Stupid car.

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Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 10:55 pm

I was driving the wifes car back here tonight, on the motorway, when I think the head gasket went. I casually looked at the dash to notice the temperature gauge was off the clock. Twisted Evil

God knows how long it had been since I last looked. Rolling Eyes

I tried putting the heater and blower on full and opening the windows, don't laugh, it got us home in a Sierra from nearly the same place once, when the water pump went.

The cats, in baskets on the back seats shouted at me in a rage. I managed to get the temperature down from 'off the scale' to 'red', not enough, really.

I soon gave up and rang for the towtruck, rather than kill the engine. 90 minutes. Stupid sent me a guy who could've got me home, but was about about to go off shift. Ordered me a flat bed, and said another 90 minutes. I went ballistic enough to get one in 20. I told the guy I was leaving, after 20 years, to join the other lot.

It still runs fine, but with the sort of white smoke that means you could only sell it at night, in a gale. (I did that once, if anyone here bought a Mercedes 190 off me about 10 years ago, I can only apologize.)

Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 11:02 pm

^^I know what you mean.

First, I'm sorry your car acted up. I'm sorry your cats got mad at you, and I'm sorry the AA took so long to get to you.

I also know about selling cars that are not quite up to snuff. I once sold a car that burned oil at a furious rate (a quart of oil had to be added every time I filled the gas tank). When I took the car in to trade it in for a newer one, I put in the thickest oil I could find. At least there wasn't as much blue smoke coming out the exhaust. The dealer knew what I'd done, though. He still gave me a decent trade-in on it, because it was a model that had been a limited run and he wanted it for his collection. Very Happy

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:13 am

Roycropper wrote:

It still runs fine, but with the sort of white smoke

Yup. Either head gasket, cracked head, or cracked block. I hope it's only the head gasket.............

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:36 am

My sympathies, I once had a Mercedes Diesel that went into the extreme overheat mode about 25 miles from home. I almost got it back home but unfortunately the radiator literally burst. Seemed the radiator was the original problem so a quick trip to the scrapheap for a new one and a few hours of twisting wrenches and I was back in business. This beast had about 200k miles and I believe you could have shot it and it would have kept running.

Also had a Volvo that I had to run the heater full blast in the middle of summer to get it to the repair shop for a stuck thermostat. My feet were burning so badly from the heater that I had to pull over a couple of times to let it cool down. In those days I had the rarest of rare commodities...a competent and honest mechanic. Mind you, he was expensive, but well worth the price. If I (rarely) wasn't satisfied with the work, he would do whatever it took to make me happy at no additional charges. Those were the days.

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:02 am

I have a leaky head gasket (it was replaced about 2 years ago, but has started to leak again) and my car doesn't blow white smoke...my husband said a cracked head would cause white smoke...he used to be a mechanic...

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:12 am

~ Harry Bawls,

sound about right take radiator cap off and fill with water & see if it bubbles Crying or Very sad

might be lucky and it could be manafold caroded and leaking into motor but im thinking the same as harry Crying or Very sad

many years ago i went 200miles + round trip to pick up brother inlaws car mechanic said at lest head gasket . All it was was a pin hole in heater hose and it was misting onto dissy & makeing it miss 5$ hose Wink

but he would have paid the mechanic for a full head job Laughing

if i hadnot gone and picked it up

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 3:37 am

Actually you did not say if it was out of water, coolant, or whatever was in the thing..
Any knocks, lack of power, did you check to see if the oil was a white colour, any water dripping out the exhaust

And it could also be something as simple as a blocked radiator, if the fluid is not getting a correct flow, it will overheat.

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 6:21 am

and, hypocrite that that I am, I used to reset the OBD codes in my car before going for my annual emissions inspection. However, the state now mandates newer hardware at the inspection stations that detect such scofflaws as myself. Yes, I know, I have to breathe the same air and drink the same water as my neighbors. Embarassed

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 6:28 am

White exhaust sounds like more than an overheating problem.

Time to look for bubbles into the radiator overflow bottle and the milkshake on the oil cap and dip stick. Not looking to blame anyone but when was the coolant last changed? The anti corrosive packages only last so long on the green coolants, and only a little longer on the reds.

I had a neighbor that asked me why her oil level went up not down. Only thing I could think of if measurements were being taken at the same temperatures was coolant leaking past a corroded head gasket. The milkshake confirmed it. Her nephew changed the oil and poured in a pint of head gasket fix in a bottle 5 years ago. Its still going.

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 9:55 am

White smoke = (mostly) steam
Blue smoke = (mostly) oil burning

(mostly is a disclaimer that allows other things can cause said problem)

When a head gasket "goes", it means it no longer does its job of sealing, so it all depends on what leaks into what. It sounds like there is now a path between a waterway and a cylinder, which may mean no water in oil (yet) so the oil could still look clean - white emulsion is water in oil.

As has been said above, any bubbles in the coolant? Does the coolant smell sightly of exhaust? (harder to detect in these days of cleaner engines). Is the coolant system getting over-pressurised? (coolant blowing out of the overflow). If it's petrol, is one plug a different colour from the others? (not conclusive as a small amount of steam may not change the combustion characteristics too much, but this could show the problem cylinder)

It may not use much water (at first), as you don't need a lot of water to make a lot of steam. But you can say one thing - it won't get better on its own.

BTW, a cracked (or warped) head or cracked block can cause all above symptoms (again, it depends what's leaking into what).

I had a 3-litre Ford that let go on one head gasket (V6) at max revs in kickdown in a most spectacular fashion (white smoke completely obscuring overtaken cars, all following traffic and most of opposite carriageway - I think some guys behind put their fog lights on). One replacement head gasket and it was as good as new.

Alloy heads and engines can be a little more.......delicate.

[Edited for typo]

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 10:49 am

Never drive a motor if you think it's blown a gasket. Always take it to a garage and get it checked out. You can end up doing a lot more damage and it'll cost you a lot more cash.
I drove mine thinking I could reach my destination and cracked the cylinder block in three places. What could have been a relatively quick and cheap job ended up costing me 7 days stranded in the middle of nowhere and £1500.

Mine was an aluminium block too. An added pain in the ass.

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:57 pm

In the cold light of day, all seems well. very strange.

The odd thing is that the water level hasn't dropped at all, which seems a must for a head gasket.

At first I though water pump, when it was overheating the radiator wasn't hot. However, when the AA man loosened the heater bleed screw, a jet of water shot out, so the pump looks OK. Maybe thermostat stuck closed, or a blocked rad?

No smoke this morning, it did it when restarted after the first 90 minute cool down, when the AA man arrived. I am sure it would overheat again if I went for a drive.

Our local gararge is still on holiday, but the car will be going in when he gets back.

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:12 pm

just tell him that after talking to a bottle of old no 7 and a squirel called slightlyoutofit that said you should take it to a mechanic were they can take the moter out with a skyhook and fix it. Ow and tell him to send the bill to MR angusmactavish Laughing

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:53 pm

Roycropper wrote:

The odd thing is that the water level hasn't dropped at all, which seems a must for a head gasket.

I had a tiny leak in my reservoir bottle that let the pressure out. I could drive it for a month without the level dipping (and did). It didn't make a noticeable difference to the water level at all. When I changed the bottle (I noticed a bubble around the crack), it led to the pressure building up and the entire block cracking.

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 2:07 pm

there could be an air lock this happens some times . run it with the cap off and turn the heater on to . squese the hoses and feel if they have scale in side of them All radiaters run about a 1/2 inch from the top when at running temp alot of people fill them all the time thinking there using water but as they get hot they spurt it out to the over flow bottle and it should suck it back in when it cools down if every thing is working right Laughing

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 6:02 pm

Old No. 7 wrote:

I had a 3-litre Ford that let go on one head gasket (V6) at max revs in kickdown in a most spectacular fashion (white smoke completely obscuring overtaken cars

I had a "lifetime warranted" water pump fall apart on a red line, max G force, scoot across a highway. Most of the radiator fan and its clutch went through the radiator core. It was a cool day and steam was everywhere.

Don't overheat the engine again, but if it does turn over, do so every few days so that it does not seize.

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 6:45 pm

Should've bought a Nissan.. Very Happy

Dare say it's a bit nippy for the Harley at this time of year.

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 6:49 pm

I have blown a head gasket but kept driving until I was closer to town before giving up. The engine was toast. Luckily it was a rental....