Another bloody head gasket

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
louis1
Posts: 132
Joined: 30 Nov 2002, 04:56
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Another bloody head gasket

Post by louis1 »

On my zx td i had a new cylinder head and gasket put on the car at 89000 miles (04/12/2002) and yesterday the heater started blowing out cold, and i noticed coolant coming out of a pin hole in the hose that goes to the matrix. The AA took me home where i replaced the hose today, I then drove to work and on the way i got stuck in an hour of traffic and no overheating, then when on the motorway ( at 75 mph) the temperature went to the line above the line 90 again, i carried on for another mile or so then the temperature went to below the 90, then it conked out, called the AA and they said the head gasket has gone. I use citroen anti-freeze and the car has now only done 119000 miles. Any ideas why it has gone so early.
oilyspanner
Posts: 1246
Joined: 26 Oct 2003, 16:08
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by oilyspanner »

It is possible that air got into the cooling system when being refilled, I have had TD engines warmed up with coolant pouring out of all bleed orifices drive down the road and then take another 2 litres! we also dont know how hot it got during the leaking hose stage , possibly it was low on water for a while at the top of the system, ie top of rad, top of head running dry whilst coolant circulates everywhere else. bad luck
Stewart
monkeyman
Posts: 115
Joined: 04 Jan 2004, 16:45
Location:
My Cars:

Post by monkeyman »

Are you sure that its not just air in the system and just needs bleeding?
A good garage should have a tester for headgaskets, it checks for combustion gasses in the coolent.
If it is a headgasket was the head skimmed when the gasket was last done?
rg
Posts: 280
Joined: 23 Nov 2002, 02:02
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:
Contact:

Post by rg »

Bad show, Louis1,
FWIW, there is a theory about PSA diesels that the best way to avoid head gasket problems is to stop them failing in the first place.
Hindsight is wonderful!
The inference is that, once they have gone, the slightest adverse condition causes them to fail again.
I understand that this is not much comfort in this situation, apart from heading off feelings of "well, what did I do wrong?"
All the best
rg
louis1
Posts: 132
Joined: 30 Nov 2002, 04:56
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by louis1 »

The head was'nt skimmed it is a new head. Any tips on doing the head gasket becaused i have never done one before.
monkeyman
Posts: 115
Joined: 04 Jan 2004, 16:45
Location:
My Cars:

Post by monkeyman »

If it was a new head, what when wrong on the old head that could not be sorted out with a skim?
edd001
Posts: 124
Joined: 01 Jan 2004, 16:44
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:
Contact:

Post by edd001 »

hi thought id give you my thoughts.
are you shure it is the head gasket as i work for a dealership and have a lot of dealings with the AA and i have to say that about half the dealings i have had with them, their diagnosis has been tottaly wrong so i would make sure that it has gone before you change it.
have you cheked the oil level to see if it has rissen or checked to see if you can see any leakage from the gasket on the outside.
edd001
Posts: 124
Joined: 01 Jan 2004, 16:44
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:
Contact:

Post by edd001 »

just to add a bit more.
you can get a speacial liquid (try A.R.E or someone simmaler) which you put in a bottle and suck the rad gases through the liquid and if there is any sign of the exhust gasses in the rad it will change colour. a simple task but very effective.
louis1
Posts: 132
Joined: 30 Nov 2002, 04:56
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by louis1 »

What happened to this car oringinally was my grandad had it sitting for 3 years doing about 250 miles a year (which he done in one journey to cornwall and back). On the third trip he broke down, what had happened was the radiator had gone and he never noticed so carried on driving and blew the head gasket. So we got the head skimmed and replaced the head gasket. 30000 miles later it went again and my next door nabour who worked for citroen's as a mechanic from 1986 to 1999, said that a skimmed head is never the same as a new one, so i bought a new head and let him fit it. He is on holiday at the moment so i will speak with him when he gets back. i have not had time to have a good look at the car to see if it is the head gasket but the engine is turning over very fast.
louis1
Posts: 132
Joined: 30 Nov 2002, 04:56
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by louis1 »

in the next few weeks i am going to try and do the head gasket, has any one done one before and if so any advice would be appriciated. thanks louis
Post Reply