Thermalp4

iTrader: (3)

Hi All.

Following around 6 weeks of uncertainty with my recently purchased 05 Blob STi, just wanted to say thanks to Indigo GT of Tredegar.

Had a diagnosis of head gasket failure in late Nov early Dec by a well known and respected specialist in Swansea who performed a sniff test.

He said it failed the test straight away without even needing to rev the car.

With no real symptoms (took the car in for strut knocking and asked them to check out a water sound behind the dash) and the car performing well I couldn't accept this so booked into Indigo up near heads of the valleys South Wales.

After performing another sniff test and pressure testing the cooling system, along with an extensive test ride connected to diagnostics monitoring temperatures I was given a clean bill of health.

I should name and shame really because I was nearly taken for almost £1700.

There we are.

Lucky escape.

Thanks again Indigo.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Wonder what coe that was?

Alan Jeffery

As I said in your other thread we don't trust sniff tests! If it has a head gasket problem, a Scooby will always let you know about it..

richie001

iTrader: (3)

Indigo-GT

Thermalp4

iTrader: (3)

Well, I didn't want to say it.

Do you know if this or similar has happened before?

RedScoob

Are sniff tests not accurate then?
What's a more accurate way of determining a HG failure?

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Trawl his name in the Wales section.

uk_99

you should name the company so no one else on here gets robbed

RedScoob

Hold on a sec, I thought that a sniff test was a pretty surefire way of identifying head gasket failure (okay, the quote for the work is a little high, but still).
I'd definitely get the gaskets replaced on that info. What am I missing?

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Post 2 did but I would not worry unless your near Gorseinon in South Wales.

hedgecutter

iTrader: (5)

Hmmm. I have been waiting over 3 months for parts, paid for , from Indigo. Apparently they will arrive tomorrow, but I am not holding my breath. Taking a day off work to wait in for them, too. That`s a quarter of a year waiting!

Alan Jeffery

The "sniff test" is looking for combustion gases present in the coolant. Of course, that doesn't take the possibility of contamination into account. It's open to "misinterpretation" of course, although only desperate idiots would use that as an excuse to carry out work that wasn't required.
A Subaru engine doesn't usually suffer from cross contamination oil/water wise, particularly from multi layer head gaskets, so what you'd be looking for is unexplained coolant loss. Rule of thumb is if you absolutely can't find a leak and you're losing coolant, suspect a head gasket blow by causing system pressurisation and coolant loss via the expansion tank.

RedScoob

Thanks for that Alan, you live and learn...