Oil / Water scum in oil filler cap?

[wibble]

Hi 944 forum - I am new to the club and this forum with the intention of buying a 944S2 or Turbo. I have been actively looking at cars and found a good condition turbo (1991) model. I do have one major reservation though as I noticed the familiar oil/water scum on the oil filler cap. I could see no evidence of scum on the dipstick.
Is this:-
a. natural condensation within the block, due to short journeys and is of no due concern
b. a breach of the oil and water within the block and I should simply walk away.

And finally, are there any 944 owners in Derby/Nottingham that would be interested in checking a 944 turbo with me? - subject to my decision above!

Any advice appreciated - I have trawled the buyers guide on here and spoken with 944 register, but not on the above point. Many thanks

 

[carlmthompson]

Hi and welcome!

I think it's probably difficult to diagnose this via the forum - it could be as you rightly say due to short journeys, but it could also be Head Gasket or something else.

Another area to check is wether there is Oil in the water header tank, but if I was you, the sensible thing in this instance would be to:-

a) Take the car for a long journey to see if it clears away, and definately
b) Shell out for an inspection at a local specialist - it will most definately be money well spent, and they may bring up other areas that you fail to notice for negotiating further!

Good luck in the search!

 

[Diver944]

One of the most common concerns we get asked as the damp winter weather sets in is whether its ok to see 'mayonnaise' around the filler cap. As Carl says it is more than likely not a problem - both of mine ocasionally do it if they have had a few days of short, slow journeys. Mine were drastically improved after new thermostats were fitted (old thermostats tend to open too early and let the engine run a bit cool).

Of course it is also one of the indications of head gasket problems so do get a proper inspection by a 944 specialist (NOT AA or RAC)

 

[edh]

I'm in Derby - drop me an email

probably just condensation - these cars are prone to that, but it's worth getting it checked out properly.

 

[big al]

hi

if i were you i would ask the seller if it is alright to do a compression check on the engine, wont take long and will either confirm your suspicions that there is a underlying problem or that all is well

 

[sawood12]

If it's the head gasket then the engine will be consuming water so it will have to be tipped up. I realise this is very difficult to establish when you are just looking over the car as a potential buyer and you are relying on the honesty of the seller. Having said that even if it is the head gasket this might not be a reason not to buy the car assuming the rest of the car is in very good nick. These cars are getting to the age where head gaskets are starting to fail anyway so unless the HG has been replaced recently the chances are it might need replacing soon. A friend of mine replaced the HG on his turbo, the rings were in good condition and were still sealing but the corky material holding it all together had perished and disintegrated through age so I guess all of our cars still running on the original HG (mine included) must be suffering in the same way. The cost of an HG replacement is around 10 Mh's labour and if you are replacing the belts at the same time you are effectively getting this job done for free so although it is an expensive job IMHO it's not so expensive to be the reason to pass over an otherwise very good car.

Also PH Sportcars in Shardlow have a very reasonalble Mh rate which makes the job even more affordable.

By the way i'm also in Derby so feel free to give me a shout also.

 

[edh]

I had my h/g done by Zentrum - less than £600. - although their rates are higher than ph, they do the job quicker, and they are a bit easier to deal with.

Headgaskets seem to be fairly hard to diagnose until they fail in a major way, so you might not know for sure.

If the car needs a belt change, then that can be done at the same time and much of the belt change cost is absorbed in the h/g work

If the car's good, it's no reason to walk away - I'd be more concerned about rust, and whether the owner has kept on top of other maintenance jobs.

 

[Riverside]

I'd also reccomend Zentrum over PH Sportscars.Athough PH are handy for buying second hand parts Zentrum service my car (in fact it's with them at the moment).

Zentrum will inspect a car for £85 I think but you'll have to get the car to them. If you look at the car & think to yourself: "I want to buy this car, it's just a matter of negotiating the price & checking it's not a money pit" then get the seller to take it to Zentrum (or similar) for a proper inspection.

hth