I have a horrible feeling my T4 van's head gasket is toast

[mangocrazy]

And here's a little video that Ron put together as he was fixing my van. Very explanatory...

[mangocrazy]

All has been well in T4-land until the other day when I checked the oil level and found that it had actually risen (not fallen) since the last time I checked it. This means that diesel has somehow been leaching into the oil and contaminating it.

This is not good.

So after trying a number of local garages and having them all point me towards the local diesel specialists, that's where it will be going on Friday.

The options apparently are either failure of one or more injector seals or a diesel pump issue. Either way, I'm bracing myself for a large bill...

[A_morti]

At what point does one submit to the inevitability of entropy? They quit making them in 2003, so as a 23+ year old van, she has already made a brave age.

[mangocrazy]

After all that, the local diesel specialists could find no evidence of any leaks from either the pump or the injectors, so all I can conclude is that I over filled the oil when I last checked the level. So today the van went in for its MoT (which it passed) and an oil and filter change. I will be monitoring the oil level very carefully.

I understand that everything has a life, and it's pointless trying to extend that life beyond natural limits. But there are much older T4s with higher mileages than mine still circulating, so as long as the old girl can get down and boogie, I'll be happy to do the dance.

[BBB]

My 2001 1.9td ticked over 260k yesterday. Admittedly the previous owner had a recon head fitted and I've got a replacement gearbox still sat in the garden. It's the simplicity I value, no abs, airbags or ecu even got manual windows.

[mangocrazy]

My 2001 1.9td ticked over 260k yesterday. Admittedly the previous owner had a recon head fitted and I've got a replacement gearbox still sat in the garden. It's the simplicity I value, no abs, airbags or ecu even got manual windows.

Excellent stuff! My view fegarding simplicity is exactly the same. No DPF, no EGR, no catalytic converter on mine and it sailed through the emissions tests. Mine does have an ECU and intercooler, but that's par for the course on the 2.5 TDi engines. As log as it doesn't become uneconomic to repair, I'm keeping it for as long as I possibly can.

[Count Steer]

My 2001 1.9td ticked over 260k yesterday. Admittedly the previous owner had a recon head fitted and I've got a replacement gearbox still sat in the garden. It's the simplicity I value, no abs, airbags or ecu even got manual windows.

Excellent stuff! My view fegarding simplicity is exactly the same. No DPF, no EGR, no catalytic converter on mine and it sailed through the emissions tests. Mine does have an ECU and intercooler, but that's par for the course on the 2.5 TDi engines. As log as it doesn't become uneconomic to repair, I'm keeping it for as long as I possibly can.

I'm starting to feel like that about my car! It's not as simple as a 20+ years old VW van, but, every time I drive a new vehicle, the novelty stuff and the raft of 'not-legally -required-but-helps-gather-NCAP-rating-points stuff' soon becomes the 'irritating-distracting-stuff'.

(Got a Ford Kuga PHEV/hybrid type of thing as a loan car recently and, while the 99mpg for the day was pleasing I'd rather spend my attention on driving than watching a screen full of efficiency data and efficiency improvement prompts. Otherwise I thought it was actually OK, a bit lumpen but useable).