Potential Gasket Issue

smeal

Hi all,

I have recently been leaking engine coolant- no obvious leaks under car or anything but after few days of filling it up again, there is barely anything left. Temperature gauge seems fine, no obvious overheating etc.

Took it to the garage beside me in Dublin- on first inspection he told me it would be a small enough job, likely just needs a replacement pump of some sort. Then on an overnight inspection he tells me that the head gasket is on the early stages of going as there is oil leaking in with the water. Quotes me circa €500.00 for fixing it, needs to take it to an engineer etc. I understand it's a big job and that but I thought I'd seek a second opinion just because I had brought the same car to him before Xmas with a previous oil leak and he charged me an arm and a leg but the job was an emergency and I needed it done there and then.

Anyways, I called my mechanic in my hometown who I had bought the car from. He said that it would simply take some kind of liquid sealer to solve the issue and just to ensure the car was kept filled with water for the journey Could anybody shed some light on whether this would potentially solve it?

The car is a 00 Corsa- I know most people would say I'd be safer scrapping the car than paying for a new gasket but other than this, the car is in really good condition and flew the NCT back in March. Money is a bit of an issue at the moment and if the sealer would do until I can get a more permanent fix in a month or two then that would be great. I don't do heavy miles on the car.

biko

First make sure it's actually the gasket. Coolant can leak out in many ways, for instance an old crappy reservoir cap will let steam evaporate.

If oil mixes with coolant it's a pretty telling sign. Can you see this happening? Coolant surface should be perfectly clear when you remove cap, no slicks.

Is there any contamination of the engine oil? Look for "mayo" under the oil cap.

People will tell you all kinds of things about various sealers, but for an old car like that I'd prob go with some sealer too until something else major broke and I scrapped it, but that's me.

If you need something for a very short term emergency solution you can even toss 2 eggwhites in there. Cheap and cheerful. Make sure to flush properly afterwards when rad is fixed/replaced.

smeal

Thanks for your reply!

If oil mixes with coolant it's a pretty telling sign. Can you see this happening? Coolant surface should be perfectly clear when you remove cap, no slicks.

Yes, it's quite 'sludgy' in the engine coolant when remove cap.

Is there any contamination of the engine oil? Look for "mayo" under the oil cap.

No mayo under the engine oil cap.

If you need something for a very short term emergency solution you can even toss 2 eggwhites in there. Cheap and cheerful. Make sure to flush properly afterwards when rad is fixed/replaced.

I don't think its an emergency just yet. The car has been running fine, no out of place noises or trudging along, no overheating etc. Second mechanic told me without these signs it's not in emergency phase yet. I think he also told me to fill the engine coolant reservoir with water to make sure it gets down the road to him okay (I have a 1.5 hour drive to get the car to him) although I can't remember if that's exactly what he said- will obviously ring him on Friday before I make the journey.

biko

Hmm, ok.
Maybe get the coolant system pressure tested. If pressure is ok it could be the cap after all.
I'd expect to see mayo in oil if the was an interchange. This is because the coolant is under high pressure and the oil is not.
Is there any smoke from exhaust? Particularly at startup.

smeal

Yeah the first mechanic was willing to do a coolant system pressure test if I wanted but it would cost over €100.00 and I thought no chance considering second mechanic is a family friend and probably won't charge me anything for it (btw really not trying to sound like a cheap skate here but I'm just a bit wary of being ripped off)

No there is no smoke from the exhaust, no "sweet smells" from the exhaust either that some people on similar posts/google answers have said to look out for.

The only real thing that has stuck out so far is the evident losing of engine coolant somewhere but with no leaks under car (although I've been told that it would be unlikely to see leaks under the car from coolant as I would likely be losing it when driving) and then the mucky substance in the engine coolant reservoir.

dooroy

If its the 1L 3 cyl Corsa the water pump is the likely culprit - and the leak can be hard enough to see under the pump .
Also keep a close check on coolant level as I have seen quite a few of these engines destroyed by overheating due to coolant loss caused by the pump failing completely and letting all the coolant out .
Also keep a sharp eye on the temp gauge - if it begins to rise more than normal don't be tempted to chance it for a few more miles .
I have heard that K seal can cure a leaky head gasket if caught early.

smeal

dooroy wrote: »

If its the 1L 3 cyl Corsa the water pump is the likely culprit - and the leak can be hard enough to see under the pump .
Also keep a close check on coolant level as I have seen quite a few of these engines destroyed by overheating due to coolant loss caused by the pump failing completely and letting all the coolant out .
Also keep a sharp eye on the temp gauge - if it begins to rise more than normal don't be tempted to chance it for a few more miles .
I have heard that K seal can cure a leaky head gasket if caught early.

Thanks for the reply.

Is it safe to add more coolant to the reservoir even if it is murky?

dooroy

Keep the coolant level up - even if you only use water for the time being until you see how bad the problem is.

biko

smeal wrote: »

Is it safe to add more coolant to the reservoir even if it is murky?

Aye, just add tap water. No need for antifreeze if it's just going to leak out anyway, better for the environment too.