Sound familiar??

[Sancho]

Just returned from the French Alps 'sans Surf'....

He managed fine for 650 miles and then, one steep hill too many, and the temperature flew up, steam came out from the bonnet and the cap flew off the expansion tank. One tow later and the garage had 'fixed' it by topping up the coolant - "maybe he does not love to make the montagne".

Off I drove the next day feeling dubious with an abundance of white smoke and a lovely hot water smell. Back to the garage where the guy assured me that it was all to do with altitude and that he had pressure tested the engine and everything to make sure. We enjoyed a lovely ten minute charade afterwards of revving the engine and smelling the exhaust.

Eventually set off, fingers crossed, and made about fifty miles before the whole lot went off again. Have just endured a 25 hour journey home and have no idea where the big fella is now. Fingers crossed the ferry they put it on sinks.

I've had it about 8 weeks and it looks like I am now the lucky recipient of the classic head problem (second time on this particular one). That's on top of a short in the dash nearly burning the whole thing down last month.

Anyone want a slow, $$$$ car that p1sses its pants everytime you go up a hill? I can probably get the recovery guys to deliver it straight to you. Should make an excellent shed or kid's wendy house.

[pkdj2307]

Yep that sounds familiar mine overheated in cornwall but was fine all the way home (to essex) and for the next couple of months, then just before christmas i had the antifreeze changed (with mega expensive stuff) and a day layer it coughed the whole lot out of the exhaust. Yes i had a cracked head (all four pots) i got a modified head from stevo (supposed to be the dogs dangly bits as heads go) and its all ok now (£1500 later) fingers crossed
i like the shed idea i think mine will be a shed if it goes wrong again , are you gonna fix it ?

[Sancho]

No idea.

He was 'only' £2500, so £1500 to get it sorted seems like a lot. I'd probably be better off getting rid of it cracked head and all for a loss. Seems like a shame though - he was only serviced (courtesy of TonyN - ta) a few weeks ago and had all the electrics checked over after the dashboard incident (a previous owner wiring a dodgy fog lamp switch directly into the battery, no fuse, if you're interested).

Except for the not moving thing, he seems pretty sound - only 90000km on a J plate. Hence the shed idea. Rubbish transport, nice car otherwise.

To be honest, I just hate the b@st@rd at the moment. Not sure Britannia Rescue are too keen on dragging it round Europe for me either.....

[pkdj2307]

I should point out the head was only £800 which included all bolts fixings, gaskets, and cam belt. the rest was recovery fluids and labour, i think he only charged me £200 to fit the head but they are a b*****d job, its ak for the japs they can walk under the bonnet but for us normal size blokes forget it

[Sancho]

I don't know about walking under the bonnet, but I wouldn't know what to do once I was in there anyway. Someone asked me what was wrong with it and I just pointed at the metal bit in the middle and said it was knackered.

I must give off the stench of luddite; The cap off the expansion tank managed to knock one of the bungs out of the battery as it flapped about under the bonnet and, when the recovery guy turned up and saw that and me with a bottle of coolant in my hand, he thought I had been pouring it into the battery. He very calmly said "that won't help at all". Probably wouldn't hurt to try.....

I once overheated HiAce camper in Australia. Burst a hose on my old man's Citroen AX last month too. It must be me.