Urgent advise required ...White Gunj found at the place where u fill engine oil

[Adamerc]

Hello All,

I am in search of a nice A140 for my wife. Today I went 24 miles to have a look at A140. This car has done 58000 miles. It has little rust on bonet. Which dealer is saying he will get it repainted .which sounds good to me...When I opened Oil filler cap..I saw white Gunj....I have heard that this means head gasket is gone.....Could u please confrim if what I understand is correct......Should I buy this car...it is cheap compare to other dealers

 

[coupe deville]

walk away- sharpish

 

[Satch]

walk away- sharpish

You might even want to break into a run. Lots of other cars around and no need to bother with dogs like that.

 

[Sp!ke]

It doesn't necessarily mean bad news although it can be an indicator of head gasket problems.

It could be that the car has recently not been for a long enough run in order to evaporate any condensation in the crankcases. (quite common if its been on the forecourt for a while).

Investigate further but running or walking away immediately may well be unnecessary.

 

[Adamerc]

Condition this car is in ..It has flat tyres ....Look like has not been driven for long time....place this car is parked at dealers premises...he will have to take 50 cars away to bring this read...I mean is parked in corner....thats suggests to me ...it has not been driven from long time...

 

[yachtman]

It doesn't necessarily mean bad news although it can be an indicator of head gasket problems.

It could be that the car has recently not been for a long enough run in order to evaporate any condensation in the crankcases. (quite common if its been on the forecourt for a while).

Investigate further but running walking away immediately may well be unnecessary.

also common on cars driven for short distances each day. ie a less than 3 miles each way to work. shopping car etc. If ex doctors car definately walk away, all short milage , never gets hot on rounds.

 

[Adamerc]

personally my belief about mercs was that u will never have problem of head gasket failure ...this white gunj was a surprise to me

 

[coupe deville]

It doesn't necessarily mean bad news although it can be an indicator of head gasket problems.

It could be that the car has recently not been for a long enough run in order to evaporate any condensation in the crankcases. (quite common if its been on the forecourt for a while).

.

what would you have to do to prove either way

 

[Adamerc]

I would love to prove it wrong by buying the car ...but due to credit crunch and many people loosing jobs...i would not like...to risk or throw money like this.....MB forum is best site...at least u get to know views of many others....which is hard to get these day ..this site isto be is like ...sent by god...

 

[nick mercedes]

Hello All,

I am in search of a nice A140 for my wife. Today I went 24 miles to have a look at A140. This car has done 58000 miles. It has little rust on bonet. Which dealer is saying he will get it repainted .which sounds good to me...When I opened Oil filler cap..I saw white Gunj....I have heard that this means head gasket is gone.....Could u please confrim if what I understand is correct......Should I buy this car...it is cheap compare to other dealers

A-Class have long filler tubes, so they do get a bit of condensation forming hense the white cheesy stuff.

 

[Will]

what would you have to do to prove either way

See if the coolant level drops, do a compression test etc.

Will

 

[ecossebev]

If its from a dealer, then surely he would offer a warranty with the car? If he is sellin the car 'sold as seen', walk away...... there are plenty of decent bargains to be had out there. You just need to be patient and keep looking.

Good luck

 

[grober]

The A class is a very difficult car to work on if it has major problems due to the fact the engine/ gearbox is a very neat fit in the engine compartment. The warning signs are all there- flat tyres, sitting in a corner of the forecourt, very cheap price, emulsified oil -I wouldn't advise buying it. There are lots of other small cars which are a better second hand proposition IMHO.

 

[Smarties]

This found on Bert Rowe's excellent A Class website, could well be what your looking at..
I changed the oil and filter on my wife's A140 this morning for the first time and nearly died when I took the filler cap off only to find what looked like a pot of custard. I told the missus I may have some bad news for her. she's only had the car a month. anyway I phoned MB Stour bridge(very helpful on anything concerning the car) and they said this is perfectly normal due to the long filler pipe causing condensation and I just need to push a rag down with a long screw driver as their tackiest do. I thought the head gasket had gone. bit of a relief
Emulsion (oil and water mixed to a foam like light brown material) is common on the 'A' Class, yes the filler tube is long as this doesn't help, however it is also caused by short runs where the engine does not reach its full operating temperature. Take care if you do follow Mob's advise that any rag doesn't get left in the pipe and ensure the engine is switched off! Mercedes stipulate that the oil should be changed every 12 months and this is a wise move, even more so if your car does suffer this problem. However if you have severe emulsion AND are having to top up the coolant reservoir then there is the chance you have a head gasket problem, so monitor the situation closely if this is the case, for your peace of mind I have not heard of one head gasket problem in 3 1/2 years so don't worry .

 

[jaymanek]

There was a thread on here a while back which ecplained how the oil breather hose gets blocked due to rubber perishing...

It would probably be that combined with the above...

 

[rpe2]

You could save a few £ by getting a Focus.

 

[01alam]

So much as I like Mercedes, I would prefer a Golf to an A-Class, infact I would much prefer a MkII Mondeo for the same price or a C Class of the same era.