Info needed on possible car purchase please!

Asked by Glassback82 Dec 03, 2014 at 09:47 PM about the Vauxhall Astra

Question type: General

Hi there, I'mlooking for a car for my missus just a basic runabout to work and back and
have seen this on Auto Trader:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201411068796953/sort/default/onesearch
ad/used/postcode/ts253pd/price-from/0/radius/35/quicksearch/true/price-
to/500/page/3/usedcars?logcode=pItsays the car smokes when cold but stops when
warm, is this going to be a costly fix or is the car going to be ok and worth buying? I'd
appreciate any replies! Thanks in advance!

3 Answers

101,335

Bue smoke? White? Gray? Black? Blue smoke tends to be oil related. White can be water related, potentially a sign of a blown head gasket. Grey might be transmission fluid burning in the engine, or just a bad PVC valve. Black is fuel related. I'd ask the owner to let a mechanic look it over before buying it. If it's obviously burning oil, either valves/valve seals, or piston rings could be shot. You could get a compression tester and check compression yourself too. Parts (like piston rings) warm up and expand, so that's most likely why it stops burning oil after running for a while.

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Best Answer Mark helpful

They haven't specified colour but after what you have mentioned I will give it a miss I think, thanks for taking the time to rely to me I am most grateful!

101,335

That's why buying a car that blows smoke is such a gamble, you might be looking at a valve job or head gaskets or it might be something simple. You have to wonder, if it was something simple to fix, then why didn't the current owner fix it and set a normal asking price, instead of letting it go cheaper? I tend to think they know it's a more expensive repair and are hoping to dump the car on an unsuspecting buyer.

Your Answer:

Astra

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