Oily coolant

[AndyR]

Hi all, I have a 52 plate Astra G auto, 1.6 16 valve  that seems to be getting oil into the coolant. I have done a couple of coolant flushes, and it seems to be ok for a little while, and then starts going oily again. I was thinking along the lines of head gasket failure, but there is no water in the oil. I have noticed that when it starts to build up, the engine tends to be a bit hesitant at steady driving speeds, but still powers away when you need to. Pulling away from junctions its very hit and miss, almost like fuel starvation. 

 Could this be the head gasket failing, or is there something else that is causing this.  Apart from this, the car is performing well, and giving good mpg. 

Thanks in advance. 

Andy.  

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

Hi Andy,  hope you are staying well?

It could just be condensation building up in the engine due to short journeys and not getting hot enough to burn off.

The trick would be to take the car on a long motorway run at speed to clear it through....could solve two problems at the same time?

[AndyR]

Thanks for the info Trevor. 

I have a good run out planned for tomorrow, so i'll see how it goes. Hopefully it will sort itself out, will let you know how it pans out.

I have another question for you regarding the seat belt buckle on the drivers seat. 

It sometimes doesn't clip in properly, and i was wondering how it is attached to the seat, is it connected to any safety devices?

Regards Andy.  

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

2002 car, I believe it has a Pretensioner stalk which if so has to be removed by disconnecting the battery power for at least half hour before unplugging the electrical connection to the stalk and then removing it with a spanner.

Disposal is another matter though

 

[AndyR]

Well after having a good long run out with the car the other day, i still had oily coolant. Decided to go with another good flush through. This time removing hoses and swapping out the header tank for a clean one. 

I found that all the hoses were quite gunked up, so they got cleaned out, or replaced. Unfortunately whilst putting the top hose back on the thermostat housing, i broke the small pipe off the top. So a new thermostat and housing was ordered, £30, and replaced the next day. 

Good news, the coolant is staying clean, and the temperature gauge is now working properly too, and so is the heater.

Seems like the poor old girl needed her arteries cleaned out. 

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

High Collestoral in engines!.....that's a first

Glad it all worked out okay Andy and thanks for the update

[AndyR]

She certainly seems a lot healthier now. 

Time to get underneath and check for anything that needs doing for the upcoming mot. Should be ok, as previous owner had things done as soon as, by a local garage. 

Need to work out how to get pictures small enough to post on here too.

Regards Andy.

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

Click on 'choose files at the bottom of the post and upload the images (small size as possible)

[AndyR]

I just can't seem to get pictures small enough at moment. Need to configure camera somehow. 

As regarding checking out the underneath of car, have found rear shocks are shot!! So have ordered a pair from ebay, £28.99. Should be here Wednesday, so hopefully Thursday, weather permitting, i'll be swapping out the rear shocks and springs.

Looking at springs, and comparing them to my old Astra, I have a feeling that the springs have been doing most of the work, as there is no bounce on the rear of car, and they look quite squished. So as I have a pair of new springs, which were bought for old car, I might as well renew the lot. I will take pics of the car and find some way of getting them on here. 

She is a fine example of the model, and I aim to keep her looking as good and original for as long as possible.  

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

I recently replaced all four springs on an 2008 Astra and what a difference that made to the stance and ride quality.
You just don't notice the difference over time as the springs sag with use.

Good luck with the job Andy

[AndyR]

Thanks for the good luck. The paperwork I got with the car gave rear shocks as an advisory because the outer casing was rusty. Well that's completely gone, and the shiny ram is visible. Also the springs look like they've been doing all the work. Hopefully it will be a better ride. Like you say, you get so used to how it is. 

I'll keep you updated on my progress. 

Andy.,

[AndyR]

Well I received new shocks as planned Wednesday. Thursday morning I got stuck in to change them. Surprisingly all bolts came off easily, which was better than I expected after how ever many years. New shocks bolted in and springs replaced, and now it is a much smoother ride, and sitting somewhat higher, which is good for up and down my driveway with a full load.

[Vauxhall Owners Club]

Great result Andy....and I knew it would sit higher, always looks better once they're replaced