Head gasket?

[whiskymac]

Hi all,

After a quick bit of advice please! We have a load of thick oily sludge in the radiator, it shouldn't be a build up of years of dirt as the coolant gets flushed and changed fairly regularly. Car has been loosing water, it was topped up and is now sludge.

I'm thinking head gasket is probably on its way out (no water in the oil though) or is there any where else oil could mix with the coolant before I start stripping it all down?

Thanks,

Matt

 

[frank]

have you tried a compression test matt ?

 

[whiskymac]

Not yet....need to try and borrow a tester tomorrow!

 

[whiskymac]

Hi all,

Well I never got the compression test done, borrowed a tester but it was too short - if I had got it secured in the head I don't think I would have ever got it out again!

However, think I found the issue. Car is an auto and reading the Haynes saw that the auto box fluid is piped to the rad for cooling, figured the radiator has had it. Auto box fluid is way too high so that would be where the coolant has gone.

First step is to try and find a replacement radiator or have mine repaired - anyone know where I might find one as the search is fairly impossible so far!

Thanks,

Matt

 

[frank]

has the auto fluid gone pink matt ? i doubt if the heat exchanger is leaking tbh

 

[RTLkyuubi]

Did you check the gbox level with the engine running?

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[whiskymac]

Majorly late reply, but thought I should update!

Head gasket had definitely gone, was obvious once I had the head off. Head seemed to be just about in spec for flatness so I risked putting it back on without a skim, but after all that it wouldn't start. Low compression, so I suspect I should have skimmed the head after all.

My wife has got used to driving another car now, so the Micra will be going, will offer it on here as I would rather it went to a good home than the scrap man.

Thanks for the advice! Matt