Head Gasket Problem(s)?...I'm not so sure

[LamboSE5]

Hey guys, Thanks for stopping in for a look.

I spent some time last night writing up some info about, and my observations on my car after having some people (mechanically inclined to various degrees) suggest the possibility of a blown head gasket, or one that is starting to go. I realize that one or two of the things in my list are most likely not related to a head gasket issue, I figured I'd list'em anyway.
I'll keep the intro short for now as I'm in a rush for work.
My car: 1998 Volvo S70 SE5 (Turbo), 190k

Signs of a possible leaking or blown Head Gasket:
April 9th, 2011

1. Coolant and/or Oil smell in cabin air.
-Less smell after the PCV replacement

2. Gas (possibly) smell in Oil Filler hole.
-Faint, not overwhelming

3. (a) Intermittent Loss of Power/Stuttering, usually in 1st or 2nd gear with light/gradual pressure on accelerator.
-Loss of low RPM boost/power seems significantly better after PCV replacement.
-Stuttering; when slowing to take a turn (e.g.: from 50kmh to 5-15kmh) the vehicle ‘stutters’ or ‘jerks’ momentarily (few seconds) and then snaps out of it and jerks forward. Could this also be: transmission, or computer, misfiring, or turbo/boost, or compression related as well?
(b) Delayed reaction in boost/power: Delay or “lag” between time the accelerator pedal is depressed and the time the resulting power increase is achieved. Different than the “stuttering” problem mentioned above.
For e.g.: if driving at a steady 20kmh with accelerator pedal depressed, when more pressure is applied to the pedal quickly – which should result in a quick increase in power, thus acceleration, or tire spinout/loss of traction (or at very least; immediate increase in power, rpm, boost etc.) – there is instead a delay in time between the throttle/accelerator being pressed and the resulting increase in power, rpm, boost etc. Could this be transmission (not kicking down a gear?), or turbo (waste-gate, or “diaphragm”) related?
-PCV replacement seems to have improved this problem/delay.

4. Residue on lower Engine Oil Dipstick (resembling beige sludge or ‘goo’)
-Prior to PCV replacement, there was condensation on Engine Oil Dipstick as well. Have not noticed condensation again since PCV job.

5. Check engine light. (Solid & flashing)
-Prior to PCV replacement: Solid check engine light, which on occasion would flash on and off – usually during moderate/rapid to hard acceleration, and/or speeds of about 100-130+kmh.
Also, more recently (in the 4 to 6 weeks leading up to the date of PCV replacement) the check engine light would go away for various unknown reasons. For e.g.: a rapid low or high speed acceleration would make CEL go away, or flash, and then go away. Occasionally CEL would simply not be there upon start-up in the morning.

6. Smoke/Pressure coming from Engine Oil Dipstick tube.
- PCV replacement does not seem to have solved the problem, but may have helped somewhat.

7. Smoke was also observed “puffing” out from the small slit/area under the distributor cap. Light smoke puffed out with cycling/idle of the engine.
-May have stopped or decreased after PCV replacement.

8. Minor White Smoke from exhaust.
-On startup, and lasting for 5-10 minutes or until engine is warmed up. I’ve been told this is normal, especially in cold temperatures.
-“White smoke (steam mostly) on cold mornings is perfectly normal until the catalytic converter warms up.” –JaBlackburn

9. Hiss noise (rushing/pressurized air or fluid) at engine.
-Upon returning home after the PCV replacement, a noise was heard after popping the hood just to have a look. First time I’ve heard it, and I haven’t heard it since (passed few days). I stood next to the engine listening until it diminished and faded away. This was a first/one time occurrence to the best of my knowledge.

10. Water droplets coming from Exhaust Tail Pipe. Isn’t this normal?


Blown or Leaking Head Gasket symptoms I don’t think I have:

1. Overheating.
2. Loss of coolant (lowering coolant level).
3. Loss of oil. *There was/is loss of oil, but I believe it’s due to turbo oil cooler lines and old PCV (which has been replaced, but still seems to show some signs of pressure). I have not yet determined if the new PCV has/will fix the oil being spit everywhere under higher pressure/speed/acceleration driving conditions.
4. I don’t see bubbles in, or oil on top of the coolant in the expansion tank
5. I don’t see “milkshake” or “brown” looking oil.

-Could problem be radiator?
-Could it be heater core?

That's all I've got for now. I called NAPA looking for one of those tests kits that draws air from your open radiator cover up through a blue liquid and looks for a change in color to yellow, indicating combustion gases/hydrocarbons. But I don't think they had what I was looking for.

Once again, I ask for your help and or suggestions.
Please feel free to ask questions.
By the way, the car has just recently had a PCV replacement as I mention, and runs significantly better. And has no warning indicator lights.

Thanks.

[JDS60R]

A fair amount of the advice you were given was too generic or wrong.

Go with a combustion gases test as you mentioned. Use Napa, ebay or other online sources and you will have it in days. I wish one of the vendors above carried it as it is so frequently used.

Many of my prior post on the matter have links to resources for the product.

Search for head gasket tester as well such as this:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_ ... ster&ajr=3

Good Luck,
John

[LamboSE5]

Thanks JD.

When I wrote my 'mechanical' friend earlier I said "combustion leak tester". He replied "you do that and you just might find something! you've got mad blow by I just didn't want to tell you. The car over heated to many times (before I bought it he means). I'd say the head's warped too. keep driving it, might get another 100k out of it for sure".

-- WTF right?

It doesn't drive as though it's in ROUGH shape...at all. I don't know what to believe, or think now. But I guess I have to buy that tester now, as it seems nobody will tell ya what really going on!

EDIT: Here is a link to a video I made the other night after driving home from work...I don't know how useful it is (not very probably)
I'm waiting for another to upload, I think it better shows the condensation on the dipstick, as well as just a very tiny bit of..."sludge" or "goo" on the very bottom tip of the dipstick - not much at all.

Link 1:

Link 2:

[VolvoTurbo850]

Where in Canada are you.. maybe we can have someone we trust look at it.

Im not sure if you have a vac leak or turbo leak somewhere which could also give you some of those results.

If the car is not overheating, you do not have tons of thick smoke coming out of the tailpipe, coolant and oil mixing, and loss of power all times then it might be pointing to something else.

Have you always owned this car and did this suddenly happen or?

[JDS60R]

I watched the video

PCV/Flame trap is not working correctly. (often mistaken for blow by )
Oil dipstick looks ok.
Pulsating light on dash indicated a misfire. ( from your first post -not the video)

Run codes and report back with the codes.

[kcodyjr]

Unless I'm to totally disbelieve my ears via youtube video - nice taste in music, by the way - your sump seals are shot.

Listen to that tick-tick-tick-tick and general noisiness from the top end. That's from not getting enough oil.

Unless the camera's eye is also messing with me, that goo at the bottom is from moisture getting into the oil through the dipstick o-ring, which you'd replace when doing the sump seals anyway, but which can also be replaced during an oil change.

[pkc303]

I think the previous post is correct. I think you need to do the oil trap replacement, before all your seals start leaking.

[LamboSE5]

Thank you, all, for the responses! Great help.

VolvoTurbo850 I'm in Newfoundland, Canada. A cold, salty, rock island Salty because of the Ocean, and the salt they use on the winter roads.
I think the indy mechanic scene here is pretty scarce...?...There's a Volvo dealership, and a place called TJ's, where they charge A LOT - however, I believe they do good work - from what I hear they'll always just tell you "you need a new 'whatever', I've got one out back"...

If the car is not overheating, you do not have tons of thick smoke coming out of the tailpipe, coolant and oil mixing, and loss of power all times then it might be pointing to something else.

That's what I'm sayin'. heh
I have not always owned this car, I believe I'm the third, maybe fourth owner. The girl I got it from hadn't driven it but twice maybe. Because it needed work - a new engine cooler fan motor (which was in the trunk for me when I purchased it from her). It overheated when me and my friend test drove it, we brought it back to her house, parked it, and the coolant expansion tank started to overflow (we unscrewed it a smidge so it could).
First thing we did was replace that fan/motor, AND the related 60Amp fuse that had gone for it.
It has never overheated since those repairs.
My bill of purchase says July 15, 2010. The car just sat for a few months (infrequent drives though) when I first got it, I still only have my permit -- but I've driven it to work and back, and everywhere for the past 5 or 6 months.

JDS60R

PCV/Flame trap is not working correctly. (often mistaken for blow by )

By PCV/Flame trap, do you just mean the entire PCV system? That is the repair we just finished last week, is the flame trap the "oil separator" included in the PCV kit? I bought my PCV kit from FCPGroton.com
How is this mistaken for blow by - and is blow by simply combustion gases getting passed the head gasket? I'll look up the definition.
Oil dipstick does have condensation, and a small amount of "goo" on the bottom tip. I hate(!) to say it, but it looks to be what people describe as coolant & oil mix color...maybe? peanut butter color, or ear wax color. Gross eh?
Pulsating light - misfire(s), yea, damn, I read that flashing CEL means misfire - is that a definite? That would/could explain the stutter and power issues correct? Although it could be more?
I'll try and find a place here that'll get the codes out for me...I might have to buy a code reader. I'm conflicted about buying that or a combustion leak tester first...
EDIT: Oh, and I thought these cars; 1998 S70 Turbo, did NOT have flame traps as such.
Is it this you're talking about?:

kcodyjr Yes - I decided to turn off my music for the video, The Roots, for some more relaxed music. haha.
Ok, so is sump interchangeable with "oil pan"? Or is the sump a pump related to the pumping of oil..?
And by doing my (oil?) sump or pan seals, and the dipstick o-ring, which if any of these problems do you think I'd be addressing? The goo, or the moisture, the noise you hear?

Once again - thanks everyone!
I'm taking it to a indy mechanic who's been good to me so far (CV boots for $40), BUT he is not really...well I asked if he did head gaskets, nope. My car is the first Volvo he's worked on. Sigh.

I have more to look into now.

[JDS60R]

By PCV/Flame trap, do you just mean the entire PCV system? That is the repair we just finished last week, is the flame trap the "oil separator" included in the PCV kit? I bought my PCV kit from FCPGroton.com
How is this mistaken for blow by - and is blow by simply combustion gases getting passed the head gasket? I'll look up the definition.
Oil dipstick does have condensation, and a small amount of "goo" on the bottom tip. I hate(!) to say it, but it looks to be what people describe as coolant & oil mix color...maybe? peanut butter color, or ear wax color. Gross eh?
Pulsating light - misfire(s), yea, damn, I read that flashing CEL means misfire - is that a definite? That would/could explain the stutter and power issues correct? Although it could be more?
I'll try and find a place here that'll get the codes out for me...I might have to buy a code reader. I'm conflicted about buying that or a combustion leak tester first...
EDIT: Oh, and I thought these cars; 1998 S70 Turbo, did NOT have flame traps as such.

Blow by is where the combustion gases get past the rings.

(Flame trap /not flame trap - its just a name)
Your car has a Pressure control system - some call it a flame trap as a remembrance to the old days of Volvo. Many forget to clean the end of the tube that goes into the intake tube before the turbo (PTC). Your crankcase pressure is not being handled/vented properly as shown by your video and the positive pressure coming out of the engine (dipstick). If your PCS is working correctly and your rings are shot then you may have blow by. This is rare for a Volvo unless the motor is gone. Your are not reporting the symptoms that would lead someone to believe you have bad blow by and resultant low compression . Many,many,many before you have come in with the diagnosis of blow by and it is almost always wrong. (It turns out to be the pressure control system)

(Misfire -is it a definite)
Run the codes and report them. Then you will know. Begin diagnosing by running the codes. You will not know until you take actions to provide yourself with diagnostic proof. You can also worry yourself into a frenzy by suspecting the worst of things.
You are going to have to fix it one way or another so don't worry -just diagnose and fix.

(Money)
Don't buy either a scanner or a combustion gas tester yet. Go to advance or autozone and get the codes read for free(write them down). Then report them back to us. You could have a simple misfire due to a ignition part or sensor. You should borrow a compression tester (someone in your neighborhood has one) and get compression readings ,inspect the plugs and report back with that data. Sometimes autozone and advance will rent you a compression tester for nothing . You pay for it, use it and return it. Ask them about this wonderful program. It was made for folks in the same situation as you.

I look forward to hearing :
1. What codes you have
2. What your compression readings are
3. What you observed when you took it apart ( what plugs look like - What top of pistons looked like, any oil you found and where. ) Pictures will help you show us the info.

Good Luck,
J

[JDS60R]

Some condensation on the dipstick is normal if the car is not in daily use for 45 min or greater trips. If you are not losing coolant then you are not losing coolant. Cna't have a head gasket coolant leak and maintain the same amount of coolant. Physically impossible.

If you have any issues where you believe there is excess condensation in the motor (didn't look that way). The you should heat up the motor with 15 min of normal driving and change the oil and filter. As always I suggest a high quality synthetic and a high quality filter. From what you have shown me I would not be performing this service at this time.