Corsa-B.uk - Vauxhall, Opel and Holden Corsa B Owners Club

Hi guys,

I noticed the other day that my exhust was quite white(water in the exhuast??) today i have checked my oil level, for the first time in ages and noticed a creamy deposit on the dipstick and the underside of the oil cap, having done a quick search on the net it looks like it could be head gasket failure . is there anything else this could be, and if it is the head gasket how hard is it for me to fix myself??? i'm a bit of a novice but have a haynes manual on the way.

Sometimes just doing short runs over a period of time can cause that, has the oil level risen, have you lost water...I'm no expert, that's about all I can tell you.

It may just be condensation mate! Im not an expert but iv heard this before.

from what i heard i dont think you can stop your head gasket going. but try giving the car a small service , oil. oil filter, air panel ( if still using original) new spark plugs . and see how much that helps.also run the engine for 10mins then have a good look at all the water pipes incase of any leaks etc, and pay close attention of how long your fan takes to come on. remember to wipe white deposits off from under the oil cap etc. if it carries on the same id be thinking about nipping into a local garage.

cheers guys it could just be the short trips i haven't taken her on a long run yet, just short half mile trips to work and back. i'll give her a service and then monitor and then see whats what.

In short ... you cant really fix a head gasket from what i know of, if your really concerned get it booked in for a Pressure test, to see if there is anything leaking from the gasket, if there is, then its costly

But what everyone else said is right, short journeys cause condensation (the steam coming from your exhaust) and it emulsifies with the oil and makes that white sludge.. so just clean the sludge from the cap first, then possibly an oil change, and see if it comes back

+ check that your not loosing water

you cant really have a going gasket it has either gone or it ant. Mine started showing signs it had gone a while ago just drove it till it went bang. Just finished doing it about an hour ago works spot on now.

they dont go gradually they just go then the longer you leave it the worse the symptoms get. Regular oil and coolant changes will help prevent it going if kept up to from new. When it goes it costs about 100 to do ya sen for a 1.4 8v, just make sure u ave ya head skimmed, mine let go last mon just finished it today runs sweet now tho.