So...who wants...

[InvaderGIR]

Buggernuts...

...Head Gasket Failure anyone?

Well, it seems my car does. \o/

As with Fox's post, here is a picture of it on the back of an RAC van...

I decided on Monday after enduring the train for 11 months of my job that my final 6 weeks commute would be done in the BMW as I was fed up of the trains and wanted comfort and to be able to go out if I wanted easily.

So Tuesday I drove in, and then missed all the traffic on the way home as I went out to see some friends. The car behaved faultlessly which was good.

Today I drove in, everything was fine, I got my parking permit for the next 6 weeks, met friends for lunch, had a nice day at work generally really to be honest. I then drive home, all going well, minimal traffic, nice evening drive.
I get to Bracknell (driving Guildford to Reading), and hit heavy traffic, not a big deal really, as it happens. I then sit there for ages, watching the temp needle go up, but sitting on the edge of the red (so safe still), I get out of the traffic and get to Reading, hit more traffic on the A329 and pop, cloud of steam from the nearside headlamp area and the temp light is on!
Put hazards on and moved over into the bus lane and coasted down the sliproad and onto a pavement at the end of a roundabout.

After popping the bonnet I could see the hose had come off the radiator, but not just off, snapped off where it mounts to.

I called the RAC, and I had someone with me in about 20minutes, which was nice.

He took a look at it and realised the thermostat may not have been working, so took the housing for that off and it was stuck closed...and appeared to have been like it for a while, which explains why the temp needle moves to near hot when in traffic.

After sorting it so I could limp home, I drove to a garage ~1/3 mile with him following. When we got there, he topped up the water, and there was a massive air bubble, so he sorted that but still suspected head gasket failure, due to the fact the thermostat was not opening when the engine was warm.

I also noticed steam coming from the exhaust when it was idling, which seemed very odd, and I forgot to mention to the RAC bloke.

So, going to see if the engine is stuffed or not asap (looks like next week) and so most of my plans for the next few weeks are all buggered. I don't want to take it to a garage (get it recovered to one, not drive it to one ) as they will likely just bend me over and get lots of money from me, else I'd book it in for the weekend. Luckily the head doesn't appear to be warped as it still sounds absolutely fine, unlike when I blew the head gasket and warped the head on a 306d I had years ago.

So there we have it...one M52B with head gasket failure...so it doesn't just happen to Rovers and Peugeots.

I'm not overly fussed about it, these things happen, no point fretting about it and getting annoyed.

If the head is warped at all, then I think the best course of action is to strip the car and sell it for parts, get back as much of the £1100 I bought it for and find something else/another one, but ideally this one is fine.

 

[Janesy B]

 

[Moeks]

Ouch, that is unfortunate. Hopefully the head is alright and it'll all go back together and work perfectly.

 

[Howard]

 

[InvaderGIR]

Ouch, that is unfortunate. Hopefully the head is alright and it'll all go back together and work perfectly.

Me too...as I need a car for at least the next 6 weekends...not having one seriously messes up my social calendar.

 

[Moeks]

If it comes down to it I think you would get a fair chunk of your money back by breaking it and selling for bits anyway.

 

[Ricochet J]

Would you not be able to do this yourself? Cyl head off, replace gasket, cyl head on, bob's your uncle?

 

[Duke]

Oh noes all the bimmers are going wrong

 

[Vigoro]

That sucks

 

[Ricochet J]

Coming to a thread near you: Recommend me a Mercedes C Class.

 

[InvaderGIR]

If it comes down to it I think you would get a fair chunk of your money back by breaking it and selling for bits anyway.

That's my thinking too, and I'd fully strip it too, not just sell a couple of odd bits.

Would you not be able to do this yourself? Cyl head off, replace gasket, cyl head on, bob's your uncle?

That's the plan, but can't commence till next week, only problem is that I can't tell if the head is warped...which hopefully it isn't.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I then sit there for ages, watching the temp needle go up, but sitting on the edge of the red (so safe still),

Errr no, not safe. The BMW temperature guage is 'damped' - if the engine is within normal operating temperature, it remains exactly dead centre and will not move at all. It will ONLY move if the temperature is outside normal operating range - if it moves, there is a problem, its that simple. Even in hot weather sitting in traffic it should remain dead centre if everything is working as it should.

So there was indication of a problem but it seems you continued driving - the second you noticed the temp guage in a different position to normal is when you should have pulled over.

If you HAVE blown the head gasket its probably because you allowed the engine to overheat, although bear in mind:

a) Every time anything happens even remotely linked to cooling everyone on the internet and every RAC man in the world will diagnose HGF
b) You've no signs of oil in the water or water in the oil - it may be as simple as a dodgy hose, dodgy thermostat, etc.

 

[InvaderGIR]

Thermostat is shafted, so is the radiator, and a pipe. Radiator and pipe are due to the pressure managing to snap the connection the pipe was on.

As for the temp dial, yeah, when talking to the RAC guy I did indeed say that it was odd, but I'm used to it on French cars and he said it shouldn't move at all.

And there is steam/water coming from the exhaust, so RAC man is about right I think.

 

[Thomas. PLease.]

b) You've no signs of oil in the water or water in the oil - it may be as simple as a dodgy hose, dodgy thermostat, etc.

I hope so for you sake invgir.

 

[Ricochet J]

Why didn't you stick the heaters on full blast? (I'm not having a go, just a general query. )

 

[thecremeegg]

I had it a few weeks back, cost me £460

 

[[TW]Fox]

It's just everyone ALWAYS diagnoses HGF. I had HFG diagnosed on my car just before Christmas 2007. Which is great, as HGF is exceptionally rare on the M54 and its very difficult to repair properly and I was looking at a £1500 bill. Was emo about that all Christmas until I later found out there was absolutely NOTHING wrong with the head gasket whatsoever and it was just the M54's tendancy to mayo-up during cold weather with short journeys....

The second anything happens with a cooling system world+dog is on hand to diagnose the head gasket.

 

[InvaderGIR]

Why didn't you stick the heaters on full blast? (I'm not having a go, just a general query. )

'cause it was sunny and blooming warm.

I appreciate that HGF gets thrown around a lot. This is why I'm going to run a compression test next Thursday hopefully.

The fact there is steam/water in the exhaust, after I drove 30 miles suggests that is is HGF though TO ME (the RAC man didn't see or mention the steam), why else would I have a constant loads of steam coming from my exhaust today when I've never had it before.

 

[TaKeN]

Hmm I'm abit 50/50 on this one as to whether its a HG Failure.

If your head is warped it can be skimmed to make it flat again, no big deal.

Ask to garage to 'Sniff test' the Header tank for the rad.. Exhaust gases in there will let you know if its HGF.

Personally I'd get it back home, replace the pipe & radiator and leave the thermostat out, then let it run for a while to see if the temp gets worringly warm

 

[InvaderGIR]

Skimming is the reason I won't bother to repair if it is warped and will just sell for parts. It won't be cheap to get it done and I don't have the money for it and would rather not sink loads of money into an old, not exactly special car.