Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 51 Plate - Emulsified oil

[fiacre]

I've recently checked the oil level of my mum's corsa and found that it was very low so i went to fill it up. When i took the filler cap off there was brown emulsified oil all over the cap. I asked my brother and he suspects the head gasket is on it's way out. I checked the water level and it seemed ok. A little low, about a 1cm below where it should be. Is it okay to drive whilst i wait to have a garage look at it and what other possible causes are there for this? My mum usually just uses the car to drive to and from work - around 7 miles each way.

Thanks

[cleggie]

if its an astra like ours its a common problem when using it very little and only short runs.
what happens is that it condensates and because of only short runs it does not get enough running to evaporate,therefore you get a small amount of yellow gunk on the inside of oil filler cap.
we had ours checked out and was informed of this problem by garage.was told not to worry and now and again give it a good run and it will be ok.
if you are not losing water then its not a gasket gone.
google it and you will find many similiar answers to this.

[Toureman]

I agree with cleggie's answer, I cured mine by blanking off half the radiator.

Keep an eye on your temprature gauge when in heavy traffic though.

Nothing wrong with the engine, not the head gasket.

[Fitboy-slim]

Agree with above, except that the emulsion under my Astra's filler cap usually disappears in summer.

I suggest getting the oil and filter changed. If it is just due to overcooling, the emulsion shouldn't reappear until the cold weather returns.

[fiacre]

Thanks for your answers. I can breathe a little easier now before i get it checked out at the garage.

[david1702198]

yep same thing happens on mine, probably due to short journeys