Toyota - Blown head gasket 2nd opinion?

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Thu 29 Dec 2016 13:50
Toyota - Blown head gasket 2nd opinion? - theymademedoit
Hey
I have a Celica 7 gen and it started playing up with the following issues -
No heat in blowers
Over heating
Boiling over coolant

I tried burping it and the het came back but it still overheated so I took it to the garage by my home.
A few people I know suspected the thermostat or rad cap but I got a call from the garage and he said it was the head gasket.
He said he had done a sniff test and it tested positive.
Is it worth me getting a 2nd opinion?
There was coolant all over the engine so would that cause a positive reading?
Sorry I don't know much about cars so I guess I am clutching at straws.
The garage quotes round £1500 to fix it.
Is that the going rate?
I went online and had a quote on click mechanic which quoted £420 inc parts and all puns 7 hours labour.
Not sure if they will ramp the cost up whe it comes to actually doing it.
What do you think?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 29 Dec 2016 16:44
Toyota - Blown head gasket 2nd opinion? - andyp

They sound like classic head gasket failure symptoms to me and together with a positive sniff test personally i don't think that its worth getting a second opinion.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 29 Dec 2016 17:14
Toyota - Blown head gasket 2nd opinion? - elekie&a/c doctor

A quote of £1500 sounds excessive to me,but £400 is too cheap.I would think a sensible figure would be approx £800, but very much depends on what damage has been done to the engine,which cannot be established until the cylinder head is removed/dismantled.Worst case could be the engine is toast.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 29 Dec 2016 18:07
Toyota - Blown head gasket 2nd opinion? - madf

Usual practise is to machine flat teh cylinder head after a head gasket failure. If not - and if it is warped- the problem will recur. (Cost £60-£100 ish)

£400 will not cover that and sounds too cheap..

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide