Major Problems. need help guys.

[Fraser]

aright boys and girls. im havin a few problems with my car and was wandering if anyone could help me out.
Basically how it goes it is like this.
Ive been having a few wee problems over the past couple of months but just recently i started to smell a strange smell coming in through the air conditioning. it was definitly a smell comin from the engine, so i took the car to my house. i had a look about the engine and i found that the dodgy smell seems to be because there is engine oil mixing in with my engine coolant. the strange bit also is it's in the reserviour tank.
It is either the pistons or the head gasket, but was wandering if anyone has had the same problem and could tel me which of the 2 ended up to be?
I need to get the car sorted and get every little thing checked, and was wanderin if any of u knew of any specialists that dealt with the starlet. i know of one company in Aberdeen that deal with them but am trying to find out if there is any, anywhere else. even down nearer the border.
Could you guys help me out?

 

[KrissyB]

Most good garages around your way will be able to Diagnose the fault matey just because it's a Starlet doesn't mean that only specialists can work on it, Engine faults are engine faults at the end of the day. However It doesn't seem like Pistons too me, normally you will get like a Dark smoke resonating from your exhaust and even more so when driving the car.

Maybe do a compression test and that will give you an Indication of what is going on but normally it does point to a Head gasket fault which is easy enough too fix if it is the Headgasket.

Is your tank pushing out the water also or is it just lovely Brown and Gunky and smells like Rotten Yogurt.

Maybe one of the Traders could shed light on this more so than me

 

[twaiter]

as far as i know mate i think thats the head gasket, wen you get gunk in the water tank, there should be milky substance on the oil cap and i bealive grey smoke from the exhaust?
i bealive running it like this can seize the engine..

im not sure about the piston idea about wat the symptoms of tht are.
gd luk mate

 

[KrissyB]

as far as i know mate i think thats the head gasket, wen you get gunk in the water tank, there should be milky substance on the oil cap and i bealive grey smoke from the exhaust?
i bealive running it like this can seize the engine..

im not sure about the piston idea about wat the symptoms of tht are.
gd luk mate

Headgasket failure shouldn't seize the engine I drove my Fiat around for about 100 miles before changing it I just kept filling up the water lol.

It does sound like a HG failure but I dont want too make assumptions on symptons without having a look just incase it is not. A local garage could tell you within around 30mins of having the car

 

[GT_Ben]

Sounds like headgasket failure to me mate!

Im from Glasgow and would be able to do the work for you if need be!

Drop me a PM if you want to talk further!

Ben

 

[chimp]

Hey dude,

Long time no see..... Sounds like head gasket to me mate. As mentioned earlier, get a compression test done to be sure but that's what it sounds like.

Hope you get it sorted out soon

 

[Fraser]

cheers guys.

aright boys and girls. cheers for the advice and help with diagnosing the problem i have. im borrowin a compression tester from a mate of mine so shoukd be able to see if its defo the head gasket, and not the pistons.
would anyone know of what the exact reading should be for your pistons when doing compression tests?

im away to be ordering up a head gasket soon if the compression tests show that its defo not the pistons.
ill be going for a fully metal headgasket, might even send the head oss to get skimmed first, probably just as well.
well cheers for the help boys and girls.

 

[Rory]

If your going to get a metal H/G i would skim both the head and the block.
Metal H/G's need a perfect flat for it to seal.

If not, i would run another standard H/G and go from there.

 

[TurboDave]

Headgasket failure shouldn't seize the engine I drove my Fiat around for about 100 miles before changing it I just kept filling up the water lol.

It does sound like a HG failure but I dont want too make assumptions on symptons without having a look just incase it is not. A local garage could tell you within around 30mins of having the car

It will sieze if the engine gets too hot which is what I think the point was .

Get a compression and sniffer test done on it.

 

[I_<3_Boost]

This might be me being spazzy, but a hg failure, would as easy to see as take the oil filler cap off, if theres white underneath it, probs hg and also possibly steam through the breather

 

[thechomper]

It will sieze if the engine gets too hot which is what I think the point it .

Get a compression and sniffer test done on it.

top info ,sounds like hg to me

 

[Adam_Glanza]

This might be me being spazzy, but a hg failure, would as easy to see as take the oil filler cap off, if theres white underneath it, probs hg and also possibly steam through the breather

the hg can brake in different places, it doesnt always mix with the oil and turn it creamy, it can brake in the exhaust channels also so not make any obvious oil colour changes

 

[Rory]

This might be me being spazzy, but a hg failure, would as easy to see as take the oil filler cap off, if theres white underneath it, probs hg and also possibly steam through the breather

Not easy at this time of year, as the cold weather brings the condensation in, therefor the condensation mixes with the oil and creates the Mayo in the cap.

As said by Turbodave, sniffer and compression test, and go from there.

 

[Fraser]

just a quick thanks to all the guys on here for there comments.
got the car to garage, found it was the head gasket, and had it sorted, but lets just go with the short story that the garage was crap and me engine blew within 2 mionths thanks to there shit workmanship. got a full new second hand engine now.
cheers for all the advice given tho its all very much appreciated.