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[mowerman]

i have an x rege astra creamy oil cap normaly mean water is getting in the oil are head gasket failers on theese engines common its only done 88000miles

[Ian_D]

If its just the cap, clean it all out and keep your eye on it over the next few days.

You do tend to get the mayo like slime collecting on / around the Oil cap area, especially if its used for short journeys.

[Grrrrrr]

My wife had one until recently (BMW driver totalled it) and it was bullet-proof. Fantastic car for reliability and cheap-running. Not the most exciting drive though.

Try running engine till hot; release pressure in expansion tank (CAREFULL!); retighten expansion tank cap and leave running another five minutes and then see if the pressure has built up again. It shouldn't once it is at temperature.

Alternatively you can get kits that test the water. Not sure how much they cost.

Chances are with that low mileage it is just condensation, especially given recent conditions!

[Marks DTM Calib]

The test kits tell you very little sadly and are not a reliable test.

Head gasket failure is a possible, the key to longevity is good servicing with the correct antifreeze mix and changed regularly.....if you dont do this then the alloy on the heads corrodes away and the gaskets fail.

So, has it been serviced well?

[Broomies Mate]

This particular engine is very over-cooled at anytime of the year but especially so when it's bloody freezing out.

Mayo on the filler cap is standard issue unless the car is used for extensive journeys on a very regular basis.

As with any car, a decent anti-freeze mix for coolant is mandatory.

HTH

[mowerman]

i only had this car since may service book stamped i changes the oil myself in september i  do short journeys to work
every day its got semi sinthetic oil would a dilferent oil make a difference
engine sounds realty smooth i dont realy what to open it up

[Grrrrrr]

I'd wait and see if you're losing any coolant.

[Marks DTM Calib]

i only had this car since may service book stamped i changes the oil myself in september i  do short journeys to work
every day its got semi sinthetic oil would a dilferent oil make a difference
engine sounds realty smooth i dont realy what to open it up

Theres your answer then, its not getting hot