Due to winter/ short trips or Head Gasket gone?

[Paulwba]

Hi.

Just wondering if someone could clarify this please. I went to view a 996 the weekend and when taking off the oil cap saw this creamy residue in the pipe. Ive been told its the head gasket that has gone but Ive also seen people saying its possibly due to cold weather or infrequent use. Does anyone know if this is the case or is it definitely a head gasket problem? Also upon start up there was white smoke out the exhausts but that disappeared after a minute or so. Is smoke upon start up regular also. Apologies if im being thick but im not a mechanic.

 

[GT4]

To confirm HG, you need to check the coolant side of things.

Water vapour emulsifies with oil vapour.

Some examples:

Search for "mayo" on the forum.

All the 911s get it - not just watercooled.

You will get a million threads, you will also see it generally correlates with cold (winter) weather and short journeys.

The water and oil vapour from the engine condenses as an emulsion in the nicely cold and distant outlying horizontal filler pipe.

Having said that, this mayo can still be caused by a headgasket failure.

Firstly check the dipstick for water/emulsion contamination in the sump and also check for cross-contamination of the coolant in the header tank.

Make sure there is no water loss and the coolant is nice and clear - if the coolant has oil in it or you are mysteriously losing coolant (burnt off through cylinders as white smoke) then you have a headgasket failure.

Still not sure: get a HC (hydrocarbon) "sniff" test done at any decent garage (detects minuscule levels of combustion compounds in the coolant).

If no water/emulsion in sump and no oil in coolant, and no coolant loss, then just cold weather/short run "mayo".

Wipe off and drive faster and longer!

 

[Paulwba]

Thanks for your help - much appreciated.

 

[NineExcellence]

+1 what GT4 said.

Just wanted to add a couple of words of caution. In your post OP, you stated you went to view, which I presume you mean with a view to buy?

If that is the case, then do make sure you get the car inspected - it needs to be on a ramp, and if the HG has gone, you should also see some signs (spray spots) of coolant around the head as well. BUT, unless you run the car to temperature whilst on ramp, a HG can be missed.

Last caution - check paperwork on car for previous issues and if it has already had a HG prior (and on the same side) walk away. You would be buying a car requiring a lot more than just a HG.

On a positive note, HG may not mean HG if incorrectly diagnosed. Could be a good buy on that basis.

 

[pipton996]

Doesn't water condensate in the oil filler tube on 996s... I seen loads with milky oil filler tubes that's prototype normal if it's the HG you will have contamination of the oil on a larger scale, overheating or pressure in the crank case...

If your buying a Porsche get if inspected it wil beignet well spent...

 

[GT4]

:eh!:

The water and oil vapour from the engine condenses as an emulsion in the nicely cold and distant outlying horizontal filler pipe.

 

[Paulwba]

Thanks for the responses guys. I decided not to buy as there were also mis alignment issues with the front bonnet being out which may have indicated a front end smash. He did call and say he would take it for a Sniffer test as he had a chat to the Porsche dealer but I decided to leave it and look elsewhere.
Is it worth forgetting buying private and just go to a dealer with a warranty.. are issues common on cars that have done 60,000 miles as I bought my Lexus with 69k on the clock and have had no worries or concerns about engine issues, oil leaks, RMS etc.. which I seem to be reading alot about here.