have a look at the website there are loads of testimonials on the k-seal but its gotta be your call i personally have used it on my mg-zr and corsa and it worked on both.
it could well be the idle control valve take it off clean it and put it back on its a 5min job also clean the electrical connection, if it is the head i still use my corsa daily (thanks to gordon brown) and it uses no water runs fine and pressurises up properly now!
for 12 imo its worth trying 1st unless £800 for a head gasket is not a great deal of money to pay?

 

well cheers guys, she is booked in mid week, for a full health check, all of the above will be checked, and then the decision will be made, as to which way to go, TBH its a lot of money, but if it fixes her up then great, i read the testimonials, but still trying to get it round my head!!

thank you of the feedback guys, i will give andy a call also on monday morning, and ask him his thoughts, i wish it was the idle control valve, but alas, lack of water, lumpy idle first thing, and the fact that oil has mixed with the water, hence the slight gunk on on the cap..all points to one thing..

i shall keep you all posted chaps...

once again thanks for all of the feedback..

 

Woah...slight gunk?

I thought you meant lots. If the coolant hasn't been changed for a long time, thats all it could be - just some gunk and the head gasket(s) might be fine.

Pressure test of cooling system will put your mind at rest.

Which leaves the idle issue: Vacuum leak (split or loose hose or a aftermarket VTA dump valve stuck open), clogged idle control valve, or airflow sensor on its way out, or the cambelt has slipped a tooth or two......

 

i bet its your icv cant see why a fuced head gasket would make a idle problem,

 

the car does have an after market dump valve, baileys, slight gunk yes, i must admit i have not serviced her since purchase..circa 2 and a month bits, time issues have stopped this..but the fact that the water bottle was empty, there was an issue after purchase where the temp went up, but that was down to an air lock..

ok, well that has sort of put my mind at rest, and i have it booked in next week, so i shall have her well and truly looked at, from the pressure testing to the ICV etc...

heres hoping for the best, hopefully my bonus is still in tact!!..looks like i am printing all of the above and get my dude to check all of them, with a fine tooth comb..

 

ps...would the fact that the car would be drawing water in, be causing the idle problem, it happens upon start up..200rpms, then slowly climbs on the analoge read out (Dashboard)and the FC commander within 30 seconds...to 1100 rpms, and then settles down to 800ish...

 

I am all for doing things yourself but if you don know what you are doing and your mechanic is an ex Prodrive mechanic (and wasn't sacked for being crap) leave it with him he will know best. No amount of guess work from here will help you.
Leave it to somebody that does know what they are doing

 

exactamundo, no he was not sacked..i think!!..i suppose all of the people here help in many ways, it gives you the hope that its nothing major!!

 

hi guys, you will be pleased to know that she is booked in tommorrow, for major surgery(if needed..!!)

un plugged the ICV today, and the revs shot up and darted around 1000rpms and 2000,

any way, if it is gasket problems, then i have told my chap to change the plugs, the coilpacks, all of the crank seals, check the clutch,(replace if needs be,

anything else i should get him to change while the engine is out?
also will the car need a re-map after the engine is taken out and taken to bits and put back together?

 

I would be very surprised if it's a head gasket issue causing the problems with idle and startup.

First of all 200rpm isn't even on the tacho, if tacho reads 0, 500 and so on, so if it's 2 notches above zero that's 600rpm.

If the headgaskets have gone, the primary symptom will be pressurised coolant system and loss of coolant when the car is used on boost. It is VERY rare for oil/water problems occur, because unlike a regular NA car, the loss of coolant from the overflow happens long before the head gasket gets bad enough to completely fall apart. Your "chocolate coloured gunk" is rust, and it's normal on the expansion tank, especially if the coolant has been kept in good condition (to prevent corrosion). Where you should be checking for oil is in the header tank attached to the inlet manifold, there I suspect you will find no gunk at all, although from what you describe the coolant will be pale and potentially brown.

Given that it's on a PowerFc, then all manner of things can and probably have been messed with. Your best bet is to get the car to someone that specialises in PFC mapping, not someone that says they can do anything just to take your money.

The list of things I would check before removing the engine are:

Check correct position of ISCV
Check for air leaks on manifold and intake pipework
Ensure the PFC is correctly mapped (many are not)

If you're being asked to spend more than £100 at this point, worry, you're beeing fleeced.

 

Sorry to butt in but you sais to check for air leaks on manifold and intake pipework. What are the best ways of doing these checks?

 

take it to someone who knows what they are doing.

 

what a comment to make, not everyone has the time or tools or mechanical know how available to them. Majority of car drivers should sell up & take the bus based on your opinion.

 

hi...Zen performance, thanks for the info(top notch!)

ISCV, i take it that is the idle control valve?is there not just one position that this can be in?(sorry for sounding stupid, but thats because i am!!)that is being checked, as is the pressure system, before any removal of major organs,

i have forgotton who did the map, there is a sticker in the engine bay, but that is one of the first things that i will be doing once the car is diagnosed/fixed and handed back..

problem being i live up in Carlisle, and i have no idea where the closest PFC tuner is!!

other than that, everything that will stop the engine being hauled out, is being checked..

thanks chaps

 

Andy Forrest- Scotland

 

any news?

 

andy forrest it is...

any news?...oh on the motor, no...which is good news!!...i will find out tommorrow..fngers cross, it will be the worst case scenario, and i will have complete peice of mind, i have been told it will be no more than 600 notes, all in all, at least she will have a complet strip down..and....well, we shall see...i shall keep this thread alive, and let you know the final outcome..

 

ok guys, quick up date,

its not the gasket!!...mechanic is perplexed as to what it is!!..he has done every gasket check, pressure to Lyt test...so he is now cleaning everyhting that can be cleaned!!..and changing the plugs..so we shall see...any other ideas?

 

Mate, seriously: Get it to a Subaru specialist!!!!

It does sound like your mechanic isn't up to the job!!

Ns04

 

alas poor yorik!!...as they say!

its just me asking questions on the forum, the mechanic in question is a specialist!,