Urgent advice required - temp gauge very high in France

[wonkanoby]

next time you need to bleed it flush it all out

you will be amazed the crub a back flush will cause to come out of heater rads

[The Wanderer]

Well, we made it home under our own steam (as it were - no actual steam was involved).

I removed the thermostat the day before we left, bled the system again and after a few short runs, we convinced ourselves it would be OK. We took it very easy and had no problems on the French side, other than having to wait at Calais for nearly 3 hours after our scheduled departure time. The temp gauge was mostly only just registering but approached normal when idling for a while or under load up a long hill for instance.

On the UK side, we spotted the low coolant alarm blinking now and then so pulled off at a service station, let the van cool down and then checked the level in the header, which was actually higher than usual, but it felt like there was quite a bit of pressure behind the cap, which I loosened very slowly. No obvious signs of overheating or coolant loss.

We carried on at 50 mph mainly and got home without further incident. I tested the stat today and generally it opened but a couple of times it didn't or moved very slowly, so it seems to be operating properly 9 times out of 10 perhaps. I've ordered a new Mazda stat in any case.

Now booked in with a local Bongo friendly garage (A. Harris in Brighton) on Monday for pressure test and sniff test. Fingers crossed.

Thanks once again for all your advice and suggestions.

[Bob]

Well done getting home, fingers crossed for you.

[The Wanderer]

So, pressure test went OK, but sniff test showed mild traces of carbon monoxide in the header tank. This was only apparent on the third go when the engine was good and hot, so I'm thinking there's a small problem with the head gasket or a hairline crack in the head that only really causes problems when the engine is very hot - on a long run or under load for instance. It still feels like it's running and driving normally.

So I have to make a decision about how to progress. My local Bongo garage will only do the head work if they change everything else on the coolant side of things at the same time so quoted me £3000, which is way more than I have or is probably sensible to spend on my van. The van is fairly tidy for its age and has been well maintained, but has a small oil leak probably from the main seal and the front cross member needs replacing, plus a couple of minor niggling faults. We like it and can't afford to upgrade, so it seems sensible to find as cost effective solution as possible to justify keeping it running.

My thinking is to just get the head gasket replaced or head if necessary, but at an affordable price. Obviously you get what you pay for and I would get it done by a trustworthy Bongo garage. As the pressure test was OK, I'm willing to take a chance on the other components being sound.

My local garage also suggested using a sealant, like Steel Seal, and I am considering it to see if it resolves the issue but am worried about the long term effects. If it doesn't fix the problem, is it a problem in terms of if I decide to go for head gasket/head replacement? I've read it's very hard to get it out of the cooling system once in. And if it does work and I decide to sell the van in a year or two (assuming I can afford to replace it by then), I'd be worried about what a new owner might think about being sold a vehicle that has had this treatment. I am aware that it's used as a way of disguising head problems by some unscrupulous sellers. I guess i would just have to be clear about my actions, but my feeling is this would probably also affect the value of the van.

Also, whilst replacing head gasket/head might sort the immediate issue, I still need to figure out what caused the overheating in the first place. That said, when I had radiator issues a year ago, the engine overheated (first time ever since owning the van which I've had for 7 years now) and this may have created a weak spot that's now got worse I guess.

I think it would be sensible to flush the system throughly (I did it when I changed the rad) but am unsure of the best way to do this to ensure I get as much crud out as possible. Perhaps I should ask the garage I get to do the head work to do it for me?

Any thoughts and advice would be much appreciated.

[Tertiary]

Hi

First of all, I've not been in this situation so perhaps not best qualified to comment but I have been involved with a lot of vehicles over the years, including hgv's that have to be back on the road tomorrow

My first thought is this - sit back and think for a day or two (if you can....), don't rush into anything yet! Come to a decision that is best for you and yours about the vehicle, and if you decide to keep it get it done properly because it will pay big dividends in the long term. Obviously you have to keep an eye on cost - can you do any of it yourself? If not, get a couple of quotes with the exact work they're going to do written down and decide from there...

We all know that vehicles are a money pit but doing half a job is usually worse than no job at all IMO

I feel for you because its not an easy decision - good luck whichever way you go

[The Wanderer]

Thanks for your thoughts Tertiary. Good advice to have a think, we will just gather some info and won't be rushing into anything. Written quotes is a good idea, i have trouble keeping everything that's been said in my head!

[haydn callow]

Contact the mobile (recommended on this forum) he will come out and fix it for you at a very reasonable price....and he knows his stuff