I have a brown runny sludge in my water, like mayo but browner and runnier. Heater matirx is probably blocked with it as I have no heating and the expansion bottle was 2/3rds full of the stuff. No mayo in the oil filler cap. Water level has remained OK, oil takes about a litre every 6 months or so. No rough idle or loss of power. Starts first time, even after 5 months parked up (turned slowly but fired up after a couple of seconds, couldn't believe it!). Oil pressure is spot on, needle sits at the top even on idle, temperature is 80c up to just under 90c when on the motorway.
I have been told it is the headgasket, by a few mechanics after the above desciption and had a few quotes too, however today I got told that the autobox oil cooler could be leaking oil into the rad and causing the sludge.
I'm now a bit confused as to what to do.
have amechanic coming out to diagnose it but he told be that he'd do a chemical test on the water to see if the headgasket has gone, as I understand it the test looks for exhaust gases in the water. Well if the oil is leakinginto the water but no blow-past is happening fromn the cylinder then the headgasket could be leaking but still pass the test, or is my thinking wrong?
Basically I am confused and don;t wanna go to the trouble of a whole head off, gasket change and find out I still have the problem then have to change the rad/oil cooler.
One last thing, I dipped the gearbox oil and it's overfull by quite a way, however it could have been like that since I had the car as I can't ever remember checking it although I have had the car serviced.
So what do I do?!
I have been told it is the headgasket, by a few mechanics after the above desciption and had a few quotes too, however today I got told that the autobox oil cooler could be leaking oil into the rad and causing the sludge.
I'm now a bit confused as to what to do.
have amechanic coming out to diagnose it but he told be that he'd do a chemical test on the water to see if the headgasket has gone, as I understand it the test looks for exhaust gases in the water. Well if the oil is leakinginto the water but no blow-past is happening fromn the cylinder then the headgasket could be leaking but still pass the test, or is my thinking wrong?
Basically I am confused and don;t wanna go to the trouble of a whole head off, gasket change and find out I still have the problem then have to change the rad/oil cooler.
One last thing, I dipped the gearbox oil and it's overfull by quite a way, however it could have been like that since I had the car as I can't ever remember checking it although I have had the car serviced.
So what do I do?!