Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Sir Tigger KC on 05 November 2014, 17:10:54
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So today I've nursed my car back home from Wales approximately 130 miles and she's been fine! ::)
To recap. Yesterday it took ages to get up to temp and the LPG to switch. There was also a strong smell of coolant, both inside and out and a steady drip of 'mayo' from the back of the engine. In the evening I was going to drive back to Dorset and topped up the coolant before leaving and when I checked the dipstick that was also covered in mayo, which made me think the head gasket was gone and so I abandoned the drive home. ::)
This morning I had a good poke around, the header tank was clean, mayo on dipstick and shit loads of mayo in the oil filler neck. I have been using it for short 2 - 3 mile journeys this week.
I took a shit or bust approach and have driven back today. Although it took a while to get up to temp it hasn't overheated at all and has behaved normally. I stopped at Bridgewater services to check the coolant and it hadn't lost any, but the strange thing is the oil was all clear. :-\ There was a nice pool of clean oil underneath when I shifted the car after 20 minutes or so. :(
The only thing different that I have done today is that I switched off the climate, which suggests to me that me HBV is buggered (again!) which is why I didn't lose as much coolant as normal. The other thing that I've wondered is whether the short trips this week combined with the colder temps has produced a load of mayo, blocking the breathers and burst the camcover gaskets? :-\ So could the 'mayo leak' be coolant leaking onto an oil leak, mixing and hitting the ground as mayo? ::)
But why the mayo on the dipstick? and then it's cleared? :-\ Sorry for the ramble but a little confused here.... ::)
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Hmmm, surely must be related to the short journeys then. Bit grim if the mayo that forms at the top is working its way down though, but lots of short jounreys in this weather... :-\
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I stopped at Bridgewater services
Arrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh
I avoid that one at all costs! I always aim for Sedgemoor!
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I fitted new camcovers and cleaned out all the breathers only about 6 weeks ago, so I'll be pretty narked if they're all clogged again. ::)
Is it possible that condensation forms in the crankcase and briefly 'emulsifies' with the oil before steaming off through the breather system, but dosn't on a short run hence the mayo on the dipstick? :-\
I've never seen so much gunk in the filler neck as there was this morning, complete with big drops of condensation as well! :o Most of it has disappeared now after it's run down the motorway today, so should have taken a photo! :D
Sedgemoor! That's where I was! It's near Bridgewater though.... :P ;D
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Is it possible that condensation forms in the crankcase and briefly 'emulsifies' with the oil before steaming off through the breather system, but dosn't on a short run hence the mayo on the dipstick? :-\
It tends to higher up in engine (filler tube, breathers) as that stays colder for longer.
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I stopped at Bridgewater services
Arrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh
I avoid that one at all costs! I always aim for Sedgemoor!
I stopped there once :( (shudder...........)
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What's wrong with Bridgewater services? Apart from it not really being a Motorway Services (much like Exeter)????
Sludgemore Services offer nothing different.
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What's wrong with Bridgewater services? Apart from it not really being a Motorway Services (much like Exeter)????
Sludgemore Services offer nothing different.
Exactly. After an hour and a half of A30 & M5 I want to ease off the motorway, pull into a parking space, have a piss, buy a coffee & wander back to the car to watch all the crows and squirrels emptying the dustbins.
The Bridgewater services seemed to be miles from the motorway in a half hearted attempt at a multistorey car park. It didn't help that there was a gang of smokers standing round the entrance blowing smoke at anyone who wanted to pass.
Exeter services is only a mile or two before the end of the motorway so count yourself lucky it exists at all.......
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What's wrong with Bridgewater services? Apart from it not really being a Motorway Services (much like Exeter)????
Sludgemore Services offer nothing different.
Exactly. After an hour and a half of A30 & M5 I want to ease off the motorway, pull into a parking space, have a piss, buy a coffee & wander back to the car to watch all the crows and squirrels emptying the dustbins.
The Bridgewater services seemed to be miles from the motorway in a half hearted attempt at a multistorey car park. It didn't help that there was a gang of smokers standing round the entrance blowing smoke at anyone who wanted to pass.
Exeter services is only a mile or two before the end of the motorway so count yourself lucky it exists at all.......
Ooooooooh, Get you!
I'm not a friend or foe of Bridgwater services, but it's only 100 yards off the Motorway! ;D
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What's wrong with it?!
Its filthy, the eating areas are disgusting, as long as I can remember it's always been the same. Even the Police and traffic officers use other places.
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Ahem! ::) About my mayo, I'm still confused! :(
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If the dipstick is clear now then I'd guess that it's the mayo dripping from your oil filler neck.
Get rid of it! Screw the oil fill cap direct to the cam cover and then do some further tests. imo :)
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If the dipstick is clear now then I'd guess that it's the mayo dripping from your oil filler neck.
Get rid of it! Screw the oil fill cap direct to the cam cover and then do some further tests. imo :)
Good shout Webby! :y I've got a HBV so going to change that and will check the breathers whilst in there. :)
It's just weird though, I've never seen anything like this before.... :-\ :-\ :-\
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If the dipstick is clear now then I'd guess that it's the mayo dripping from your oil filler neck.
Get rid of it! Screw the oil fill cap direct to the cam cover and then do some further tests. imo :)
This is what I do. It also looks better. :y
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If the dipstick is clear now then I'd guess that it's the mayo dripping from your oil filler neck.
Get rid of it! Screw the oil fill cap direct to the cam cover and then do some further tests. imo :)
This is what I do. It also looks better. :y
I did that but its a pain to top up with oil . Plus if there is any mayo it collects in the neck and you can wipe it out . Without it any mayo will more likely to block the breathers :(
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If the dipstick is clear now then I'd guess that it's the mayo dripping from your oil filler neck.
Get rid of it! Screw the oil fill cap direct to the cam cover and then do some further tests. imo :)
This is what I do. It also looks better. :y
I did that but its a pain to top up with oil . Plus if there is any mayo it collects in the neck and you can wipe it out . Without it any mayo will more likely to block the breathers :(
you shouldn't get any mayo as theres no temp difference with it being right on the cam cover and exposed to hot oil. ive never had mayo at least :-\
as for filling I got a big funnel and it sits nicely supported by the pas pump ;D
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How old is the stat and what temp does it show hot?
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You will still get mayo but it wont gather there any more as its washed by oil from the cams.
What oil are you using Tigger?
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How old is the stat and what temp does it show hot?
Because I supect a tired stat giving a lower engine temp, in conjunction with long journeys, and a steady "admire the view" driving approach will all conspire to give more condensation than normal.
Although that wouldn't explain the smell of coolant, unless you also have a leak of course, which doesn't get a chance to evaporate from sitting on top of a hot engine for the reasons explained above.
Until you go on a longer journey of course.
Worth removing the filler neck while short journeys are necessary?
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My filler neck had its little screw/bracket part snapped off long ago, meaning just a quarter turn and off it pops. I thought the general consensus was to use the long neck as a means of filling the engine... so no funnel necessary (though it does help, of course) then take it off for the other 364 days of the year.
Apart from mine, I keep the mayo and put it in sandwiches for people I don't like.
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How old is the stat and what temp does it show hot?
Because I supect a tired stat giving a lower engine temp, in conjunction with long journeys, and a steady "admire the view" driving approach will all conspire to give more condensation than normal.
Although that wouldn't explain the smell of coolant, unless you also have a leak of course, which doesn't get a chance to evaporate from sitting on top of a hot engine for the reasons explained above.
Until you go on a longer journey of course.
Worth removing the filler neck while short journeys are necessary?
The stat is about 5 years old and 40,000 miles or so ago, so it might well be tired and the temp is about 90-95. Strangely I took it out today and it got up to temp fairly normally and the LPG switched normally as well. :-\
I do have a coolant leak which I think is the nearside headgasket leaking at the back where they all seem to go, but in the last couple of days it seems as though something has 'let go' and it's losing more than it was. :-\ I'll swap the HBV tomorrow and see if that brings it back to 'normal' coolant loss. ::)
What oil are you using Tigger?
The oil is GM 10w40 and was changed 14 Sept which was about 5000 miles ago, most of which has been motorway miles. The breathers were all cleaned out at the same time. It's only the last week/10 days that I've been doing the short hops. ::)
So tomorrow it's clean breathers again and swap the HBV and take it from there. I'll certainly be removing the filler neck as well, as I was shocked at the amount of mayo in there. It was nearly blocked! :o
I'm going to have to either bite the bullet and do the head gaskets/anything else ::) or get rid! :-\ :'(
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I remember when Ralf turned up (Ralf's old 2.5).... I had never seen this ''mayo'' before. Was almost sick when I peered down the oil filler neck ;D
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So I'm having a quick investigative strip down and it looks as though the oil cooler plate is leaking nicely as it's all quite wet in there and I think I've oil leaking from the oil cooler pipes so will 'nip' them up a bit. ::)
The breathers were clear but had plenty of gunk in them so I've swapped them over and will change the HBV as well, although I can't see any evidence of it leaking. It's strange that I seem to lose more coolant though when the heating is on. :-\
Sadly I havn't got time to reseal the oil cooler plate today so will have to go round leaking everywhere for a week or two! ::) I think that the mayo on my dipstick was just the mayo dripping down from the oil filler neck, which will go as well. :y
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If you lose coolant with certain heater settings on that's the HBV mate :y
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If you lose coolant with certain heater settings on that's the HBV mate :y
I'll find out in the next few days, but given that my headgasket and oil cooler plate are leaking as well it might be hard to tell. ::) ;D