The garage are saying it doesn't come under the warranty, saying its not a moving part, but a head gasket doesn't miraculasly die so they sold me the the car on its way out, do i have a point or am i clutching at straws??

mik

 

the following are some usual signs of a blown head gasket:
a. bubbles of air coming up into your radiator (remove cap before starting)
b. leaking radiator
c. milkshake colored oil
d. overheating
e. rough running
f. coolant or oil running from head
g. spark plug(s) that have a green tint (if green coolant), white colored or sweet smelling exhaust

 

I don't think it's BLOWN, yet, but it will, and prolly sooner rather than later. Hadda similiar prob with a '73 B-M-Trouble-U 2500 I owned, back in '86. Head gasket was cracked, not blown. If you hafta, hafta, HAFTA drive it, drain the coolant and replace it with water. water is "less" harmful to the cpmbustio process than coolant is. But, that has drawbacks, too. any water that leaks into whichever cylinder will sit there, un bothered, each night, overnight. Eventually, if you let it go long enough, you'll get a neat little rust-ring in one or more of your cylinders.

If it were me i'd stop driving it until I could either convince them they sold me a crappy mota, and THEY were obligated to fixit (check your local laws for implied warranties on purchase of used cars), or, I coughed up teh loot to gettit fixed. Whe it DOES blow you'll getthe characteristic white smoke outta the exhaust. If it's antifreze, and it happens at speed, you cud end up damaging the entire head, maybe throw a rod, f**kup teh tranny... All sorts of badness. Which is what happened to the guy (a certified mechanic, BTW) that I sold my troubles to (I disclosed FULLY all known problems with teh car, FWIW, but he took it out on teh AutoStrada, anyway, and did everything I described, above, at about 135MPH, coming back from Munich), when I bought my Alfa Romeo, Alfetta.

 

Engine really needs a compression test or a hydrocarbon test. I had white gunk under my oil filler cap but it wasn't coolant. It was caused form short drives and the engine never getting up to temp. Condensation built up and accumulated on the cap as a frothy white gunk.