PaulJC

iTrader: (1)

16 degrees outside temp, had been driving for a little while when I spotted the temperature gauge heading north so immediately shut down and stopped until the temp gauge had returned into the normal range, fluid was about 1" down from the top of the bottle...

Started her up thinking I'd limp her home, maybe done half a mile before the gauge started heading north again and I'm not sat by the side of the road waiting for her to cool down fully before attempting to limp home once the traffic is gone...

Would this be a good indication of the dreaded head gasket?

Turbotits

iTrader: (2)

Could be many things. Thermostat,pump,blocked rad or as you say head gasket. Are both top and bottom hoses at the same temp? Where have you checked the coolant? I assume not in the header tank? As if the engine was hot you would have been covered in coolant. Let it cool totally and check the level there.

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

Another 2.5 headgasket issue.
Overheating on boost.

PaulJC

iTrader: (1)

I'm letting it cool totally at the moment and will check the level before I try to go anywhere again, gauge was showing hot but heater is blowing cold, really hope it's not the dreaded HG's, I've got no issues doing the work it's just time and money as always.

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

Sounds like it unfortunately. drive it off boost and i should be ok when its cool

PaulJC

iTrader: (1)

Gauge is on about 1/8th now, water warm to touch (expansion not header) top hose hot, bottom cold, so maybe an airlock, fluid level doesn't seem to have dropped much

Turbotits

iTrader: (2)

A cold heater would indicate no coolant in the system. When was it last checked? If its got low and overheated could cause h/g failure anyway.

14N-FR

iTrader: (3)

H/g failure symptoms I'm afraid.

PaulJC

iTrader: (1)

Checked less than a week ago and all fine, coolest is still almost to the top of the expansion so not a lack of fluid I don't think

PaulJC

iTrader: (1)

Right, she's home, driven off boost all the way and managed to keep the temps down, did have a couple of moments but nothing as high as earlier (which still wasn't all that high, was noticed just between 3/4 and the red and shut off straight away...

The heater was warm most of the time but did go really hot and cold a couple of times...

Guess theres nothing i can do but get a compression tester on her and then go from there...

PaulJC

iTrader: (1)

Confirmed head gasket, coolant is now black, approx 750ml of oil has vanished since the weekend, seems my compresion tester is FUBARE'D but is showing consistanly low on one cylinder...

The dealer that sold it to me has been contacted with regards to warranty which was only 3 month so no longer in place so they have refused to repair it but offered to 'help' by supplying parts at cost, it's only done 3000 miles in my ownership so in my eyes not fit for purpose but i'll be starting another thread about that in a minute, just wanted to update this one first.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Not got owt to add, but here's a bit of advice:

If you notice overheating, the FIRST thing to do is get off boost, slow to about 50mph, bang the inside heaters on full and keep going.

ONLY stop if it continues to rise. Stopping allows the coolant to continue to absorb heat from the engine, with no way of dissipating it via the rad, since there is no coolant FLOW and no airflow over the rad to take the heat away

So stopping is the worst thing you can do in many cases.

Obviously, if there is steam everywhere, or it continues to rise when you have taken the precautions above, THEN stop when safe to do so.

PaulJC

iTrader: (1)

I would have attempted to continue but was approaching traffic so better to pull off and stop than end up stranded on a piece of dual carriageway, she was driven home in the end completely off boost with the heaters on full and made the journey without getting too warm

Good advice though for anyone facing the same situation