Disaster stirkes! Calling all boffins!

[Ben H]

Oh dear...what a day!

I finally put my 16v back together yesterday after it had been in the body shop. So I took it for a run today to give my mate a lift to get his new car. All was fine and dandy until I was just about 200 meters from my house on the way home, when *BANG* goes something in the engine bay. I limped the car home with it misfiring like crazy.

I think it might be the head gasket as there was a whisp of smoke coming from one corner of the head to bottom end joining area (where the gasket lives). However, Ive done the usual white stuff in the oil filler test and theres nothing unusual there. So, questions are:

1) If its a head gaslet, whats the cost going to be?

2) Could it be something else?

Thanks very much in anticipation of much needed help!

 

[Matbrown]

Mat.

 

[coolspot007007]

1) 500 notes i think

 

[Ben H]

Hmmm...oh dear. Ive just had another look.

Theres no longer any whisps of steam coming from the engine block, and the coolant level looks fine. But the exhaust is pumping out fumes - then air - fumes - then air. So I suspect a vaccum leak of some sorts, which should be a head gasket? Im just going to check the ignition system (i.e. plugs etc), but I dont think that they would cause problems of this magnitude.

 

[Gareth]

not good.

 

[jimbo1]

hmmmm, i think its a little more serious than hg failure. if u can hear something "go" then its mechanical msot likely. were you caning it when it went bang? sounds like somehtings snapped or somehting. first thing id check is the compression. could be somethign major with the bottom end. needs investigation

jimbo

 

[Clart]

My head gasket went a couple of months ago - it was loosing half the contents of the water header tank on short runs.

Total cost £1200 whic surprised me as i thought it would be arounf £500/600

 

[cliocup]

You wont hear a head gasket go and it will slowly get worse over time.

Check ignition system. Pull the plugs out and check they are intact (no tips missing etc). have a good look at your plug leads, if one has failed and is shorting to the block thats your misfire.

Im assuming your dizzy cap was on properly. Next it will need looking at internally once youve done a compression check. Check your battery teminals also, can come loose and get wet as well.

 

[DTWD]

Where do you live Ben H? Me and a few mates have been messing around with our Golden Eye EMP weapon over the last few days. Its possible you could have been cought in the pulse.



And then I woke up.

Sorry to hear about it Ben. Hope you get it fixed, and cheaply. It must be annoying to have just got it back, and then its undrivable again.

Paul

 

[Ben H]

Found out what it is. Not head gasket, but not good news. See Mechanical forum.

Cheers.