I saw a carina today but have two questions.
1. The coolant is black. Is this normal on a petrol 2.0
2. The top of the oil filler cap has some sludgy black deposit. Again, is this normal.
Please help.
Gregory
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Struth!
Don't even think about buying it!
'Heap of the week' springs to mind!
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Does the black deposit and black coolant mean a head gasket leak or cyclinder problem. Also, what does the black sludge mean?
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Another point. I suspect a head gasket problem. However, the car drove very well and only had 60,000 miles costing £2k.
But, it may be clocked perhaps. It did not have any service reciepts but just a service book full service history that was stamped. Maybe that that answer my suspisions of it cheap price?
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Black sludge usually indicates lack of frequent (or any!) oil changes. As I understand it, old oil traps more and more dirt and combustion byproducts until it gets thicker and starts leaving deposits.
Never seen black coolant even on cars with complete head gasket failure. At the most, I have seen coolant with a brown milky colour, never proper black. Mixing/emulsifying black oil with any kind of coolant or water won't yield black, but varying shades of brown. Were you just checking the colour in the resevoir bottle?. Old coolant left in there can change to a dark colour, but not what I would call black.
In any case, I would walk away from the car unless the price is such that factoring in the cost of a complete engine replacement and the time and hassle of it, still makes it an affordable buy.
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Carina's were born taxis. More like 260000! Check rear seats for wear.
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I am sure it was black. Perhaps it may have just been dark, but anyhow it shouldn't be.
I looked in the reserve bottle and the actual radiator which were both dark in colour.
Gens point about the rear seats: they seemed fine but then the taxi's do use covers and carina seats are quite strong.
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And about this car again. When I depressed the clutch, I could hear a squeek from the car as if it was the clutch cable or something connected. I heard the same thing when test driving a vauxhall vectra diesel some time back.
Can anyone shed any light on this squeeking when depressing the clutch.
And finally, the clutch seemed stiffer than other carina's I test drove. Does this point to anything and does a stiffer clutch mean a better or worse car?
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"Does this point to anything"
Yes!!!, that and everything else you have mentioned point to a car you should avoid.8-) Seriously, there is nothing that you have mentioned to date that makes that car even worth a second look. The price may be low, but I *know* you can find much better cars for that 2,000. They may be older (you haven't mentioned age of Carina) and they may not be Carinas, but they will be in better shape and better able to serve you longer.
To answer the squeaky question, yes that squeak sounds as if it is coming from either the clutch cable (if so equipped)or maybe from the clutch pedal pivot point or throw-out/release bearing. The throw-out bearing could be costly to remedy, but the other two are minor and wouldn't be deal-breakers...if they were on a car that was a good deal...which that Carina isn't.
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