Technical Dipstick covered in oil

[Reaper]

Dipstick covered in thick oil, clean it, put it back in, got oil half way up the dipstick. Car has not been run for 2 weeks. Coolant is below min and engine is a bit shuddery last time i drove it. Also temperature is a little high.

Any ideas?

 

[porta]

What colour is the oil, if any ‘milkiness’ you’ve got a blown head gasket…you’re other symptoms would support that but also, overfilling the oil would do it, and it’s not unknown for some folk to think that the oil level is halfway up the dipstick instead of halfway betwee the low/full marks!

 

[Reaper]

Oil is black and thick - a bit gunkey, I asked the MOT guy if he had filled up the oil when he told me I had a slow oil leak and he said he had, so maybe he overfilled?

Yea, the oil is half way up the actual dipstick.. it's weird.

Would a coolant level below min make the car shudder and overheat slightly?

 

[porta]

if the levels are due to just incorrect or accidental topping up/missing then rule that out first as it’s cheapest option, but rough running/incorrect timing can cause the symptoms or maybe just a wd40/ac90 on connections…is the radiator fan kicking in, fuse/earth issue… look at the basics first then eliminate based on cost/time
If the head gaskets gone then it’s trying to burn petrol/diesel and water or coolant is filling the cylinder and causes rough starting and running and overheating
if there’s no visible oil in the water or water in the oil, it maybe that it’s still getting in there but slightl… you can buy sniff testers and coolant system pressure testers at most motor factors…ive got the kit but most garages can do a sniff test whilst you wait

 

[varesecrazy]

Sounds like head gasket failure

Remove oil filler bung.. is the inside covered in yellow slime?

 

[Reaper]

if the levels are due to just incorrect or accidental topping up/missing then rule that out first as it’s cheapest option, but rough running/incorrect timing can cause the symptoms or maybe just a wd40/ac90 on connections…is the radiator fan kicking in, fuse/earth issue… look at the basics first then eliminate based on cost/time
If the head gaskets gone then it’s trying to burn petrol/diesel and water or coolant is filling the cylinder and causes rough starting and running and overheating
if there’s no visible oil in the water or water in the oil, it maybe that it’s still getting in there but slightl… you can buy sniff testers and coolant system pressure testers at most motor factors…ive got the kit but most garages can do a sniff test whilst you wait

Yes, radiator fan kicking in far too often.

 

[porta]

Yes, radiator fan kicking in far too often.

If you’ve a friendly garage, we have a few round here, ask if they’ll do you a sniff test or coolant pressure test, if they’re very friendly they’ll do it whilst you wait and for free, bung em a fiver if free
going back to my trade days, we used to do the head gaskets as a matter of course when we did the cambelt and water pump on our personal fiats if it had a fire or superfire engine in…I think it’s still a good recommendation

 

[Reaper]

If you’ve a friendly garage, we have a few round here, ask if they’ll do you a sniff test or coolant pressure test, if they’re very friendly they’ll do it whilst you wait and for free, bung em a fiver if free
going back to my trade days, we used to do the head gaskets as a matter of course when we did the cambelt and water pump on our personal fiats if it had a fire or superfire engine in…I think it’s still a good recommendation

I live in London. Just going into a garage - you are treated as if you are the Witcher going into a rotten village full of demons..

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi again,
From what you have said..

Losing coolant AND running rough

There is a high probability of HeadGasket problem

Without spending money..

I would :

Check oil filler cap / bung..
Is it a white or yellow creamy gunk in there?

Check coolant reservoir.. is there a dark oil stain / 'tide mark' in there?

Check oil disptick
Is the level higher.. is the oil an odd colour ?

Thats the 5 minute indicators



IF you are capable.. there is one more test

Takes @30 minutes


Remove all 4 spark plugs
Lone them up in order

Check for differences in colour (rusty looking at the electrodes.. or 'SteamCleaned')

They both indicate WATER/ coolant has been squirting around in that HOTpressurised environment


Ive had MANY headgasket failures.. rusty..or VERY clean plugs is commonly seen


Im afraid to say... if you cannot do relatively simple work on the engine

And an old punto being worth relatively little.. it may not make sense to spend £400 on a garage repair



Did you notice ANY signs of Overheating??

Charlie

 

[Reaper]

Hi again,
From what you have said..

Losing coolant AND running rough

There is a high probability of HeadGasket problem

Without spending money..

I would :

Check oil filler cap / bung..
Is it a white or yellow creamy gunk in there?

Check coolant reservoir.. is there a dark oil stain / 'tide mark' in there?

Check oil disptick
Is the level higher.. is the oil an odd colour ?

Thats the 5 minute indicators



IF you are capable.. there is one more test

Takes @30 minutes


Remove all 4 spark plugs
Lone them up in order

Check for differences in colour (rusty looking at the electrodes.. or 'SteamCleaned')

They both indicate WATER/ coolant has been squirting around in that HOTpressurised environment


Ive had MANY headgasket failures.. rusty..or VERY clean plugs is commonly seen


Im afraid to say... if you cannot do relatively simple work on the engine

And an old punto being worth relatively little.. it may not make sense to spend £400 on a garage repair



Did you notice ANY signs of Overheating??

Charlie

Heya.

Yea radiator fan kicks in over nothing and temp gauge reads a little a hot. Car is 2001.. not even worth 400 scrap most likely.

 

[varesecrazy]

If you have access to the tools.. you can probably repair it for @£50 in Materials

I used Headgaskets which were @£10.. and then its an oil and filter.. then flush and refill coolant

The Joys of running older cars

 

[burtontrent]

Sounds like head gasket failure

Remove oil filler bung.. is the inside covered in yellow slime?

If you have a head gasket gone and water is in the oil, simple test is oil will go white on dipstick, , but if not run too long, the oil could still be normal, so take out the sump plug, let some liquid out? the water will come out first as its heavier than oil? That will prrove a head gasket failure. other thing is bubbles in the Radiator, or oil?

 

[varesecrazy]

Interesting to see if @Reaper got to the bottom of this ...

 

[Reaper]

Interesting to see if @Reaper got to the bottom of this ...

Topped up coolant again, problem disappeared.

 

[porta]

Hi again,
From what you have said..

Losing coolant AND running rough

There is a high probability of HeadGasket problem

Without spending money..

I would :

Check oil filler cap / bung..
Is it a white or yellow creamy gunk in there?

Check coolant reservoir.. is there a dark oil stain / 'tide mark' in there?

Check oil disptick
Is the level higher.. is the oil an odd colour ?

Thats the 5 minute indicators



IF you are capable.. there is one more test

Takes @30 minutes


Remove all 4 spark plugs
Lone them up in order

Check for differences in colour (rusty looking at the electrodes.. or 'SteamCleaned')

They both indicate WATER/ coolant has been squirting around in that HOTpressurised environment


Ive had MANY headgasket failures.. rusty..or VERY clean plugs is commonly seen


Im afraid to say... if you cannot do relatively simple work on the engine

And an old punto being worth relatively little.. it may not make sense to spend £400 on a garage repair



Did you notice ANY signs of Overheating??

Charlie

Topped up coolant again, problem disappeared.

That does seem rather odd…maybe you had an airlock and the water pump was cavitating…which, you would think, would have caused a failure of the cooling system/head gasket

 

[burtontrent]

That does seem rather odd…maybe you had an airlock and the water pump was cavitating…which, you would think, would have caused a failure of the cooling system/head gasket

I also had a problem once that was hard to solve, when I had my garage was a 'VW Passat' the Water pump impeller had broken off! Not a fan of Plastic impellers they are supceptable to cracking and breaking off!Since this I only use steel ones. usually though it causes bubbles and boiling u