Judging by the amount of threads on this engine, they don't seem to like the cold much. Or exisitence in general really.

My AUB has white mayo on the oil filler cap (taken up to temp every day and run at speed for a good distance) but still has this white mayo stuff.

On saturday it wouldn't start at all (caught after cranking it over for ages, has done this before) and when it did it was kicking out massive clouds of steam. On idle it was bad, but when revved it was forming clouds of the stuff. Checked the fluids and they're all fine and not fixed together. As it got up to temperature it stopped steaming totally, and hasn't done it since. Was thinking the headgasket had gone at first, but not too sure now. A compression test got results of 150, 175, 150, 150, so not too much ary there (although the spark plugs are completely black).

Any ideas what this could be? My thoughts are temp sensor for the starting, but could this somehow cause the steam?

Thanks for any suggestions,

Joe

Are you sure it's steam and not smoke?

When my temp sensor went it would smoke like a trooper some days. Also got an unpredictable idle sometimes..

TBH, on an AUB, If you haven't already changed it, My 1st thoughts would be temp sender (especially if it's 2002 or earlier).. but then, that doesn't explain the Mayo.

Edited 15 December, 200916 yr by Rob.

i had mayo on my cap too, turns out i just need a new gasket for the cap as it was letting moisture in! worth a try

don't worry too much about the mayo, as thes engines are prone to allowing condensation forming inside in the cold weather, and it can be this moisture that forms the mayo. i agree that it could be smoking rather than steaming (easy to confuse on these nippy mornings). Get it Vag Com read, and you will see if the temp sensor is the culprit

HTH

Edited 16 December, 200916 yr by Woolfy

Cheers for replying. Think I will change the temp sensor anyway, nothing lost in trying. And it is any early one, February 01.

It did definatly seem like steam, as it had no smell and was white, unlike the smoke it kicked out after the compression tests and when it flooded trying to start, which was blue and stank.

At least the consensus on the mayo is not to worry, so that's good.

Still thrown by the smoke/steam though.

Good call on the sender.

So many of these pack in on the pre 2003 AUB units.. They MUST have had a bad batch, or just under engineered them.

Picked mine up on Saturday and had a proper check over on Sunday and indeed there is white mayo around the oil fillter, but thats because its loose, not tight fitting, so ordered new one cause the seals are gone.. mates agreed the mayo is due to that and not head gasket.. but reading about it over and over it seems like it could be a common problem?! Mine is a 2000 X reg car..

Seems to me, as much as I had fun with mine and lots of them are reliable.. the AUB is one of VW worse.

I would agree with that. Quite nice engine IMO, like being revved to get anywhere, but likes breaking down more.

Seems to be the moral of the story for my entire car really.

Anyway, will order one and update back when it's fitted.