Headgasket Question

[NorthernBimmer]

Hi ! I have some sign of a headgasket failling :S and i would like to have ohters opinions. First, I have a 325is 1992 with 202 000 Km on it. Since I have it i put so much money into it and it just seams like it will never stop :S

The signs are, ''Milkshake'' color depo on oil cap and with smoke at 5000 rpm and above when engine is in load.

I have few question. First, is it absolutely the head gasket, Can i ride my car for an other month like that because im in need of money right now (Just change the tranny). If I have to change the headgasket, does it worth the money on a 200 000 km car?

Well... tks for repling

[Jeron]

What color is the smoke? I think white is coolant/water.

Have you looked at your oil?

You can have your oil tested and they will tell you if thhere is coolant. I use Blackstone-labs.com

[NorthernBimmer]

Smoke is white but i dont have a lot of smoke, only at higher rev like 4500 to near redline, but its pretty cold where i live (under zero) But what makes me freak out is that i just did my oil change and the oil doesnt look that clear and i found some residue (brownish milkshake) :S I made a reference mark on my coolant tank to see is there is consumption, I'll see that after a couple of miles.

Tks a lot for the reply

[Jeron]

I would also look at the coolant for evidence of oil. The reference mark on the coolant tank is good but there is naturally quite a bit of fluctuation in the tank level.

Coolant in the oil is very bad, causing lots of wear. Blackstone did a report on it last year.

[NorthernBimmer]

I looked for evidence of oil in coolant and it was a realy nice green. I heard that Humidity in the crankcase area could cause the milkshakes substance on the oil cap ?! What do you think?

[Jeron]

I've heard of red or redish-brown deposits on the oil cap, specifically it was on an X5. I've even seen them on my E46. They are kind of dry and not frothy. I don't think these are unusual.

A wet frothy substance on the oil cap would disturb me.

[NorthernBimmer]

I just broke my Digital camera :S... if i had it I would post pics of it... its wet, brownish and doesnt seem too good to me :S. Well i'll see it with the coolant consumption. tks

[Jeron]

Heres a pic and thread with bad cap residue:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=217180&highlight=oil+cap+residue

Heres another not so bad:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=475684&highlight=oil+cap+residue

Neither one of these is what I would consider normal although the second might be under some conditions.

[NorthernBimmer]

Quote:
To simplify things let’s begin by dispelling some of the more common misconceptions. Like, when a head gasket fails, coolant will mix with the oil or oil will mix with the coolant. Unh-uh, those symptoms only occur in about 2% of the head gasket failures I encounter. Much more typical is overheating, a fluctuating temperature gauge, forceful discharge of coolant from the radiator, or no heat from the heater. It could be any of these symptoms or, any combination of them.



I have no Overheating, no fluctuation of temperature gauge, heat from the heater but for the forceful discharge of coolant?! this means that coolant is driping on the floor?!?

This is pretty good to hear... i hope its not the head gasket!

By the way tkas for the link

[NorthernBimmer]

I read the haynes part of removing head... does seems to dificult exept for the timing chain part... well I'll see what i can do:S

[prophecy]

Originally posted by NorthernBimmer
Quote:
To simplify things let’s begin by dispelling some of the more common misconceptions. Like, when a head gasket fails, coolant will mix with the oil or oil will mix with the coolant. Unh-uh, those symptoms only occur in about 2% of the head gasket failures I encounter. Much more typical is overheating, a fluctuating temperature gauge, forceful discharge of coolant from the radiator, or no heat from the heater. It could be any of these symptoms or, any combination of them.



I have no Overheating, no fluctuation of temperature gauge, heat from the heater but for the forceful discharge of coolant?! this means that coolant is driping on the floor?!?

This is pretty good to hear... i hope its not the head gasket!

By the way tkas for the link

First, I think you may be sort of misinterpreting that statement as "Only 2% of coolant/oil contaminations are from a failed head gasket"

I'm no expert but I would guess the head gasket is the #1 cause of oil/coolant contamination. Next I guess would be a cracked head or block, which should be pretty rare. I'm not sure how else you would get that milky oil concoction you described, unless someone poured coolant into your motor.

I just got done with a head gasket job myself. It's a pretty big job if you've never done it before, probably still will be one. It was my first, so it took a little while.. But the extent of my car work prior to the job was only changing oil or changing a tire.

I would advise you to stop driving the car ASAP so the coolant doesnt turn into sludgefest.

(see: http://bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=421615 Warning: Graphic photos. Not for the faint of heart.)

Thats after driving with a blown gasket for who knows how long, apparently over time the coolant breaks down and forms a nice black jelly..

So yea I think with any mechanical ability and determination you should be able to change the gasket no problem, if i managed to do you sure can.. good luck with your project..

[NorthernBimmer]

Tks for the reply.i'll take a sample of oil to anylise itto be sure because I took off the creamysubstance on my oil cap when i saw it and it didnt apear again a week after. if the oil is daker than it should be (i just did my oil change about 400km ago) i'll stop taking my car and order headgasket kits. I'm not the best mechanic but i still manage to change my tranny myself and do minor things like brake and other stuff so I'm pretty sur with some info i'll manage to do it :P

Tks and i'll start preparing myself to a headgasket change

BTW i'm french so my english isn't perfect :P sorry :P


Jo

[Jeron]

Dark oil is not a problem. Oil gets dark very quickly and the dark color is not an indication of anything.

A $20 oil analysis is your best bet.

[NorthernBimmer]

yes but I liuve very far... i'll ask my mechanic teacher if he knows where i can have it in my city.... i live in a industrial city and im sure some compnaie have the stock to do it... tks

[Jeron]

Oh, so you dont live in North America. Surely there are mailorder labs such as www.Blackstone-labs.com in Europe. I have no idea how much shipping the small bottle of oil to the States would cost.

[NorthernBimmer]

ok maybe I exagerrated a little bit :P ehehe I live in Canada Québec :P But i'm sure that at our school we have a machine to test oil because next semester I have a course in Oil analysis :P So i'll ask my teacher ! But for Blackstone-labs... it would take quite long to know the result and all and all :S.

[Jeron]

Quebec was what I thought. I think you would have the results in about two weeks from the day you mailed it.

Testing yourself sounds good. If you do it that was I could send the typical results from Blackstone to compare with your results.

[NorthernBimmer]

Yeah pretty good idea... i'll keep you up with this! Tks again... I start to like this forum