Hi all, I just bought my first MB diesel (83 240d) and, well, I'
m starting think that I may have got hosed. I was digging through all the records and receipts and I found a receipt from a shop that says: "work order: advise customer - possible blown head gasket." The mechanic's note says "constant bubbles in the radiator, indicating a blown head gasket."

This was from 6/10/12. I can't find any receipts from after this date. I've been trying to call the guy that sold me the car all day but he isn't answering and the shop won't be open until Monday.

Here's the thing though, I've been driving the car for over a week and it has absolutely no symptoms of a blown head - the engine power seems normal;there's no smoke; it doesn't overheat; the oil seems to be a normal color and there are no bubbles on the dipstick.

Is it possible to have a blown head and have no symptoms? Is it possible that the mechanic that checked it out was just wrong? Am I just being optimistic?

Welcome to the forum.

In short it seems unlikely that the car has fixed itself since June. Just because there isn't a reciept it doesn't mean that it wasn't fixed.

I'd give the seller a chance to get back to you. But if it was a private sale then I guess in most parts of the world that defaults to a buyer beware situation...

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1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Welcome !
One thing you dont mention is if there is bubbling in the radiator. When the motor is warm & running but not too hot, carefully take the radiator cap off. You may get an initial pressure release but then it should not show any bubbling in the coolant.
Some also check to see if there is pressure in the system the day after the car has been run.
Please report back.
I would not be racing off to change a head gasket just yet.
Some times if the motor sits for a year or 2 very minor leaks can go away.

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1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
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1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
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some things to check-

-is the coolant oily?
-is the oil cap 'milky'?
-do you see white smoke from the tailpipe?

the bubbles in the coolant might or might not be a head gasket issue. perhaps the cooling system has an air leak (loose clamp or pinhole somewhere)

at this point, i would not condemn the head gasket.

even if it is, it is not that difficult to replace.

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Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

A couple of things.

Looking at receipts should occur before purchase not after as should taking the car to a shop inspection.

Did you buy this car from the actual long term owner or someone that buys cars, cleans them up for resale but claims they are an "enthusiast" ? The latter is really a dealer but skirts the law / ethics by calling themselves an "enthusiast".

Before buying anything from an ad, I always run the persons phone # / e mail / name through a web search. Since the web is forever, I see if someone selling lots of cars but advertises in the " By owner " section of Craigs list they are not being truthful / ethical right from the start. The gray area would be if they clearly state in the ad that they buy and tidy up cars as a hobby / extra $, in this case they are being honest.

This person didn't "sell" you the used item , you made a decision to "buy" it. It is the buyers responsibility to make sure the item is suited to their needs / expectations.

There is a head gasket sealer called "Blue Devil" ( other brands have popped up recently ), it works , at least in the short term, I have not been around an engine that has been run with it long term. Look up the chemical " Water Glass" or "Sodium Silicate" . Look carefully at the rad cap area for white stains then look at the coolant for a pearlescent reflection.

Bubbles in the coolant generally indicate combustion gasses leaving the cylinder and entering the coolant. There are chemical tests for CO in the coolant, but I find pressurizing each cylinder and looking for bubbles to be more accurate as it narrows down to the actual cylinder. This helps when the engine is taken apart and one must decide if the gasket or head is bad.

Coolant bubbles can occur if coolant flow is poor ( water pump impeller losing fins. ) or if the cooling system had just been filled and air is still coming out of the system so the original diagnosis might not have been correct.

Personally if there are bubbles in the radiator I would not use a sealer type product. A head gasket change if really indicated is not the end of the world if you and perhaps some friends do it. I sense you do not have a lot of automotive experience since you were looking for bubbles on the dipstick.

Remember we all had to start to do repairs at one time and it was the first time.

You're right, I don't have a lot (read: close to none) of experience. I read online that one of the things you can check for is bubbles on the oil dipstick - I guess that's wrong.

I know, you've gotta start somewhere - I was planning on starting with a veggie oil conversion - I have a friend who's pretty good with diesels and has a lot of tools. Looks like this might be our first project, though

[QUOTE=97 SL320;3020411]A couple of things.

Looking at receipts should occur before purchase not after as should taking the car to a shop inspection.

I know, I know - I made a stupid mistake. I was distracted by the car itself - I just absolutely loved it. And, this guy just seemed honest. I did look through a lot of the receipts before buying (there were a lot of them) and I could tell right away that he took care of the car - oil changes, various DIY parts from auto stores, etc. Also, bigger stuff: an engine swap out at 126,000 miles, a completely rebuilt front end, new rear brakes a year and a half ago. Basically, I thought I had a real winner on my hands and I didn't look as closely as I should have - you live and learn I guess.

[QUOTE=benhogan;3020352]some things to check-

-is the coolant oily?
-is the oil cap 'milky'?
-do you see white smoke from the tailpipe?

No oil in the coolant, no coolant in the oil, neither the rad or oil cap has any kind of residue and there is no smoke at all from the tailpipe. I'm just surprised that the car could drive basically flawlessly with absolutely no signs of anything wrong. Is that possible. Shouldn't I have a loss of engine power or at least a rough running engine?

Later this afternoon, I'm going to check for bubbles in the radiator.

Just keep and eye on it.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

This is why you need a solid diagnosis.

1980 240D CRACKED cylinder head + cavitation damage


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