The usual polarised camps of thought - the DIY-ers and the hand-over-your-credit-card-ers.

It's been said many times before, be careful if you're cleaning your engine - you can do a lot of damage if you get water in places where it shouldn't be.

Just wash off the excess water with some diesel mixed in used oil and you can restore the delicate equilibrium.

Illogical, Captain.

Also not every car loses 1000,s in depreciation every year. If yours does then you're probably in a privileged situation compared to a lot of people. My car is worth the same if not more now than it was ten years ago.

I generally bought BMW's for about what the previous owner had spent on 1 years repairs at a main agent, I like service history ! I then drove the cars a further 200,000 km plus spending about 1-2k of less than 1c a KM on repairs.

Can attest to that. Had the head gaskets destroyed that way. saved 60 at a cheap garage but the repair was over 600. Ouch!
However, even when the dealer did the washing still had problems after inspection like within weeks the muffler and drive shaft boot needing replacement.

How? This makes no sense!

Tom

It was a Subaru.

I don't understand, car likely overheated.
I can't imagine any car where you could get a head gasket replaced for 600, it will cost multiple's of that for just a cam belt in CH.

Sorry for the miss information, it was the valve cover gaskets. Still the damage was definitely from the washing.

How? Still makes no sense!

Tom

Imagine someone attempting to clean a valve/cam/rocker-cover gasket leak at two to three inches away with a high powered jet wash. These gaskets are often not so well secured.

Dealer said so. When they wash the motor, they refrain from hitting them with direct pressure.

Gaskets don't fall off if you take the rocker cover off, they go over the studs, so I am with Tom on this.
Pretty sure you are supposed to be at least 30cm away with the jet, usually is clearly written.

They certainly are on every vehicle I have ever owned.

Tom

Good for you.

Dear wsp, as you have probably already gathered, there is no right or wrong way of going through an MFK and so you'll receive plenty of conflicting advice. What you need to do is find a method that best suits you and what you're willing to spend on the car.

In my opinion, I recognised long ago that people are willing to waste far too much money in getting their car past an MFK in one go. So much in fact that it's a Swiss money making industry here!

To answer your points:

1. Does it mean I need to replace tyres with new ones?
Yes, and this is really in your interest too for safety reasons. Are they winter tyres or summer tyres? Around now is normally the time for changing from winter to summer tyers so could be worth investing in some if needs be.

2. Will be able ask for a engine clean in car wash centres like Oscar car wash?
I've never gotten a motor clean before an MFK, at something like 200 chf to be done "professionally" this is a complete rip off. Get your hands in there with a damp cloth, use WD40 motor cleaner (see link below), and take it to the Waschstrasse and get the full works (about 20 chf) and that's always been enough for me.

https://www.galaxus.ch/de/s4/product...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

3. Is there a garage in the vicinity of Zug or Zurich, which could help fix these problems cheaper?
This is the advantage of failing an MFK, you get a nice list outlining whatever needs to be replaced or remedied without having to go overboard (and get scammed in many cases) at the garage the first time around.

4. How much this may cost approximately?
Go around, and get some quotes, it can vary quite a lot.

Good luck!

I don't know why you guys have to insist that something couldn't possibly have happened, essentially accusing the poster of lying (for what gain?) simply because something like that never happened in your own experience. That the head gasket could not be damaged yes for sure but the valve cover gaskets are often BUT NOT ALWAYS fragile.

I think the fault was caused by something else. A fragile gasket would break up & oil would pour out. This is a boxer engine we are talking about.

In my student days, I remember making up a gaskets for the primary chain case of my motorbike, a 250cc BSA, from old breakfast cereal boxes or similar. I think that might have survived a direct a direct blast with a pressure washer simply because the housing was a good and tight enough fit to be oil tight. Or as least didn't drip an unacceptable amount of oil for motorbikes of that era. I wouldn't have tried that with a cylinder head gasket, though. I seem to remember anyway that was made of copper.

It was no major leak but enough oil was seeping through to stink up the driving experience. Basically, after about 20 minutes of driving one could register in the nostrils the scent of burnt oil. Especially at intersections.