Hi,

Im worried the head gasket has gone on my 2.5 v6.

Im getting an intermittent misfire , when its warm or cold, theres a slight browny tinge to the coolant, coolant bubbles under heavy revs.

Do you think it is head gasket or something else?

Matt

brown tinge to coolant suggests oil cooler is failing, miss-fire could well be down to a leaking cam cover gasket, letting oil into the plugs

Hi Tunnie,

Ive looked around the cam cover gaskets and it looks bone dry?

Matt

looked inside the plugs wells? Checked for oil/water?

If your coolant is going brown, its not worth driving it until you get the oil cooler fixed  :y

Hi,

The water isnt going brownb , its clear its just it has a bit of brown on the cap when i take it off and the coolant looks slightly cloudy. How much is an oil cooler part?

Matt

immortal wrote on 02. Apr 2011 at 18:03:

Hi Tunnie, Ive looked around the cam cover gaskets and it looks bone dry? Matt

Have you tried pulling the plug leads? Oil leaking into the plug wells can destroy the rubber boots and cause a misfire.

Can't remember exactly, have feeling its arounD £130 ish for all the bits and bobs.

Is the brown content on the cap oily? Whats your coolant maintenance been like?

Hi,

It feels a little oily yes , almost like a film.

Changed the coolant with vauxhall red about 3 months ago.

Had the SAi pipe go on me a few days ago , not sure if thats related.

Matt

Right...

Checked the dipstick and theres no sludge and its not missing actually , its a rough tickover. Could this have something to do with me disabling the SAI valve by pulling the fuse out? If not what could cause the rough idling (almost like the engine is chugging slightly)

Matt

Have you checked the plugwells for oil as suggested :question

hi , didnt have chance earlier and its dark now so will check first thing tomorrow and report back

Matt

Hi,

No oil at all in plug wells. It isnt so much like its missing (although when driving sometimes it does make a slight rattling noise) but its the rough tickover that is more noticeable. (does it more when the car is warm. Just started her up from cold and its fine and ticking over lovely)

Just double checked the dipstick and no sludge/mayo of any kind

Matt

well start up fine so on choke and then runs a bit rough? is this maf sensor as on start-up the maf sensor is inoperative?? i am fully geussing but it sounds like on choke fine but normal temp it ain't getting something?? i will follow this thread with interest!!

immortal wrote on 03. Apr 2011 at 09:58:

Hi, No oil at all in plug wells. It isnt so much like its missing (although when driving sometimes it does make a slight rattling noise) but its the rough tickover that is more noticeable. (does it more when the car is warm. Just started her up from cold and its fine and ticking over lovely) Just double checked the dipstick and no sludge/mayo of any kind Matt

could this be pinking!????

mrgreen wrote on 03. Apr 2011 at 19:59:

... could this be pinking!????

Do cars still 'pink' when they have a knock sensor or two?  :-/

Andy B wrote on 03. Apr 2011 at 20:05:

mrgreen wrote on 03. Apr 2011 at 19:59: ... could this be pinking!???? Do cars still 'pink' when they have a knock sensor or two?  :-/

oh :-[ quite right knock sensor hello, was in my other part rom goodnight sweetheart :-[ :-[ in my defense i learnt that word from my father alright  ;D

I got pinking on my car a while back, I think I'd filled up with some seriously duff supermarket petrol at the time, really had a bad effect on my car. It only came and went for a second or two under heavy accelleration, but it was definitely pinking

mrgreen wrote on 03. Apr 2011 at 20:14:

Andy B wrote on 03. Apr 2011 at 20:05: mrgreen wrote on 03. Apr 2011 at 19:59: ... could this be pinking!???? Do cars still 'pink' when they have a knock sensor or two?  :-/ oh :-[ quite right knock sensor hello, was in my other part rom goodnight sweetheart :-[ :-[ in my defense i learnt that word from my father alright  ;D

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

They do with a slight air leak. Bit rough, bit of a knock, bit if a rattle, slight variation in revs. Check all the plunum pipes and connections are air tight. Clean icv with carb cleaner, won't hurt.

Bubbles in the coolant bottle are concerning though, how bad is it, really? Not with cap off I hope?

Hi,

Where is the ICV?

Matt

immortal wrote on 05. Apr 2011 at 08:16:

Hi, Where is the ICV? Matt

Side of the Plenum, about the size of a Mustard pot :y

Do not try putting anything inside it to scrape other than a Rag and the cleaner... They're very fragile to damage from foreign objects ;) ;) There's a guide somewhere I'm sure :y