Blown gasket on new Fiesta

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Sun 6 May 2001 23:12
Blown gasket on new Fiesta - Andrew Tarr
For my personal curiosity, can someone suggest a likely cause for the problem that hit my daughter's brand-new Fiesta? After a few weeks' experience of a temp-gauge that often crept towards the red, and being assured that nothing was seriously wrong, she set off on a 100-mile journey. After about 25 miles she had to be rescued with a blown head gasket (I think it was the 1.6 engine - not sure). The only thing that occurs to my simple mind is that the water pump never worked properly. Any better ideas? A replacement engine has now been fitted.
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Mon 7 May 2001 15:17
Re: Blown gasket on new Fiesta - honest john
The dealer did the right thing by fitting a new engine. It could be that one of the water galleries was blocked by sand from the casting or by swarf or by some other obstruction.

HJ
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Tue 8 May 2001 07:03
Re: Blown gasket on new Fiesta - Andrew Scott
A variation on the same theme, I believe the Ford Zetec engine block and head
is all aluminium. When a colleagues Mondeo 2litre engine blew a head gasket and subsequently overheated, the local Ford Dealer wasn't confident he could
repair the engine (presumably because of the head/block warping) and so recommended a new engine which was duly fitted.
The moral of this story appears to be renew and keep up the strength of your anti-freeze and NEVER carry on driving a Ford fitted with a Zetec engine, which
is overheating. Has HJ or others heard of stories like these?

Andrew
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Tue 8 May 2001 08:24
Re: Blown gasket on new Fiesta - John Slaughter
I think that advice goes for any car, but especially those with alloy heads and/or cylinder blocks.

Regards

john
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Tue 8 May 2001 22:52
Re: Blown gasket on new Fiesta - dafydd tomos
Taking care not to over-strengthen the anti-freeze because too strong a mixture can result in the solution being less effective in dissipating heat.
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Tue 8 May 2001 09:19
Re: Blown gasket on new Fiesta - David Lacey
Internal engine corrosion is nowadays a real problem. We see it reguarly in our workshops, even on cars that have full service history with us with coolant changes at the specified intervals. The alloy 'pits' and then weakens the gasket, eventually blowing. We can repair this pitting by welding repairs and then skimming it flat but it is a lengthly job, but cheaper than new cylinder heads or engines!
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