Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Koomorph]

Following on from my crank shaft sensor post, I thought I start a new post that is related to my oil leak/cam cover gasket/possible head gasket issue... so that I’m not posting two different issues under one thread.

If coolant was getting into the combustion chamber I'm guessing it wouldn't run very smoothly....

People have reported running on 4 or 5 cylinders immediately after starting.

Theoretically, if the quantity of coolant in the cylinder exceeds the combustion chamber volume at TDC then hydraulic lock could result in a bent conrod. The coolant loss and other mysterious cooling ailments usually become impossible to ignore before that stage is reached though.

Right - so I have to keep an eye on the coolant level?

As the car won't be driven much at all over the Christmas period (especially with the faulty crank sensor which needs doing) - that may be difficult to diagnose.

I'm really hoping that it's an oil leak rather then coolant leak.  :-/

Just to reiterate as in the other post – (I'm hope this is ok to post here - as this is a different issue from the crank sensor). 2002 2.6 CD Omega, 81K miles.

From where it looks like the oil (possibly coolant) has come from the back of the engine somewhere. I haven’t been able to get her up to see exactly where.

• I’ve checked under the oil filer cap and there is some mayo coating on the back of the neck of the filler tube.
• Dipstick oil is very clear however – but could have been changed recently – no bubbles.
• The coolant level does seem a little low however in the expansion tank – about half full.
• Car drives very smoothly though, nothing lumpy… didn't overheat on the 45min drive home (although I wasn't giving her loads of beans and it was a very cold day).
• Car isn’t smoking from the exhaust.

Is there anywhere I can look specifically to try to determine if it is the cam gaskets or otherwise?

And as previously asked – if there are any kind mechanics in the South East area that for a fee would be so kind as to look over the engine to see what this could be, my dad and I would be really grateful. (although understood that this would probably be after Christmas now).

Thanks again everyone. 

[mathewst]

Check behind the engine, not sure if ithe cam cover gasket looks the same as on mine, but mine leaked next to rubber half moon on the back of the engine.
You can feel the rubber half moon on 2.2, but not sure about 2.6

[Entwood]

Have a look at the camcover bolt heads, if they are very slightly seeping oil it is a sign of overpressure. The leak is at the bottom edge. If you can pull a couple of plug leads and check around the plugs .. thats where it can collect as well. The oil has a tendency to run down the back of the engine and drip off the two bolts at the front of the gearbox (if its an auto .. don't know about manuals).

I've been told this .. but have no idea if it works or not ....  after a normal drive, so the engine is at working temp ...  leave it to idle for 2-3 minutes then take the oil filler cap off whist the engine is idling. If you get a noticeable bit of pressure release it is an indicatio that the breathers are blocked .. and it is this (and overtightening of the cam cover bolts) that causes the gaskets to go.

Essentially the gasket is acting as a safety valve and releasing the pressure before some other seal blows ... which is why steel covers ala astra should NOT IMHO be fitted ..

HTH

[Koomorph]

Ok, thank you - I'll try to give this a check as soon as I can.

[Elite Pete]

Have a look at the camcover bolt heads, if they are very slightly seeping oil it is a sign of overpressure. The leak is at the bottom edge. If you can pull a couple of plug leads and check around the plugs .. thats where it can collect as well. The oil has a tendency to run down the back of the engine and drip off the two bolts at the front of the gearbox (if its an auto .. don't know about manuals).

I've been told this .. but have no idea if it works or not ....  after a normal drive, so the engine is at working temp ...  leave it to idle for 2-3 minutes then take the oil filler cap off whist the engine is idling. If you get a noticeable bit of pressure release it is an indicatio that the breathers are blocked .. and it is this (and overtightening of the cam cover bolts) that causes the gaskets to go.

Essentially the gasket is acting as a safety valve and releasing the pressure before some other seal blows ... which is why steel covers ala astra should NOT IMHO be fitted ..

HTH

Vectra

[Entwood]

Have a look at the camcover bolt heads, if they are very slightly seeping oil it is a sign of overpressure. The leak is at the bottom edge. If you can pull a couple of plug leads and check around the plugs .. thats where it can collect as well. The oil has a tendency to run down the back of the engine and drip off the two bolts at the front of the gearbox (if its an auto .. don't know about manuals).

I've been told this .. but have no idea if it works or not ....  after a normal drive, so the engine is at working temp ...  leave it to idle for 2-3 minutes then take the oil filler cap off whist the engine is idling. If you get a noticeable bit of pressure release it is an indicatio that the breathers are blocked .. and it is this (and overtightening of the cam cover bolts) that causes the gaskets to go.

Essentially the gasket is acting as a safety valve and releasing the pressure before some other seal blows ... which is why steel covers ala astra should NOT IMHO be fitted ..

HTH

Vectra

OK .. delete all highlighted words ..... insert "some small wierd car with front wheel drive" ......   

[Koomorph]

Managed to have a quick pooke around the car today.

Couldn't really verify if the oil is leaking from the cam covers - the cam cover bolts (what I'm guessing are them) were a little grimey, after cleaning them up I couldn't really tell if oil was coming from them.

I checked the patch under the car, but again, becasue of all the melting snow under the car turning into puddles, it wasn't totally clear if it was oil that had leaked or coolant - although the puddle of melted snow under the car did have a vague "oil" sheen.... but I'm guessing that if it was coolant - it could look similar if it was slightly... "greasy" from moving around the engine.

Ran the car for about 5mins at idle (not really warmed up) - took off the coolant filler cap (very small hiss) and had a sniff. Didn't smell of exhaust fumes - slightly of "engine" - but nothing specifically like exhaust.

I'm slowly trying to eliminate all the possibilities - so far I'm guessing that if it turns out to be coolant that is leaking - it could possibly be the HBV (or HGF..)... but if it's oil that is leaking (and the cam covers are leaking) then it's cam cover gaskets and breathers cleaning....

[Koomorph]

Had a chance to have a good look at the engine today in the light - found some areas where there seems to be quite a bit of oil - pics below.

Firstly on the right side of what I think is the right bank cam cover....  that entire edge (marked with the arrows) was very oily and you can see the bolt below covered in oil I'm guessing that has dripped from above....




And also what looks like quite a bit sitting low on the front of the engine below the pulleys and belts.....



So what are peoples thoughts? Cam covers and breathers?

As the car hasn't been driven much over the last week I haven't had a chacne to see if the coolant is getting lower - at this stage it seems that the leak is isolated to just oil....

Many thanks!

[RobG]

Remove one of the coil packs see if the plugwells are full of oil. Sure sign of camgaskets leaking

[Koomorph]

Okidoke, I'll have a look at the left hand bank one as soon as I can as it seems to be the easier of the two to undo and remove.

[Koomorph]

Went for a short drive today - lots of stopping and starting and idling in traffic and when I got home, I thought I'd look under the oil filler cap....



I haven't got much experieince of omega's but as I understand, some mayo is normal - this seems like an extraordinary amount of mayo however...

The coolant expansion tank looks clear however can't see any oil and water mixing in there - and doesn't especially smell of exhaust fumes.

Even though the car seems to be loosing oil rather than coolant and not over heating... I'm really fearing the worst now....

What are people's thoughts..?

[tunnie]

why kind of oil do you use? Castrol Mayo's badly, GM's own is best value and does not mayo.

Breathers clean?

Stick some GM oil in there, clean the breathers and take it for a long run!

[Koomorph]

I don't know what the oil is in there as I only bought her a few weeks back. I'm concerned also about taking her for a long run as the crank sensor I think is causing her to cut out after a while of driving.... seems not to cut out when the heater is on high though...

Haven't cleaned the breathers as I'm not 100% up to the task.... I think the oil leak is form the cam gaskets as well judging from my other pics. I think I could do with paying a forum member to give her a good looking over - and possibly change the gamgaskets and clean breathers.   

[Koomorph]

Just spoken to vauxhall about getting new cam cover gaskets, and was told that I should really buy the cam covers as well in case they have been mishaped... Is that the case or will the just the gaskets do the job? Quite a difference in the price to get the cam covers as well....

[RobG]

Just spoken to vauxhall about getting new cam cover gaskets, and was told that I should really buy the cam covers as well in case they have been mishaped... Is that the case or will the just the gaskets do the job? Quite a difference in the price to get the cam covers as well....

They`re trying to have you over matey