[Off Topic] Head Gasket

Yeah, that could be anything.

Knackered water pump, blocked radiator/hoses, stuck thermostat.

Could be a £10 fix and a few hours to do it, or hundreds of squid wasted and the problem never solved. Plus if its been overheating too much the engine could be ****ed by now too.

 

It goes really well downhill, however it overheats going uphill.

 

Jersey. If you're not a mechanic, never buy a car that overheats.

 

back to the point of all this - Jersey? so what exactly are the symptoms?

explain why you needed to ask a garage about the problem.

 

Well, I was going up a hill in traffic, and it started overheating, I pulled over and after a bit it was fine. But the engine fan wasn't coming on, so we thought that was the problem. It happened a couple more times before we decided to take it to a garage, and this garage said the head gasket had blown and it would be £650 to fix. I think that it's evident that I can't fix the problem myself, and I'm not going to repair it for that much money, so my only option now is to scrap it (free in Jersey!) and get another second hand car that hopefully won't be as ****.

 

Are you having to constantly top up the coolant?
Take off the oil cap on top of the engine. Is there a sludge, possibly milky looking underneath the cap or visible inside the engine?

If the answer to both the above is no, chances are its possibly a jammed thermostat or the fan switch.

I'd take it to another garage (if there is more than one on Jersey ) for a 2nd opinion.

 

Bloody hell, I am sooooo glad I'm not in my twenties or even thirties any more, Ive just got myself a 2.0 GTI Golf just for fun, always been an Alfa fan but this VW is brilliant, so sorry to be gleeful but it is good, now my wife wants one.

 

Ha!
Yes, they're good aren't they.

 

I was the proud owner of a Mk 1 GTI (1.6) a few years ago.

A cracking car when on song, but a niggling fuelling issue that I could not get to the bottom of meant it was a tempremental beast

 

Did it cut out randomly, and without warning but especially at low speed and often near junctions? An ex-girlfriend of mine had one with a devil of a problem we could never find the source of. Some time around 1983 ish. Just got rid of the car eventually. What a pig. Without a doubt, this was the most unreliable car I've ever known. Same model you describe Chris.

 

I won't give you the reg just in case you ended up with it!

It would cut out at any time. Didn't matter whether it was under accelartion or coasting towards a junction.

First fault was traced to a corroded fuel tank which blocked the fuel pump with fragments of rust, had all that changed still cut out. Had the whole system flushed, still kept cutting out!

If I had the cash i think the whole system, injectors included needed replacing. A nice toy, but learnt the hard way about having an older car and trying to use it everyday. You need to have some cash in reserve cos it will go wrong

 

Ha! Well, it wasn't mine (although I think I helped finance it). It was my ex's and I've no idea of its registration now but it was red. But it sounds like the same problem because it did happen under acceleration too. Simply awful: a bit like playing a bad joke on someone because it gave no warning of when it would decide not to play. I seem to remember it would happen hot or cold, yards away from her house or many miles away; but not surprisingly, I don't think it was ever used for a proper journey and never for anything even remotely important!

 

No such problems for me lads, mine just runs perfectly, now, not only does Mrs Becclestone want one, but my eldest son has just bought an identical model in the same colour !!!!!!

 

UPDATE

Took it to another garage, they said it wasn't the head gasket at all, but a leaky water pump, and much cheaper. They did that yesterday, drove it around today (in traffic and everything), and no signs of overheating. In other words...

Punto's ALIIIIVVVEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
(in Brian Blessed's voice in Flash)

 

I'm very pleased to hear it. Nice one…

 

- but the fan SHOULD come on when hot !! - dodgy connection or temp sensor?

 

£600 for a head gasket is taking the piss in my opinion.

About £300 is about right - parts are cheap and its a days labour max!