MG ZR COOLANT/HEADGASKET
Discussion
hi all
back in december i bought a 2005 ZR 105 trophy for the wifes xmas present.
i checked it best i knew how for gunk under cap and dipstick and all seemed fine.
yesterday the coolant light was on, so i checked level and it was low but fine.
this morning she came in from work saying it was 'steaming', so i check coolent level and again and there was no coolant at all.
ive been told to top it up, let it warm up for 20 mins and see if the coolant disappears, if it does the either a leak on head gaskets gone.
please advise of next steps.
is this gonna be expensive?
the car came from a small dealer with a 6 month warranty, ive not checked that but any chance HG is covered under a warranty?
thanks
back in december i bought a 2005 ZR 105 trophy for the wifes xmas present.
i checked it best i knew how for gunk under cap and dipstick and all seemed fine.
yesterday the coolant light was on, so i checked level and it was low but fine.
this morning she came in from work saying it was 'steaming', so i check coolent level and again and there was no coolant at all.
ive been told to top it up, let it warm up for 20 mins and see if the coolant disappears, if it does the either a leak on head gaskets gone.
please advise of next steps.
is this gonna be expensive?
the car came from a small dealer with a 6 month warranty, ive not checked that but any chance HG is covered under a warranty?
thanks
The mayonnaise only comes after a period of running with a gradual leak of water into the oil. So, check first to see if you have oil floating on top of the coolant in the header tank, or water droplets on the dipstick. If so, then it is probably head gasket failure. If not then top up and drive slowly to the nearest trusted mechanic, without overheating it, who can do a sniff test of the coolant and a leak down compression test, which will indicate clearly if there is a gasket failure.
The best it can be is that, if it passes both of those tests, it may just be the common fault of the failure of the pressure cap, which (funny old thing) creates plenty of steam and loss of coolant with no other indications. If it doesn't pass them, then it will generally indicate a failure, but as long as you haven't overheated the engine, you will probably get away with simply a replacement gasket without lots of melted bits and head skimming etc. Good luck
MG Mark
The best it can be is that, if it passes both of those tests, it may just be the common fault of the failure of the pressure cap, which (funny old thing) creates plenty of steam and loss of coolant with no other indications. If it doesn't pass them, then it will generally indicate a failure, but as long as you haven't overheated the engine, you will probably get away with simply a replacement gasket without lots of melted bits and head skimming etc. Good luck
MG Mark
HomerJ ...
Doh!
In addition to Mark's fine advice, it is essential to positively identify what is actually wrong with your car. Some brave soul over on another web site admitted that K-series Cylinder head gasket so called failures are a "nice little earner" and a number he has renewed did not need changing.
If there are any leaks in a cooling system anywhere, even slight ones as already suggested a worn coolant expansion bottle pressure cap, then the loss of essential coolant pressure when warm will cause that premature boiling up, overflowing with lots of steam. It's also possible that ever since you had it, and previously, the cooling system was not properly bled of air ~ believe it or not, some professionals within the trade cannot be relied on to bleed the K-series cooling system correctly. Plenty of evidence of that unfortunately.
Finally, these cylinder head gaskets rarely actually fail, they are first damaged usually by severe overheating following coolant loss, and then they are not able to do the job. Hope that has not happened here. Even if it has, provided the engine components have not been damaged by overheating, changing the cylinder head gasket on a 4 cylinder K-Series is a relatively easy job and should not be expensive ~ unless they see you coming ~ except on the MGF/TF where the mid-engine rearwheel drive configuration restricts access which means extra labour. On an MG ZR, access should not be a problem. By the way, if the gasket has been damaged and needs replacing, use the MLS gasket with the 'head saver' ... If the advice you get is of the "They all do that mate" kind, seek advice elsewhere.
Meantime, renew that pressure cap anyway ~ they do not last forever and are only about four quid. Then ensure the coolant is at the correct level and, more importantly, the system is properly bled to exclude any air pockets trapped in the engine or system. Correct "Bleeding" is not a difficult process ~ search the web for DIYer "how to" guidelines ~ then drive the car as usual being all eyes and ears looking for any signs of lasting damage from over heating.
All being well, the car should be OK ... but, all depends... Good luck.
Doh! In addition to Mark's fine advice, it is essential to positively identify what is actually wrong with your car. Some brave soul over on another web site admitted that K-series Cylinder head gasket so called failures are a "nice little earner" and a number he has renewed did not need changing.
If there are any leaks in a cooling system anywhere, even slight ones as already suggested a worn coolant expansion bottle pressure cap, then the loss of essential coolant pressure when warm will cause that premature boiling up, overflowing with lots of steam. It's also possible that ever since you had it, and previously, the cooling system was not properly bled of air ~ believe it or not, some professionals within the trade cannot be relied on to bleed the K-series cooling system correctly. Plenty of evidence of that unfortunately.
Finally, these cylinder head gaskets rarely actually fail, they are first damaged usually by severe overheating following coolant loss, and then they are not able to do the job. Hope that has not happened here. Even if it has, provided the engine components have not been damaged by overheating, changing the cylinder head gasket on a 4 cylinder K-Series is a relatively easy job and should not be expensive ~ unless they see you coming ~ except on the MGF/TF where the mid-engine rearwheel drive configuration restricts access which means extra labour. On an MG ZR, access should not be a problem. By the way, if the gasket has been damaged and needs replacing, use the MLS gasket with the 'head saver' ... If the advice you get is of the "They all do that mate" kind, seek advice elsewhere.
Meantime, renew that pressure cap anyway ~ they do not last forever and are only about four quid. Then ensure the coolant is at the correct level and, more importantly, the system is properly bled to exclude any air pockets trapped in the engine or system. Correct "Bleeding" is not a difficult process ~ search the web for DIYer "how to" guidelines ~ then drive the car as usual being all eyes and ears looking for any signs of lasting damage from over heating.
All being well, the car should be OK ... but, all depends... Good luck.
Couple small points.... 'Mayonnaise' can show up in any engine, particularly during cold weather spells where the car is used only for short runs, so never gets warm enough to evaporate away the condensation that forms in all engines on cold start up. It's then it mixes with some oil and that appears as the salad cream ..
well over ten years ago, my wife drove an MG Montego to-from work each day ~ a round trip of five miles only. That big iron block O-Series never warmed up during those very brief cold winter trips. Checking under the bonnet routinely, I removed the cap from the engine oil filler tube to discover the long tube completely blocked with salad cream.... I stood a long screwdriver up in it it was that thick! I tied an old spoon on that screwdriver and got it all out. Checked the oil ~ OK # then took the car for a decent twenty mile run so the engine got fully up to temperature .... filler tube completely clear thereafter ...
In the 4 cylinder K-series, there a small inlet manifold gasket which can be a cause of coolant losses.... very slow at first until it finally expires.
When filling and bleeding the system on your car, move the heater controls to hot. The fact that yours blows cold indicates the coolant has been allowed to get so low the heater matrix is empty.That's not good but, may be OK. It helps to squeeze both top and bottom radiator hoses alternatively when bleeding the system of air.
If you've not already done so, good idea to sign up to Rovertech.net and MG-Rover.org ~ there's a real wealth of useful advice on those sites by many who've been there done that...
Finally ... nice present ...back in May 2003, I bought my better half a new MGZS ~ she loves the car.
well over ten years ago, my wife drove an MG Montego to-from work each day ~ a round trip of five miles only. That big iron block O-Series never warmed up during those very brief cold winter trips. Checking under the bonnet routinely, I removed the cap from the engine oil filler tube to discover the long tube completely blocked with salad cream.... I stood a long screwdriver up in it it was that thick! I tied an old spoon on that screwdriver and got it all out. Checked the oil ~ OK # then took the car for a decent twenty mile run so the engine got fully up to temperature .... filler tube completely clear thereafter ...
In the 4 cylinder K-series, there a small inlet manifold gasket which can be a cause of coolant losses.... very slow at first until it finally expires.
When filling and bleeding the system on your car, move the heater controls to hot. The fact that yours blows cold indicates the coolant has been allowed to get so low the heater matrix is empty.That's not good but, may be OK. It helps to squeeze both top and bottom radiator hoses alternatively when bleeding the system of air.
If you've not already done so, good idea to sign up to Rovertech.net and MG-Rover.org ~ there's a real wealth of useful advice on those sites by many who've been there done that...
Finally ... nice present ...back in May 2003, I bought my better half a new MGZS ~ she loves the car.
Edited by MGJohn on Wednesday 4th February 16:56
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