum and manifold so that these can be inspected properly.

Does it smell of coolant at all after a run?

Edited to add: Any signs that the coolant has overpressurised and forced its' way out of the expansion tank cap? Any cracks around the expansion cap lid?

Kevin

[edwardmickey]

Thanks Kevin.

There's no mayo around the dipstick.

It just seems puzzling that, for the first time ever, I've noticed this mayo at the same time as the coolant loss?  Is there anything else that could explain this?

I can't see any obvious leak around the HBV or expansion tank!!  

[Kevin Wood]

Mayo under the oil filler is a result of moisture that enters the crankcase as blow-by gases which inevitably get past the seals in the engine. They'd normally be removed by the breathers but in colder weather more of them will condense, and also if the breathers are not as efficient as they could be or the engine doesn't frequently get thoroughly warmed up as it would on a long journey. So, quite possible it'd be noticeable this time of year and not present previously.

In addition, a head gasket failure is less likely to lead to coolant getting into the oil because there is a ring of water jacket around each cylinder in this engine, so the only likely failure is from the cylinder into the water jacket.

I would discount the mayo for the moment, and keep an eye on the water situation. The fact that exhaust gases were found in the expansion tank is a concern. Do you see any bubbles rising into the expansion tank when the engine is run at a fast idle?

Kevin

[cem_devecioglu]

A compression test will also give idea..But I also dont think for HG failure..

Edit: even a leaky heater matrix can drop the coolant level..

And hard to see traces as its under the plastic cover unless a serious

leak that will make the carpets really wet..

[Mr Hagon]

I would say, from my vast experience of bits falling off, that it's the heater bypass valve or the heater matrix.  Without checking the receipt I can't confirm which bit it was or how much it cost.

I had the exact same symptoms and after spending a couple of weeks putting in three or so litres of coolant in I got bored and took it to my ever helpful Vx stealer.

Mr Hagon

[Kevin Wood]

The other possibility is that you could take it for compression test as cem says and better still a leakdown test, but given that the engine is running perfectly I would say that you may not have a sufficiently severe failure for any tests to be conclusive. :-/

That's why I was hoping there would be an obvious water leak somewhere to discount the possibility...

Does it ever struggle to start, or run on 5 cylinders after first starting?

Kevin

[TheBoy]

Confirm the following:
Mayo under oil filler cap?
No mayo on dipstick (check just after a run)?
Coolant loss?
No signs of oil in coolant?

If all that is correct, I would suggest just a coolant leak, with the mayo being short runs in the cold weather.

If they detected exhaust fumes in coolant, oh dear

[cem_devecioglu]

forgot to say the previous owners of my omega sell the car with the fear of HG failure as it was loosing serious amounts of coolant.

turned out to be HBV+oil cooler area+heater matrix

And was oil also in plug wells

[Doodley]

I have the same problem, I had it tested with what sounds like the same instrument as you had, it is a plastic tube with a squeezy pump at the top and 2 cylinders both with blue fluid in?

I think the garage are having you on, because it is only a sign of HG failure when the bottom cylinder turns yellow (not light blue).

My coolant tank is 1/3rd full aswell, and the warning comes on everynow and then, i have been topping it up and again it goes down, but now i've left it, and the level does not go below the mark its at (1/3rd), i think it just settles at this level, dosent like anything more than that, i've just left it how it is now, and keeping an eye on the engine temperature to make sure it dosent get too hot. Its been 3 days and so far so good, no overheating, and no more loss (never goes lower than about a 3rd) so im touching wood!

[Ironingboard]

Hi, I've got a similar problem on my 3.0 facelift Omega, but I've not lost as much coolent and I don't have mayo on the oil cap, but the coolent level goes down very slowly. I resorted to buying a UV coolent dye from the US to track my leak, so far I've not found any.

I'm beginning to think that it might be the water pump leaking. I'm due my 80k timing belt change so I will find out soon enough when I strip it down and get my UV lump out  

[edwardmickey]

Just had pressure test; it's the HBV  

Gonna be sorting this out next week.  Just looked at the How To Guide!

It seems that even a Muppet like me should be able to fix this (famous last words.....)

I'll let you all know how I get on, thanks for everybodys help  

(Head Gasket my ar$e!!!!!)

[Dazzler]

Just had pressure test; it's the HBV  

Gonna be sorting this out next week.  Just looked at the How To Guide!

It seems that even a Muppet like me should be able to fix this (famous last words.....)

I'll let you all know how I get on, thanks for everybodys help  

(Head Gasket my ar$e!!!!!)

Good news then

[Kevin Wood]

Phew! Stories of 3.2s blowing head gaskets are worrying :-/

 

Kevin

[cem_devecioglu]

Just had pressure test; it's the HBV  

Gonna be sorting this out next week.  Just looked at the How To Guide!

It seems that even a Muppet like me should be able to fix this (famous last words.....)

I'll let you all know how I get on, thanks for everybodys help  

(Head Gasket my ar$e!!!!!)

Glad you find it