Well I just took care of my idle issue I was having earlier today. So I went to empty out my catch can. I have a DIY catch can with a clear tank, so I can see when it needs emptied. Well, at the bottem of the catch tank was white sludge, basicaly what it looks like when oil/water mix. I'm really concerned.

The car doesn't feel like there is any loss in power, no white smoke (except when it's cold out, which is normal when it's cold). Coolant level is not low. Doesn't look like there is oil in the coolant. I did check the oil and it's about a 1/3 of a quart low. I'm going to take a closer look to see if there is any oil in my coolant.

I'm hoping my headgasket isn't in the beginning stages of being blown. I tried to do a search to see if anybody has has seen moisture in their catch cans, but didn't find anything. Over the past few weeks, my car hasn't been getting driven very much. I'm thinking the moisture may have collected in the catch can just from sitting, the same way gas tanks get moisture from sitting for a while.

 

Well crap. I think I'm screwed Here are some pictures. They're crappy iPhone pictures. My SLR's batterys are dead.

On the hose that goes into the resivior you can see the white speckels or oil/water mixture


At the bottem of this picture, you can see something that looks like oil in the resivior


Hard to tell in the picture, but I could see a slightly oily residue on the surface of the coolant and little chunks of something


I do believe this may be a headgasket, and I'm really sad about it. If I end up doing the work myself, it'll be hours spent in the COLD garage. Or I could spend a few hundred dollars and have someday just do it for me. I need to be sure it's the headgasket first. Are there any other ways that oil could mix with coolant? What do you guys think?

 

I tried searching for a head removal or head gasket how-to but I can't find anything other than other people asking for one. Are there any out there? I'm still trying to figure out if I want to do this myself, because I do feel I'm skilled enough having done some big projects (clutches, trans swaps etc.) but I've never done a headgasket. Instructions would boost my confidence.

How can I be sure this is a headgasket? Compression test and/or leak down test, yes. But anything else? I may go into work tomorrow and do a compression test.

 

get yourself a FSM (ebay- $10). the headgasket really isn't that hard of a job, just time consuming. if you are comfortable installing cams, then a headgasket is cake.

 

Agreed{thumbup** .

Does the car have headstuds in it already?

 

Nope no headstuds. If it is the headgasket, I already have plans on getting a set. I wasn't going to buy them yet. I always said to myself, "If my headgasket ever blows I'll buy head studs".... Well...

 

YOU DONT HAVE HEADSTUDS?!@#!???? How the hell are you driving your car? lol, jk

 

Headbolts, of course

I wish I had enough garage space. I can fit two cars in the garage, but not much space to work on them. First I need to do a leak down test though to make sure it's the headgasket. I'ma bout 90% sure it is, but 90% sure isn't sure enough to go rip the head off for nothing

 

Tomorrow I'm going to try running the car without the rad. cap on and check for bubbles or the coolant rising. If that doesn't work then Friday I'm going to do a compression and leak down test. If neither of those conclude anything, then well, I don't know.

Is there anyway for the coolant and oil to mix in the turbo? Is that commen for the turbo to blow that the coolant and oil mixes in the turbo?

Sure a turbo is more expensive but I was going to upgrade anyway. Plus a MUCH easier installation I hope my turbo is blown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I doubt it though

 

Your probably just paranoid over the appearance of moisture in your catch. Starting/stopping without good warmup and letting it sit condenses alot of water vapor in the sump. Drive for a good 30 min to evaporate and see if it returns.

Dont go driving around with cap off to let air in the system, that might really break it if it isnt

Is reservoir empting too?

 

Nah I'm not going to DRIVE the car with the rad cap off. I ment start the car and check for bubbles as it idles.

As far as driving the car for 30 minutes, previous to my headgasket paranoia, I drove the car for over 60 miles to re-learn the ECU after fixing my battery cables. I still had the moisture in my catch can after the drive. The milky gooy white type of stuff on the bottem of the catch can and then oil sitting on top of it. I wish I had taken a picture before I dumped it. It was kind of chunky.

How would you explain the oily residue in the resivior and radiator? Also my 1/3 quart loss of oil? I can't really tell if the resivoir has been losing coolant, I haven't memorized how much was in there. Still a decent amount though.

 

make sure there is no coolant in your oil sump, its obvious if it is.

coolant doesn't lubricate so well :/

 

How could I do that without pulling the oil pan off? I assume that's the only way.

 

no, just pull your dipstick and look in the oil fill, if there is coolant in there you will know it lol

 

I've already checked the dipstick and under side of the oil cap. No milkey stuff. BUT what about the oil in the coolant?!

I'm guessing that I've caught this at an early stage where I'm not going to fnd much coolant in the oil, so I won't see any on the dipstick on on the oil cap, but I HAVE found it in the coolant, or what SEEMS to be oil anyway. I'm like 90% sure it's oil. Plus the milky stuff in the bottem of the catch can.