God, I hate this pile of shite

[ChristoT]

I've just spent a fruitless evening under the hood of the Peugeot. The car seems to be trying to overheat, when I stop now after a drive, there's a loud hissing from the front of the engine, and inspection shows it to be coolant making a break for freedom at high pressure from the piepes and the cap of the coolant reservoir. I thought it might be the thermostat causing this build up of pressure. So I get it out, covering myself, the engine bay and the road in coolant in the process. Finally get it sealed back up, put close to 4L of coolant ot replace the stuff that pissed all over the floor, checked the thermostat - the fucker works! So I'm stuck with a problem that no-one seems to know the reason for, not enough money (or motivation, frankly) to put it into the very expensive garage near work, buit living in mortal fear the fucker's going to do a ZX4 on me and blow up.

I fucking hate this car.   


On the plus side, big props to Dead Eye who endured 20 minutes of my grumbling incompetence. Top Foccer. 

[DekF]

Symptoms of a leaking head gasket over pressurising the coolant system.

[ChristoT]

Symptoms of a leaking head gasket over pressurising the coolant system.

Yeah, that's what I feared. Oil level is good though, looks black as tar (due a change in just under 2,000 miles), and no obvious white smoke out the back. Fucking thing.

[rustyrider]

If it's getting out of the pipes and cap your pipes and cap are knackered to allow it out.  Over pressuring on a Peugeot diesel is a sign that the head gasket is on it's way out.  You can postpone the inevitable with a bottle of K-Seal but it'll need doing sooner or later.  A mate's wife had a 306 estate that started doing it so he took it in for MoT so he could flog it quick with a years ticket.  While in the MoT bay with the testers head under the bonnet and the engine running, there was a loud pop and the tester emerged from under the bonnet covered in anti-freeze as the pressure had split the header tank......

It won't get into the oil or try to burn coolant, it'll just put combustion gases into the cooling system.

[ChristoT]

If it's getting out of the pipes and cap your pipes and cap are knackered to allow it out.  Over pressuring on a Peugeot diesel is a sign that the head gasket is on it's way out.  You can postpone the inevitable with a bottle of K-Seal but it'll need doing sooner or later.  A mate's wife had a 306 estate that started doing it so he took it in for MoT so he could flog it quick with a years ticket.  While in the MoT bay with the testers head under the bonnet and the engine running, there was a loud pop and the tester emerged from under the bonnet covered in anti-freeze as the pressure had split the header tank......

It won't get into the oil or try to burn coolant, it'll just put combustion gases into the cooling system.

That might explain why the coolant felt really greasy...

It has to last until Friday. I shall then persuade my parents to let me flog it pronto!!

Anyone got a cheap bike for sale? 

[JoeRock]

If it's getting out of the pipes and cap your pipes and cap are knackered to allow it out.  Over pressuring on a Peugeot diesel is a sign that the head gasket is on it's way out.  You can postpone the inevitable with a bottle of K-Seal but it'll need doing sooner or later.  A mate's wife had a 306 estate that started doing it so he took it in for MoT so he could flog it quick with a years ticket.  While in the MoT bay with the testers head under the bonnet and the engine running, there was a loud pop and the tester emerged from under the bonnet covered in anti-freeze as the pressure had split the header tank......

It won't get into the oil or try to burn coolant, it'll just put combustion gases into the cooling system.

That might explain why the coolant felt really greasy...

It has to last until Friday. I shall then persuade my parents to let me flog it pronto!!

Anyone got a cheap bike for sale? 

Best crack on with the project old boy!

[mr self destruct]

Are you 100% sure it's the head gasket gone? The coolant system is under pressure anyway as it runs at over 100 degrees. It's sealed in order to raise the boiling point of the coolant, so it can do its job more efficiently (just like a pressure cooker). It could just be knackered pipes as they go brittle and split with age, so don't write the car off just yet. 

[ChristoT]

Yes, but:

When I pulled the thermostat yesterday (the prime suspect), the coolant felt really greasy: I thought there might be oil in it (but my oil levels were good).

After filling the car back up, I turned the car on to run the coolant through. And the system immediately went under not inconsiderable pressure, despite the engine & coolant being cold.

Admittedly, the hissing only happens after the engine has had a fastish run and got up to temp. But I'm still very concerned about it blowing up on me.

[snapper]

we used to have a pigout as we called it  it had a regular problem that for no good reason it would get an air block in the coolant system

 the way it was finally cured was it over heated blow the engine and it was sent to the scrape pile in the sky ( best place for it )

 sorry I cant be more help !

[ogri48]

Yup, my daughters little pug used to get air locks. The radiator eventually needed replacing, it was nigh on impossible to get the air out after that. Horrible things, she has never had one since.
Any car garage can do a simple test for gas in the coolant bud, then you'll know for sure.

[Deefer666]

French cars.... Say no more, maybe you will have more luck with an Aixam? LOL

[ChristoT]

I described the problem to a coworker who races BMWs, and is very car savvy. He offered to have a look; as we approached the (now cold) car, he spotted a puddle under the car. As I loosened the cap, coolant started spurting.

His verdict? Head gasket, and dead as a dodo.

[BBROWN1664]

Could you kill one of these? http://www.ligier.fr/js-50-club

[ChristoT]

BBrown: probably.

[Dead Eye]

Are you 100% sure it's the head gasket gone? The coolant system is under pressure anyway as it runs at over 100 degrees. It's sealed in order to raise the boiling point of the coolant, so it can do its job more efficiently (just like a pressure cooker). It could just be knackered pipes as they go brittle and split with age, so don't write the car off just yet. 

This was my line of thinking when I spoke to Christo on the phone

Any car garage can do a simple test for gas in the coolant bud, then you'll know for sure.

I also suggested this :P

Christo, just get the car checked before making any rash decisions based on nothing more than theory and hyperbole

[ChristoT]

Are you 100% sure it's the head gasket gone? The coolant system is under pressure anyway as it runs at over 100 degrees. It's sealed in order to raise the boiling point of the coolant, so it can do its job more efficiently (just like a pressure cooker). It could just be knackered pipes as they go brittle and split with age, so don't write the car off just yet. 

This was my line of thinking when I spoke to Christo on the phone

Any car garage can do a simple test for gas in the coolant bud, then you'll know for sure.

I also suggested this :P

Christo, just get the car checked before making any rash decisions based on nothing more than theory and hyperbole

The coolant is bright red, and you can see the sheen from the diesel in it. It's buggered.

I will get my landlord (ex mechanic) to double check, but I doubt he'll say different. I am now also losing coolant at an alarming rate. 

[ChristoT]

I've been fucking ZX-4'ed!!

Got home, coolant hissing out the cap. The coolant is at ambient temperature. Suspicion? Failed water pump, causing block overheating, causing head gasket failure!!

I am sure it's the head gasket - topped it up just now with coolant, started the engine, coolant level dropped immediately. Topped it up, then it started bubbling! Still stone cold, and you could see whitish smoke coming out of the bubbles!

Head gasket is completely and utterly shagged.

[savvy]

Damn it man, does nothing go right f' thee?

[ChristoT]

Damn it man, does nothing go right f' thee?

You tell me!

Parents Skyping at 8:30pm, not looking forward to that. 

[ChristoT]

Just spoke to my parents. 

Nuff said.

[mickvp]

That's not enough said Christo! What did they say? I know they were against you getting another bike on the road, but what are they saying to your car running like a bag of spanners?

[ChristoT]

Put it this way - it went so well, that towards the end of the conversation, they were implying I'd caused the head gasket failure deliberately.

[mickvp]

Yowzer. I see your predicament. Good luck mate, hopefully they see reason.

[unfazed]

Put it this way - it went so well, that towards the end of the conversation, they were implying I'd caused the head gasket failure deliberately.

Did you

I have a 400 Fazer for sale

[midden]

Put it this way - it went so well, that towards the end of the conversation, they were implying I'd caused the head gasket failure deliberately.

Can see their point if you through in the bit about buying a bike