Hello again!
Some weeks ago you all helped me with some advice about my Mondeo which had a very poor idle. After cleaning the Idle Speed Control Valve and the MAF Sensor (which the main dealer disconnected) the idle problem seems to be resolved... however...
The car started running hot and I noticed that there was a leak in the area of the water pump. A local garage has now replaced the water pump, along with the cam belt and tensioners, auxillary belt (and completed an oil change whilst they were in there!)...
All this added up, but it was a cost I was willing to pay.
The car is 10 years old with 115000 on the clock. 2.0 Ghia Auto zetec engine...
My problem now?
The garage reported that they carried out a test on the coolant reservoir, which indicated "exhaust gases" in the coolant. I remember seeing other people mention this test elsewhere on this forum. This indicates a problem with the head gasket?
The car is now still running hot, the pressure cap on the reservoir is constantly releasing steam (when up to temp) and I don't know what to do for the best.
Can I get away with putting in some sort of "weld" solution to help prevent the head gasket from getting worse (for a period of time)?
I'd like to get another 10,000 miles out of the car (or even 5,000!), but with the syptoms showing, should I sell up for what I can get and re-invest?
If I were to get the head gasket changed, is £600 too expensive? This is what the garage have quoted me.
Any advice would be welcome.
S
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Headgasket failure can occur on Zetec engines following coolant loss. Try some of the magic fix stuff by all means, you've got nothing to lose but a blocked radiator. If the car is worth in excess of, say, 1200UKP, then the replacement head gasket (or even a replacement engine) might be worthwhile; otherwise get rid of the thing. The autobox is probably on borrowed time if it's reached 115k unmolested.
The head gasket on the Zetec is definitely DIYable with a modicum of skill, but beware the warped head. Is the exhaust steaming?
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... and get a second opinion, perhaps a compression test. The sniffer results are not always conclusive, the venting might be due to air trapped in the coolant circuit,
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and it may be something simple as a faulty cap .
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Thanks for all the help.
I'll get a new cap anyway (inexpensive) and keep an eye on the oil and coolant levels.
The exhaust doesn't steam at all.
I'll try to see if I can flush out any trapped air and if things dont improve I'll get a compression test done.
The car cost me £400 and i've since put 4 x new tyres on it as well as the other work. It is very clean and smooth, but not saleable in its current state!
If I can get it to last another 2/3 months or 5,000 miles i'll be quite happy (and could probably recoup much of my outlay just selling the alloys with nearly new tyres!)
Any advice on the best "weld" solution to try out?
K-Seal?
Thanks again.
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slacken off and re-torque the head bolts ?
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slacken off and re-torque the head bolts ?
You may be closer to the answer than you think. I did my brother's 1.8 last year and when I finally got access to the head bolts, found 3 of them not even finger tight! Trouble is, to get at the head bolts, the camshafts had to come out (I assume the 2.0 is similar), and by the time you've disturbed that much, you might as well whip the head off, get it skimmed (£30 at a local motor engineering workshop), and install a new gasket. Put a new cambelt and tensioner on too whilst you've got it in bits, unless it's been done very recently.
Regards,
Toby
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failing any of the above you could do a search for "thermagasket" - available from USA - it's £70 a throw but it sealed the head gasket leak on my V6 2.5 Mondeo.
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Well. Its Easter Sunday (Happy Easter everyone!) and I haven't been able to start my Mondeo since the morning after I got it back from the garage!
They have been closed all over the holiday and so I have to wait for Tuesday before I can get any further. Why?
Because the same fault has recurred that I had when I got it back from them last week - engine turns over and occasionally tries to fire up - but no joy.
The garage that replaced the water pump and cam belt, recovered the car the day after they did the work, as it wouldn't start. They had not completely tightened one of the hoses at the bottom of the block/radiator. They also said that it wasn't starting because "the timing was out"!
As I now have the same problem, is it likely to be a case of "the timing is out" (?), and if so, what might be causing this? I have driven the car about 3 miles from getting it back last Thursday evening (it was running smoothly, if a little warm and it was already showing signs of starting problems as it was turning over a few times before firing up). Friday am - it won't start!
If anyone has a view on what is going wrong here I would appreciate it. Should the garage recover the car again and fix the timing?
Thanks in advance!
S
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If the timing is out following replacement of the cam belt then that would suggest that they made a pig's ear of putting the belt on! Either it's a tooth (or two!) out or not adjusted to the proper tension and 'jumped' the teeth.
Hopefully you haven't sustained even more damage to the engine (pistons hitting valves etc..!)
Good luck!
Graeme
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The garage must surely mean ignition timing, or would they really change the cambelt, alter the cam timing and then hand the car back to you with the comment "the timing is out"?
Don't try and start the car until the garage (or perhaps another garage) has confirmed that the cam timing is correct. Although it's unlikely you'll do further damage to the engine.
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sorry, but none of this adds up to me?
600 for a headgasket? !
they solve one fault but find another, surely they could spend a little more time with you and explain that driving away with h/g gone is not good?
the non starting sounds to me like the h/g has finally given up?
i would try letting pressure off rad cap , and try it see if it starts.
if it does, then dont run it any further until youve had a cheaper quote, forget the magic stuff, and why did they change the oil? did you ask for that to be done ?
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Thanks for the replies ..
The oil was changed as it needed doing and I asked them to.
Its not looking good for my little mondeo by the sounds of the advice here!
I'll await the garage returning from their Easter break and then get them to recover it and let me know where it has all gone wrong.
The garage have had a good reputation before - I went to them on a recommendation and hoped I would get good service and advice. It seems as if they haven't done such a great job after all ... :-(
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Surely the ignition can't be out on these;triggered by flywheel sensor?
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update......!!!
The garage that fitted the waterpump and cam belt last week have had my mondeo back in their workshop today and report that the timing is "spot on".
They have now effectively washed their hands of the car and have told me that the non starting is down the the head gasket failure. (poor compression in the cylinder?)
It all seems a bit strange to me that there were no starting problems before they had it for the waterpump.They told me that the timing seemed to be out when they had it back the day after they completed the work. The car started fine and drove home (all of 2 miles) very smoothly. Following morning - it won't start (again!)....
So.. it seems I am now stuck with a difficult decision...
Do I pay someone to replace the HG? Other people here have said that £600 seems expensive. Is it? What should I expect to pay?
Do I look to get a recon unit fitted, as I have already had new cambelt, tensioners, auxillary belt, and four new tyres!
Do I cut my losses, get rid and look for something else (which to my mind could leave with all sorts of issues too! - better the devil you know??)
Replacing it myself is probably beyond my DIY expertise - I have changed a HG in an old Mk1 Escort (and a whole block!) - but these newer engines are more of a black art to me!
Any (final) advise welcomed!!
Thanks!
S
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I would DIY, if you know enough to have done a HG before , you know enough now.
Just label everything so you know where it comes from.
There must be a manual for these to get the torque etc.
It's just bigger than the Escort , but the head is still bolted to the block when you strip off the endless bits for emissions.
Did you do a compression test?, is it low, is water on the plugs?
I would check these first.
If timing wrong it would never start, surely?, it would not right itself and then go off again. ( but in the old days this happened to me as the distributor was loose!)
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"The car started fine and drove home (all of 2 miles) very smoothly.<"
So it can't be that catastrophic, get a second opinion, but from who, that's the problem. Are you a member of a breakdown organisation with Homestart or equivalent?
Pressure test the cylinders.
Driving a car two miles and stopping might not be the best idea if the car didn't get up to operating temp.
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Sensor might be falling off. ECU might be mangling the data.
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Micky,
which sensor might be "falling off"?
I am getting the opinion of another local garage that has been recommended to me, should know tomorrow what their thoughts are.
Thanks.
S
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"> Sensor might be falling off. ECU might be mangling the data.
was in response to
"> Surely the ignition can't be out on these;triggered by flywheel sensor?<"
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For those that remember by Mondeo Zetec problems - an update (and further help?!)
My car has been in a local garage for a week. They told me up front that they would need it for a week because of their workload. I was happy to let tham do it in their own time as they have been highly recommended by a friend.
The head gasket had clearly gone and the head needed skimming. Fine, this was to be expected.
Today my Mondeo was running again, but.....
They report that the cooling fan has seized and needs replacing too! This could have been the original cause for the failure of the waterpump and subsequent HG failure.
If they cannot source a replacement (second hand) unit from a local supplier, they are suggesting a Ford new part. (this sounds expensive)
What would the implication be for me to get the car back and replace the unit myself. The car has Air Con, which I believe makes it more complex?
What price might I expect to be added to the bill for the HG work, if they replace the fan assembly (either with a second hand unit or a new one?)
Thanks in advance!
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