Cut out, suspected h/gasket

ParkerDub · March 05, 2012, 07:33:36 PM

Was driving my car to my college digs on sunday night, had a couple small misfires on the motorway so took it easy after that, was fine for around 30 miles after until i came off a roundabout and gave it a bit of boost in 4th gear and then the power just dissapeared.

Pulled over as it wouldnt rev. once i pulled over it wouldnt start and sounds like very little/no compression.
This is the wierdest bit.. Top radiator hose was hot, both matrix hoses were hot. header tank was cold and bottom rad hose was cold. Temprature gauge sat around 70 degrees for the whole journey of 100miles roughly.

Cant get near the car this week as i've no tools with me. wondering if anyones had anything similar?

im guessing it may be headgasket but just worrying incase its something more serious.

Any help appreciated

hayesey · March 05, 2012, 08:42:59 PM

not sure it'll be the headgasket, they will usually still run but use water or mix oil & water.

can you check if it has used water out of the header tank? or if there are signs of oil in it?

samg40 · March 05, 2012, 08:59:33 PM

Coil.

ParkerDub · March 05, 2012, 09:20:33 PM

Water level is identical to when i left. Slight browning of the water in header tank. i'm pretty convinced its the headgasket as it sounds like there is no compression. will just need to wait until friday and do a compression test to make sure. cheers.

AlexG40 · March 05, 2012, 10:08:24 PM

Headgasket can blow between cylinders causing loss of compression with no other effects on temp or liquid contamination. This is what I thought was wrong with mine, turned out to be much worse. Any strange noises other than the misfires?

ParkerDub · March 05, 2012, 11:29:25 PM

Yeah thats what i thought may have happened, no i was suspicious it may have metled a plug and a piston etc but no noises when it cut out, just instant loss of power, no grinding or unsual noises when turning over now either.

AlexG40 · March 05, 2012, 11:52:31 PM

Test for compression. If you got none on two adjacent cylinders then the HG look favourite. If theres none on any....

brownysblower · March 06, 2012, 09:01:01 AM

Could be a hole in a piston $:-\$

youngprodigys · March 06, 2012, 12:44:23 PM

this could be fuel related. is the pump priming?/ rear pump trying to turn when cranking?

ParkerDub · March 06, 2012, 01:22:10 PM

Fuel pump primes fine.

brownysblower · March 06, 2012, 01:32:21 PM

pull the sparkplugs out see if they are wet or oily or covered in bits of aluminum

ParkerDub · March 06, 2012, 02:38:30 PM

Quote from: brownysblower on March 06, 2012, 01:32:21 PM
pull the sparkplugs out see if they are wet or oily or covered in bits of aluminum

I cant until friday ive no tools with me until i get it back to my garage.