Think the missus car is knackered.

kidloco · 10 Dec 2007 at 23:13

Hi all,

Just after a bit of confirmation really, missus has a rubbish old megane, 1996 or there abouts, 1.4 petrol.

She said its been playing up last day or 2, cutting out and running hot, she said on the way home from work smoke was pooring out the back. I checked the coolant today and shock horror, there wasnt any :eek:

!

So i nipped out and got some coolant and filled it up, it took 2 litres to get it to the correct level !

anyway, she has just nipped out to get some petrol and I get a call 2 mins later saying can I come and get her, shes at the end of the road, so out I nip and there she is, I turn over the car and its like wacky races

smoke pouring out like you wouldnt believe.

Im guessing the head gasket has gone and that its more costly to repair then the car is worth, can someone with a bit of car knowledge (im a biker

sorry) confirm this please.

symptoms

Smoke pooring out the back
Heaters dont work
Poor accelration

[TW]Fox · 10 Dec 2007 at 23:18

Defcon5 · 10 Dec 2007 at 23:20

When my HG went there was no smoke out the back (not that I remember anyway) and the heaters worked.

Heat is not getting to the heating system, so a pump must me broken somewhere

Malt_Vinegar · 10 Dec 2007 at 23:21

Defcon5 said:
When my HG went there was no smoke out the back (not that I remember anyway) and the heaters worked.

Heat is not getting to the heating system, so a pump must me broken somewhere

That or its peeing the coolant into a break in the HG which is causing lots of water/steam from the exhaust?

Defcon5 · 10 Dec 2007 at 23:26

Is it smoke or steam from the exhaust?

kidloco · 10 Dec 2007 at 23:26

think its smoke, it has a horrible smell :confused:

Malt_Vinegar · 10 Dec 2007 at 23:28

Does it smell like the inside of the radiator

Tom|Nbk · 10 Dec 2007 at 23:36

I believe it's Wacky Races..

kidloco · 10 Dec 2007 at 23:40

Tom|Nbk said:
I believe it's Wacky Races..

LOL thats the funniest typo ever, unintential as well

smegle · 10 Dec 2007 at 23:57

kidloco said:
LOL thats the funniest typo ever, unintential as well

lol

Dogbreath · 11 Dec 2007 at 00:00

kidloco said:
think its smoke, it has a horrible smell

Thick white smoke, with a slightly "sweet" smell? If so it's coolant being burnt, and your head gasket is toast.

Guessing the Mrs doesn't look at the temperature gauge too often?

agw_01 · 11 Dec 2007 at 00:33

kidloco said:
Smoke pooring out the back
Heaters dont work
Poor accelration

All points to HGF.

The poor acceleration will be down to the reduction in compression due to a leak in the gasket. Smoke will be the coolant being burnt off and no heaters will be down to there being no coolant in the system.

Tom|Nbk · 11 Dec 2007 at 00:43

RIP

HGF was due to the coolant not being kept topped up?

kidloco · 11 Dec 2007 at 01:14

so is it gonna cost more then the car is worth to repair, I'm guessing when it was working it was worth £500 tops

ajgoodfellow · 11 Dec 2007 at 10:05

As she's been driving it without coolant it's very likely that the head's been cooked so yes it'll cost more than the car's worth

If she had stopped then you might just have needed a new headgasket which would be less than the car's worth

mejinks · 11 Dec 2007 at 10:19

HG+Skimming+replacement fluids+new cambelt should cost no more than £500 from a decent garage. I had a 1.6 megane and its still going after the same thing happened, although mine let go on the motorway.

ajgoodfellow · 11 Dec 2007 at 10:27

Yep but if the head's cooked (which is likely) then he'll need a new head which'll cost a fair bit

kidloco · 11 Dec 2007 at 11:06

well just got off the phone to the garage, and hes confirmed its HGF, he also so its just not worth fixing on a car of that age and value, it would cost more then the car is worth to fix, and it would never be spot on again.

Oh well, time to find some place that will to it and scrap the thing now, she will just have to use my vectra till after christmas, luckily I work from home, when I do have to visit clients ill guess ill have to take the R1 for the time being.

Was looking a replacement for her, 4-5k, nothing french, cheap to run and insure, oh and reliable. The mechanic that I called advised that I couldnt go wrong with a Ford Focus 1.8TDCi , had a quick look and it looks like I can get an OK for that money, any other suggestions?

ajgoodfellow · 11 Dec 2007 at 11:10

The Ford Focus would be a good choice

How many miles is she doing though? I'd look at getting a petrol model. The 1.6 is great on fuel and cheap to run. Servicing is often cheaper than the diesel and there's less to go wrong

mejinks · 11 Dec 2007 at 11:40

kidloco said:
well just got off the phone to the garage, and hes confirmed its HGF, he also so its just not worth fixing on a car of that age and value, it would cost more then the car is worth to fix, and it would never be spot on again.

Oh well, time to find some place that will to it and scrap the thing now, she will just have to use my vectra till after christmas, luckily I work from home, when I do have to visit clients ill guess ill have to take the R1 for the time being.

Was looking a replacement for her, 4-5k, nothing french, cheap to run and insure, oh and reliable. The mechanic that I called advised that I couldnt go wrong with a Ford Focus 1.8TDCi , had a quick look and it looks like I can get an OK for that money, any other suggestions?

Gutted, you could always part ex it as long as it can get onto the stealers forecourt :eek: