Hi i'm new to this site. Help please!!!!! I think i'm having head gasket problems

[nico2000]

newby here. I think i'm having head gasket problems

I recently noticed my car (A3 1.8T S-reg 1999, 125'000 miles) is letting water into the engine as when i take the oil cap off a lot of steam comes out the cap hole.
The oil is still clear and no oil has mixed with the water (well it is not visible in the expansion tank anyway).

Can anyone tell me what might be the problem with the car? i suspeceted a head gasket failure but it is not showing all the signs, just some.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I hessitate to take it to the garage in case they try to fix a gasket and the problem still persists.​

 

[S3PEG]

does it have enough oil?

 

[Welly]

Compression test is the quickest and easiest way to find out.....

 

[nico2000]

yes, there is plenty of oil in it. that was what i checked first and why i noticed the steam coming out. It resembles a kettle on boil

 

[s3dave]

get a sniff test done from a local mot station you will know in seconds...

 

[S3 TAM]

get a sniff test done from a local mot station you will know in seconds...

I might seem an idiot but whats a SNIFF test?

 

[s3dave]

I might seem an idiot but whats a SNIFF test?

they put the exhaust probe that they use for the emmisions into the water bottle and it sniffs for hydrocarbons