Vauxhall Tigra. Head Gasket-how do I know?

Question

Thinking of buying a Tigra for the misses. The best car i've seen has a slight bit of "gunke" on oil filler cap, oil on dipstick could be cleaner, but everything else seems clean enough.
Is this just condensation, or something more serious? The car has done 58000 miles.
Hope someone can help.

Thanks lads! The car is a 1997 registration, so I dont think its been hammered.
Breather pipe, I forgot all about that! Cheers

Answer 1

Slight white 'gunk' needn't mean its a head gasket if none of the other signs are there, eg oil in coolant, water on bottom of dipstick etc. You often get a bit white gunge on cars that just do town short runs as you get condenstaion as they never get really warmed up.

They are very reliable wee cars, its essentially a corsa which as we all know are cracking cars.

Answer 2

Hi

The car has probably been used for short journeys, but if you have any doubt in your mind at all, walk away.

I do know there were a few head gasket issues with earlier Tigras, and also valve guide wear issues, but worn valve guides would cause running issues and oil burning, not oil in water and water in oil, these would be caused by head gasket issues.

Like I say, if you have any doubts whatsoever, WALK AWAY!!

Cheers

Geordie

Answer 3

THERE IS TWO WAYS TO CHECK:


1. START THE CAR A LEAVE IT RUNNING, AND IF IT KEEPS ON OVER HEATING IT'S GONE !

2. IF THERE IS BLACK SMOKE COMMING OUT THE EXHAUS AND THERES A SMELL OF BURNING IN THE CAR IT'S GONE. !
also drive the car for a while if it over heats, walk away, Opel Tigra are a crap car, they would be like the Fiat TR7, buy a second hand one will put a big whole in you wallet, try a ford fiesta gina, or Mazda mx5 not bad cars for the same price and the same insurance, just better engines.

Answer 4

Hi there i would guess that if the water level is ok and the oil lloks clean then ii reckon it looks like it could be the breathers blocked there is a thin vacum pipe that goes from the rocker cover to the throttle body assembly that often blocks up and there was a modification on that engine whicn not everybody had done to cut down on condensation

Answer 5

Worst case scenario the cylinder head wasn't executed ideal, and the top mandatory skimming ;so it would want to properly be leaking oil someplace as a effect causing the smell. per chance whoever did your headgasket did not preserve some thing ideal and it truly is smoldering on the exhaust downpipe. The engine Fan generally comes on even as the engine is really hot, like after an hour or so of driving in warmth climate, if it comes on and continues to be on even as the engine isn't that warmth, even as think ofyou've got a difficulty with the coolant temp sensor. wish it truly is a few thing minor.

Answer 6

check in the water bottle see if any oil in the tank, take off oil cap and run the engine see whats coming out maybe if it is the headgasket you may get small drops of water out of there as well, not to much miles if the car is about 5 years old if less then 5 years check out the owner or previes owner may of been a reps car (leave it alone)

Answer 7

i do know that opel did suffer with head probs (i own a frontera)
but at that millage i think its just done short trips and never been down a moterway in its live proberbly get them to have a proper service & go back to cheack before you buy

Answer 8

get the aa to inspect it they can do a pressure check on the cooling system to make sure its not leaking.

Answer 9

they suffer from head gasket problems