My car oil/water ran low, the temp light started flashing and car seems fine...

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...now topped up, read more...? But my boyfriends dad reckons it is leaking water and some kind of white stuff, now I'm being told that it could be the gasket or blocked airpipe....is this likely when the car is running absolutely fine with no problems?

Personally I think the car is fine and just needed some more oil and water lol...it all seems a bit stupid.

If it is that, how much are we looking at paying, it's only an old n reg golf.
 
Anything bad coming out the tailpipe? No? That's a good sign.

Change the oil. Milky coming out, or just your usual old oil? If it looks kinda creamy and light, there's water in there - bad sign. If it's just dark and smooth, good - no water.

If you've got water in the oil, you may need a head gasket. But that's not too hard to do. You can do it yourself if you're willing to pay attention to the little stuff.

If the water simply got low, and the oil got low, and everything else is okay - ignore the BFs dad, but be nice about it. He means well.

And as for anybody telling you to scrap your old N-reg Golf - price out a headgasket job. Now compare that to the cost of a new car, or even a good used car similar to your Golf. Which is cheaper? Headgasket.

The money-smart way to own a car is to buy it and then drive it until the end of time. It isn't whether the repair is worth more than the car, it's whether the repair is worth more than a NEW car.

Good luck!
 
If it's running fine then you're lucky. Incidently, we once ran a Yale forklift truck for months, 24 hours a day, with no water in, and regularly do it even now with Hysters, so so long as there is some lubrication an engine will take some incredible abuse.
If the engine has suffered damage, then to be honest you'd be cheaper scrapping the car. An N reg Golf is worth a couple of hundred, Henry Gray & Sons, autowreckers of Kirkcaldy, will give you £60 scrap. And tow it away.
 
yes it is likely, it sounds like you have water in your oil and this is coming out the breather pipe, as previously mentioned its probably the head gasket.
no small job but if it needs doing then it needs to be done before you damage the engine.

i'd take it to a garage and ask them to look at it before it seizes up. that would cost you upwards of £700 for a recon engine.
 
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