Cooling system - Coolant loss & head gasket.

[g0ldf1ng3r 15]

im not sure m8 - personally i would probably leave it as is & get a good mechanic to come & take a look BUT i definitely wouldnt try running it again (sorry if thats stating the obvious)

 

reason i say the above is it if you leave it as is then the mechanic should be able to use what he is seeing to trace & confirm the issue, which could be more difficult if it has been drained etc

 

where abouts are you located & do you have a knowledgeable mechanic you can trust?

[MoonlightVR6 10]

Hi Goldf1ng3r, thanks for the advice. I will leave it as is then.

 

I thought that if the water is getting in the oil, it maybe best to stop them mixing further...

 

Sadly no mechanic, I'm based in Ruislip, its on the outskirts of N/W London. Do you know anyone who maybe able to help me out with her?

[VAG-hag 0]

It shouldn't mix much more with no pressure behind it mate, as said leave it be.

[VW_OwneR_85 2]

the amount of rust coming from the expansion tank in one of your pics isn't a good sign, corrosion is a killer!!

[Jim Bowen 1]

yeah, i thought that, not seen it like that before.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

the amount of rust coming from the expansion tank in one of your pics isn't a good sign, corrosion is a killer!!

 

It's a sign of neglect is what it is! There should be zero rust in a well maintained coolant system because coolant additive inhibits it, so guess what that engine has probably never seen much of during it's life?

[bigchagg 0]

Out of interest how much does the average head gasket change cost on a vr6?

[g0ldf1ng3r 15]

Hi Goldf1ng3r, thanks for the advice. I will leave it as is then.

 

I thought that if the water is getting in the oil, it maybe best to stop them mixing further...

 

Sadly no mechanic, I'm based in Ruislip, its on the outskirts of N/W London. Do you know anyone who maybe able to help me out with her?

 

no problem, happy to share experiences & thoughts.

 

unfortunately i am in the midlands so no idea about a mechanic in your area sorry - hopefully there will be someone in your area on here

 

i hadnt seen the pics of your expansion tank previously but as others have mentioned it definitely should not be rusty. if the expansion tank is that bad god knows what your radiator & engine cooling channels /internals might look like :(

 

i hate to say it but i would be preparing myself for the worst case scenario

[VW_OwneR_85 2]

heater matrix and oil cooler might also be on its way to Death so bare that in mind for preventative maintenance, Might be cheaper and easier to source another motor 2nd hand and have the nearest garage swap them over? or if you have a drive and some tools + engine crane you could do it over a weekend but then you also enter the realm of "whilst the engines out what should I replace?"

[MoonlightVR6 10]

How much would one expect to pay for the head gasket to be fixed, (maybe a minimum to maximum range)?

 

Also when they have the head off is there anything worth doing at the same time. The guy I was speaking to to says I may as well do the timing chains at the same time as they needed to come off to get at it anyways, also he said he may need to get to take the gearbox off and that I should get the clutch done then too, how much should I expect to put aside to fix these additional issue???

[MoonlightVR6 10]

the car is on approx 68000

[Dox 23]

whos diagnosed a headgasket failure?

 

Have you been running the car all this time?

[MoonlightVR6 10]

Its been off the road for a while now. I suspected it for a while beforehand then as was monitering the oil cap and level noticed that it looked like it had mixed, so it has not moved it since.

[Dox 23]

Has it sat outside all winter with no antifreeze in?

[MoonlightVR6 10]

Na it has had some in there

[fla 9]

Where in Ruislip are you? I'm in Northwood.

[MoonlightVR6 10]

Where in Ruislip are you? I'm in Northwood.

 

I'm up by the old 'clay pidgeon' pub, now V5... Have you been through this before, do you have any idea of the costs?