altea (my)2005 1.6 oil cap

[toejam237]

Hi guys i got a 05 altea with 11500 miles on the clock...i went to fill up with oil today and when i took the oil cap off and looked at it, it was all covered in a cream coloured gunk (looked like cake mix to me)is this normal??????
popped into a VW dealer and he says it might be condensation because the rocker cover is mounted so high, and that it was nothing to worry about.
I hope its not the head gasket!!!
Anyone got any ides please?
cheers
toejam237

 

[matt_s]

How much do you drive it and how far? If you do lots of short journies this will happen. Take the dip stick out and have a look, if it's not got any gunk on it you just need a good drive to heat the car up and dry it out.

 

[googies]

Sounds like the Gasket is blown/ about to blow, water and oil make this "mayo" type stuff if i recall.

 

[Tell]

Oh well use to get it with my Uno years ago [Petrol] and if it makes you feel better the gaskets did blow and I ended up running on water and steam. Fiat engines are so reliable knocking them about like this didn't have any adverse effects, father said, tell them to tighten the engine down next time so the gaskets are tight.

Not saying it's the gaskets but that's a petrol engine thing you describe, not a diesel engine of which if the gaskets went you'd be into great expence.

 

[JonTelfer]

10p says it's not too serious.

My Leon had this when I bought it at 40k miles and it's not missed a beat for the last 60k miles (touch wood).

 

[Tell]

I did 130,000 in my Uno which had this complaint plus carburetor icing and grinding to a stand still on hills in winter at will from B roads to the M25, which is why I decided that I'd get a diesel, and have never looked back since [not much] .

 

[LeakyTurnip]

My 1.6 Leon (same engine) has exactly the same thing. Spoke to my dealer about it a few weeks ago and he ensures me that there is nothing to worry about.

 

[sssstew]

How much do you drive it and how far? If you do lots of short journies this will happen. Take the dip stick out and have a look, if it's not got any gunk on it you just need a good drive to heat the car up and dry it out.

yup agreed, get out there and give it a nice long blast.

 

[toejam237]

Ok, just got in from work ...20 mile drive home...80mph most of the way...took the cap off and its still got gunk on it..i did wipe it off yesterday.
Think ill give it till monday then book it in. (is 20 miles long enough to warm it up or does it need longer?)
thanks for the replys guys.
cheers
toejam237

 

[Tell]

Bearing in mind it's a sort of sealed area you wouldn't expect it to dry off that quick, but that's assuming you don't have a leak the other way. This is where you get told to keep an eye on the radiator level. I also recall that you look for signs of oil in the water in the radiator. But as mentioned I did drive a 900cc Uno with this problem for years until the head gaskets went and then drove it again for another 50,000 miles after the engine was taken apart and re-assembled.

There is probably a wiki on this one, looked, no good. I think you mention it to Seat when you get it serviced if not before, so you get peace of mind. I'll ask my brother if I remember.

 

[Tell]

ok dokes... what my knowledge brother says who I trust... leaky gasket and the first thing a garage looks for when you come to sell it.

 

[TDI_luver]

Our Arosa 1.0 L has done this for the last 40 K miles with no ill effects. So long as the coolant level doesnt go down and theres no black oily traces in the coolant reservoir you're laughing. You can actually 'burn' it off but it takes a good 5-6 hour motorway run at speed .......its far worse in Winter due to condensation inside the camcover. If you took off the cam cover, you would find a half inch coating of that goo (mechanics call it mayonnaise) all over it, not just the cap. A common VW engine problem.