head gasket failure ?

[Bonymaenjack]

I have a 325 which previously has not shown any signs of head gasket failure .The car has stood for a number of months due to many other issues but she starts and idles fine after many new parts being fitted. Today I've noticed after she's been idling for 10 -15 minutes that the filler oil cap has greyish gunge on it , the temperature gauge hasn't risen higher than just below half way in all the time I've owned her and that remains the same now , the engine oil is still clean there doesn't appear to be a loss of coolant and the oil level hasn't risen ,could it be the case that the moisture has built up inside the block and is transmitting itself to the oil cap , the exhaust seems to be excreting water with a damp patch on the floor beneath the tail pipes .
I'm really getting losing hope that the car will ever go back on the road but I've spent a lot on her with no apparent end in sight .

[gromgsxr]

if it has not run for a good while it may be a build up of condensation

[Bonymaenjack]

if it has not run for a good while it may be a build up of condensation

That's what I'm hoping it'll be , I start her once a week , (she's parked outside the house ) and although it's not been hot weather wise it's not cold either .

[steve_k]

if it has not run for a good while it may be a build up of condensation

^^^^^^^^^^this, can also happen if te car is only used for short trips where the engine doesn't get up to temp.

[Bonymaenjack]

Cheers both ,obviously I'll keep an eye on it , but strangely now the engine's cooled the gunge has disappeared

[Brianmoooore]

Burning a litre of petrol in an internal combustion engine produces around ten litres or so of water, and some of this will end up in your oil.
Starting your engine once a week will just increase the amount of water in your oil, unless the car is brought up to FULL working temperature (coolant and oil), which it unlikely to do just idling by the kerb.
What you're seeing is just condensation from some of this water evaporating off.
Unlikely to be a head gasket in any case, unless the head has been allowed to corrode through the use of incorrect coolant mix, which can cause problems around the crescent shaped waterways in the head face. Coolant in the oil in a M20B25 is almost always cracked cam carrier bearings.

[Bonymaenjack]

Burning a litre of petrol in an internal combustion engine produces around ten litres or so of water, and some of this will end up in your oil.
Starting your engine once a week will just increase the amount of water in your oil, unless the car is brought up to FULL working temperature (coolant and oil), which it unlikely to do just idling by the kerb.
What you're seeing is just condensation from some of this water evaporating off.
Unlikely to be a head gasket in any case, unless the head has been allowed to corrode through the use of incorrect coolant mix, which can cause problems around the crescent shaped waterways in the head face. Coolant in the oil in a M20B25 is almost always cracked cam carrier bearings.

Prior to the car being laid up there were no signs at all of an issue and I believe that's remains the case but looking at the cap was unnerving ,I'll have a much better idea once she's back on the road and used as she should be .

Why I sold my last E30 is the biggest mistake I've made in all my motoring years