Going to get a vr6 but need some help!!!

[kuksool 0]

hi everyone

 

first of all im in the market for a Vr6 after a very nice talk with my insurance company ;D

 

I went to look at a very tidy non modified VR over the weekend with 109k on clock and full VW service history! it was serviced 2k ago by vw and looks very good nick!!

 

Now the reason for selling is because he only uses it on sundays and can justify keeping the car and only does about 30 miles a week in it!

 

but when i took the oil cap off there was a mayo liquid on the cap!!! but it was very very runny and pretty much ran dripped off the cap and it was gone!!! i imediately thought oooopps head gasket!! but he said it was because it sits and condinsation builds up in the oil filling chamber in VR's!!! i looked in to the engine from the oil cap hole and couldnt see any more mayo! or evven get anything on my fingers when i put them right down in there!!! it was only on the cap and like i said just ran off when i held the cap on its side!!!! i checked the dipstick and this was clean as the oil was fine!!! but it worries me greatly! as im not clued up on VR's at all!

 

is this a car i should walk away from or is it common with vr's that dont get driven much and sit out in the damp air we have the moment all help appreciated guys

 

thanks

Scott

[dr_mat 0]

I get the same thing on my VR if I don't do any longish journeys. It's a big engine and yes if you've not changed the oil like 10 minutes ago, it will have had some condensation build up and maybe some mayo build up on the filler cap. If you've run the car up to temperature and driven for 30 minutes or so and you *still* have mayo then's the time to start worrying.

Either that or mine is buggered in the same way, anyway!! ;)

[G60Dan 0]

kuksool - are you the same kuksool from the RS site. I'd of been DanS2Turbo at the time. I think we were mailing each other about a year & a half ago about a dodgy brake wobble we were both having on our RST's.

 

Sorry I can't help with the VR questions unfortunately, but good luck!! Hope you get a gooden!!

 

Dan

[kuksool 0]

yes it is the same and one and only.... kuksool

 

got seriously fed up with the constant break down with my ERST!!!! and went VW about a year ago... i bought a gti 8v to help my bank balance for a bit now that's sold i have a hankering for a VR

 

dr_mat thanks for that but he did warm the car up before i got there the head was warm to touch and the water bottle over flowed when i took the cap off which is now worrying as that is a very good warm up if things got that warm on it!! although i dont think he drove it anywhere i reckon he just started it whilst he washed the car before i got there!! as he met he after leaving his work on saturday!

 

anymore help guys

Scott

[dr_mat 0]

You really need to get the oil above 100 degrees and keep it there for about 10-15 minutes to boil all the condensation out. Mine gets pretty bad cos my daily commute is not long enough to do this, so after a week or two of no long journeys you can guarantee it'll have mayo on the filler cap.

It even did this when I went on a track day - mayo on filler cap in the morning, but after a good run ( :) ) there was none..

If you're worried ask the guy for a longer test drive, but I've seen a number of threads on here saying the same thing.

[kuksool 0]

well that is certainly helping to ease my concious!!!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

The coolant will escape if you undo a hot engine's filler cap mate as you've just depressurised it the coolant system.

 

So long as it's not leaking out of there when the engine is running, it's fine.

 

Mayo on the oil cap is common to irregularly used cars. It condensates on the plastic first as it's a lower temperature than the metal rocker cover.

 

I wouldn't buy a VR6 on the basis of it being hot when you arrive. You want it to be stone cold so you can listen out for sticky lifters, wearing chain tensioners and also look for exhaust smoke and crunchy gears. Hot VWs mask all these problems quite well.

 

K

[kuksool 0]

thanks im having serious doubts my self on this!!! and i too know the water coolant will boil over but it shows how warm the car was to you guys when i got to it!!! i asked him before looking at it i would want to see it from cold but he said he would need to start to pull it out so he can wash it but it shouldnt of got that warm should it!!!!!

 

i rang VW to see if this was common he said its not that common but does happen in cars not used very often he also said it cost over a grand to put a new head gasket on them as well, im becoming more suspicious of this car the more i think about it i just wished i hadn't forked out for the hpi check so soon on it :( i guess the search continues for now

 

i think im gonna have to adopt the attitude " if in doubt look about" as there are a few out there right now!

 

Scott

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Was the rest of the car OK? There might be a genuine reason for the car being hot. Call him again to arrange a test drive from stone cold, for at least 30 mins duration. You really need to try as many as possible, which will teach you to spot a good/genuine one and will give you a feel for them.

 

Chances are he might be lying about it's irregular use and is using that as a selling point, but give him the benefit of the doubt. What ever you do, don't let him play on the 'Corrados are rare..." crap, they're not, there's loads on Autotrader. Keep your head screwed on (as much as your heart wants to hand over the money) and you'll walk away with a winner....

 

K

[dr_mat 0]

I'd say it sounds a lot like he's probably being straight, and if he is, he can't refuse a polite request to run the car from cold for a good long test drive.

If everything else looks in order, you have no reason to assume that the gasket's gone just yet. If the guy's serious, he won't have any trouble with a longer test drive (though he might want some cash for petrol if you don't agree to buy it - can't say fairer than that).

I wouldn't walk away yet if everything else about the car suits you.

[vr6storm 0]

my storm has always had a bit of mayo under the filler cap since ive owned it :wink: .......as most of my journeys are relatively short(10-15mins) so the condensation never gets enough time(or heat) to dissapate..........if it is the H/gasket then after longer journeys i would assume it would still be there.......mine dissapears if i take it out for a burn on the dual carriageways or if i'm driving for more than 10-15mins in town.........i too was really really concerned when i first noticed this but i would imagine that it is more probably just condensation.......best get it proffesionally checked to be on the safe side though

 

although it maybe sounds suspicious with the vendor "warming it up" first......TBH if i had to move my motor from cold i would leave it running til the engine warmed up..........just something i've always done with my cars since 1990

[kuksool 0]

the guy selling it has just rang back!

 

to inform me that since sat when i looked at it he ahs driven it everyday and ran it for over 30 mins and the mayo has dissapeared completely!!!

 

now i dont know this guy from adam but he is giving me the follow up and is being as far as i can tell as helpfull as poss!!!!! he has never said anything bout Top gear :) and even said i could do a compression test on it if i want! although i have no idea where to start!

 

ive said i will call him about going to see it this weekend! again and to see if im still ok about the car after a week of thinking about it as im still as most of you would be concerned after all this my hard earned cash im parting with here!

[kuksool 0]

Oh by the way the rest of the car was gorgeous no imperfections and very well looked after the battery was even rapped up in some sort of foam padded cover which ive never seen i did find a problem with one of the abs lights not going off. However he has been to vindis and replaced that sensor today after checking it with there diagnostic equipment! and has the report which gives the all clear!

 

im just in two minds 1. saying you saw the car on a off day as he hadnt driven it for over a week and hes being honest and 2. the car is in need of new head gasket amongst other things!

 

Scott

[dr_mat 0]

Two minds is better than three or more...

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Oh by the way the rest of the car was gorgeous no imperfections and very well looked after the battery was even rapped up in some sort of foam padded cover which ive never seen i did find a problem with one of the abs lights not going off. However he has been to vindis and replaced that sensor today after checking it with there diagnostic equipment! and has the report which gives the all clear!

 

im just in two minds 1. saying you saw the car on a off day as he hadnt driven it for over a week and hes being honest and 2. the car is in need of new head gasket amongst other things!

 

Scott

 

Late Corrados did come with battery bags but most people have since fitted bigger batteries and binned the padded bag as it's one size only. Was that Vindis VW in Cambridge?

 

I doubt it needs a new gasket.....a decent test drive should confirm.

[kuksool 0]

no sawston vindis!!!

 

but very close to cmabridge!!!!

[Guest]

mines got his little sleeping bag :D

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Do VW do sleeping bags for the diesel sized batteries?

[Guest]

I heard ages ago, they only did them as a standard size, i'm sure you could find another manufacturer though?