Refine by channel:  Forum (1857)    Ask HJ (509)    News (30)    FAQs (6)    Article (3)  

Sort by: Relevance | Newest first | Oldest first

• Chrysler Grand Voyager 3.3 Petrol 2000 - Belt came off and water pipe burst - HELP! 15 Aug 2011 (Forum)
  As I was parking I suddenly lost power steering and steam started coming out of the bonnet. When I opened it up there was a burst water pipe which was spewing out very hot water and coolant. Also the belt was hanging off. I am not mechanically minded but was told that this type of engine does not have a timing belt. Instead this belt is used to run things like power steering, water pump, air conditioning, alternator etc.
• Astra 2001 8v auto - Various fault codes 2 Jan 2011 (Forum)
  The radiator fan failed to cut in while in traffic recently, and despite turning the engine off to try keep it cool it burst a hose. Once cooled down the hose was fixed and coolant replaced. The car then drove home without problem for about 60 miles. The next day, all was well except the eml was lit for a while but then went out. The day following, the eml was constantly lit and the car hard to start.
• Rover 45 1.6 cc's - Cylinder head gaskets 21 Dec 2010 (Forum)
  I have been told that as I have signs of oil in the radiator header tank and I have to add 1 litre of coolant every 150- 200 m iles I must have a leaking cylinder head gasket.  A 12 hour pressure test has given no evidenc e of any leaks.    The head gasket is covered by the policy.   I am suposed to stop and seek expert advice as to the cause if a fault becomes evident to the driver.
• Ford Focus - Focus 1.6 Zetec MK1 2001 - Temperature Gauge Jump 25 Oct 2010 (Forum)
  This only happens when driving on the dual carriageway at 60-80 mph with revs at around 4,000rpm. I stopped to check coolant levels and all seemed OK and engine didn't seem overly hot. I know there is a sensor between the spark plugs on this model and I had the leads off recently to check the spark plug condition.
• Ford Fiesta - Whats this coming through the floor? 26 May 2010 (Forum)
    I have no idea what this is or even if it is safe to drive to a garage! I have also noticed that when I checked coolant levels etc earlier the levels showed to be on quite a slant.  I park on a slight tilt but have never in the four years I've had the car noticed it slant that much.  I am wondering if the problems are related and if anyone has any idea what this metal bar is?
• 1994 BMW E36 M3 - White smoke (over fuelling?) 22 May 2010 (Forum)
  If it's an air leak in a pipe, wouldn't that trigger a code? I've been told the rad weld could have caused problems with my coolant temperature sensor (and even damaged the heads), but the car has never overheated and I'm pretty sure the smoke isn't steam. Thanks, Marc.
• Ford Fiesta 2003 Duratec - Engine noises 9 May 2010 (Forum)
    Also my coolant drops from max to min about once a week or every 800 miles.   I can’t see any obvious leaks, anyone know of any common weak points?   Any advice much appreciated.
• Audi Allroad (2000 - 2006) - 01 2.7T Suspension problems + engine noise / servi 6 Feb 2010 (Forum)
  Then engine noise is also noticeably more noisy when I first turn the car on for the first few minutes but this could just be the turbo warming up??? I seem to be constantly topping up the engine coolant as well so I presume there is a leak somewhere. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If anyone knows a good Audi specialist (but not an "actual" Audi garage where you're invariably ripped off), please let me know.
• Audi A6 + RS6 (1997 - 2004) - 98 1.8 A6 Brake Failure 21 Jan 2010 (Forum)
  The car had been serviced by Audi 6 weeks before and had a fluid change. Whilst under the car I also noticed a drip of Coolant from the floor tray and traced this to the bottom of the front timing cover. The Cam belt and water pump had been changed 4 weeks ago due to the cars age 1998. So much for Audi Main dealer servicing then.
• Hyundai Accent (1994 - 1999) - 1998 1.3 Radiator drain taps are not extinct! 17 Oct 2008 (Forum)
  Decided it was time to change coolant in Hyundai (been in at least for 3 years and maybe more) and whilst checking how easy it was to get the lower hose off, noticed a strange white thumbscrew thingy fitted in a boss on the lower water chamber of the radiator.
• Ford Maverick I (1993 - 1997) - Problem with a car i've just sold 13 Feb 2008 (Forum)
  The new owner performed an oil change last week and has just noticed that there is lots of oil in the coolant and is understandably a bit gutted about this, and apparently some brown sludge in the expansion tank. This is all news to me as I had not noticed it in the year I owned the car (i'm not especially mechanical though....).
• 01 Saxo mk2, ECU warning light problem 27 Jul 2007 (Forum)
  I have a Saxo vtr 2001 (Y reg) mk2, 80k on the clock, in hte past few months done a service of , sparks, oil, gear box oil, coolant. A few days ago, my engine warning light came on, so I checked out the engine and connectors and such like, running 100% OK. I disconnected the battery for 2 hours, to clear any fault codes, restarted, still have the same light, took the car to my mechanic, whose has a full test setup, first used a new diagnostic tester, would not "see" the ECU, which was weird, so he then put on a old diagnostic tester, which was used on the car about a year ago, which at the time worked fine, again did not "see" or could talk to the ECU.
• 535 Headgasket & Block tester 13 Apr 2007 (Forum)
  Given that it was neither yellow or blue I decide to give it another go. I stick it in, it stays blue, then all of a sudden (after 2 minutes), the car shoots all it's coolant out over the driveway. Assuming it must be a head gasket fault I refill the system and turn the starter and expect it to do the same. Nothing. Engine fires up and it's as if nothing happens. What do I do next.
• Astra 1999-Abnormal Loss of power 15 Feb 2007 (Forum)
  Eventually as well, there was a leak around the engine, i think near the gasket part or O-ring (in which i have sealed so far). My garage thought it was just simply timing adjustment, or fuel pump, coolant contaminants but these wont do and they say its still far from overhaul, as they themselves are puzzled with the problem and labeled it as WEIRD. I really dont know what is going on with my Astra '99 X16XEL but i have researched that this is common among opel astra models irregardless of whether its a new model or a very old model.
• VW Golf Mk3 VR6 - Head Gasket? 8 Oct 2006 (Forum)
  I need some advice about some 'mayonaise' I found onthe oil filler cap. I check my oil quite regulary, and have never seen a white deposit before yesterday, also coolant level never needs topping up. Last time i checked was a few days ago - and found no mayonaise. On Friday after a 30 mile m'way trip, the car starts to stall / kangaroo at low speeds and the engine is generally running like a dog (some rattles and no steady idle).
• 1999/T 416 k-series, 83k, wet starts 7 Apr 2006 (Forum)
  Engine won't start on cold damp days, no other problems at any other time. Not a sniff of potential HGF woes on this one and I intend to keep a close eye on coolant/rad/hoses/etc after learning my lesson with the last Rover! Fuel pump kicks in, engine turns fine, just doesn't fire. A liberal dose of wd40 around the distributor cap and exposed ht connectors followed by 10 minutes wait usually cures it.
• Failed Hydraulic Tappet ? (Polo) 1 Mar 2006 (Forum)
  I'm going to ask the garage for their opinion on Tuesday, (already had it booked in for an oil, oil filter and coolant change) but in the likely event of the noise continuing, I?m going to ask for a quote for repair. Am I right in thinking that it's a relatively straightforward job on this unit? Also, if its only one tappet that?
• 1994 306 1.9TD - Is it worth fixing? 10 Oct 2005 (Forum)
  c) The radiator looks as if it would need replacing within a year as it seems to be corroding near the bottom but isn't losing coolant yet. d) It will need 2 new tyres for its next MOT (April 06) Otherwise the car is fine, bodywork is immaculate, interior is in good condition and everything else seems to work. Common sense tells me that I should consider selling it as it is as the value of repairs is likely to exceed the value of the car.
• 1993 CLIO Diesel-Head Gasket gone? 3 Sep 2005 (Forum)
  The car is blowing coolant out through the pressure cap,no visible leaks elsewhere. No mayonnaise under the oil filler cap or oil in water but system is pressurising. Timing belt is being renewed at this time (car has 68000+ on clock) and haynes manual says I need a special tool to tension the belt or get dealer to tension it as soon as possible after installation.Is there some way I can do this myself?
• Mercedes W124 advice welcome 18 May 2005 (Forum)
  I am aiming to run it for the foreseeable future and want to do whatever is sensible to ensure longevity over short term economy. I reckon to get the fluids changed - auto trans, coolant and brake - and sort out a couple of tyres. Knowing that there are some Merc experts on the forum I would welcome any advice on any other routine or preventative maintenance that would be advisable.