Jetta - Head Gasket?
Discussion
89 1.6 carb version. No evidence it ever burst before so it's about due one. Sypmtoms - slightly uneven tickover, needing top up of water revently. Signs - pin prick hole appeared at base of bulbous curve on top of expansion bottle. When replaced bottle today and flushed through and replaced fluid, noticed water returns under more pressure as throttle was blipped. Exhaust fumes seem steamy wven when hot but not as "white" as some say it should be.
Is this defo indicator of blown gasket?
Is this defo indicator of blown gasket?
That's torn it. Tried to get to work at 7 this morning and the misfire made me turn home. When I looked under bonnet every pipe looke fit to burst. After cooling down and starting to take to garage, it wheezed like some kinda cartoon character with chronic chest disease and blew black smoke out the exhaust on backiring. Can safely say it's head gasket with knobs on.
but then again, I aint the mechanic ....
.... one of THOSE reassured me it is the thermostat. And a "wax stat" or whatever that is, which is causing the revs to rev high... which it never used to do beofre he got his hands on it.
Ah well, life's too short to worry about things like that. Let's just say Jerry should be working fine when I get him home.
.... one of THOSE reassured me it is the thermostat. And a "wax stat" or whatever that is, which is causing the revs to rev high... which it never used to do beofre he got his hands on it.
Ah well, life's too short to worry about things like that. Let's just say Jerry should be working fine when I get him home.
Working fine now. He's a case is Dave, this mechanic who has worked with VWs all his life. Writing out the bill, he sent one of the lads in to ask his son, "Did he clean those plugs or did he change em?" I says, WHAT?? They were brand new 6k ago, the ones with three dubris at the business end. He comes back - after a silent few mins - and says, yep, he put new ones in. I said let's see the old ones. He left and didnt return with them. Dave says, "you're all right, I wont charge you for the plugs. If we find the old ones, I'll use them cos they prob were gooduns". Just looked at him.
Ferkin scouse monkey , though I say it myself. Calls himself a Liverpudlian too
Ferkin scouse monkey , though I say it myself. Calls himself a Liverpudlian too
Woke up dis mornin
Da dee da dum
.... after 7 mile to work, checked under bonnet and spotted hoses all over fit to burst. Called it in to Dave's lads and took it there later. One lad looks at pipes after 7 kile return journey and agrees, too much pressure.
Dave's repsonse? "They're all right them" and when I tell him that's how they were on tuesday before it dies on me, he said "it wouldnt start when I got to it"
How do these guys sleep at night?
After he and his lad debated whether it is head gasket or radiator, they check the pipes for heat transfer and decide it must be the radiator which is blocked.
( I stand there wondering if there was a problem with the "bust thermostat" in the first place ... )
I say when I got the car , 10 thousand miles and 18 months ago, I changed the coolant, expansion tank and added Barr's leaks at the time. "Ah! That's what's caused it!" he shouts... bring it in tomorrow and I'll throw a second hand radiator on for you"
Yours
Flummoxed of Liverpool Bay
Da dee da dum
.... after 7 mile to work, checked under bonnet and spotted hoses all over fit to burst. Called it in to Dave's lads and took it there later. One lad looks at pipes after 7 kile return journey and agrees, too much pressure.
Dave's repsonse? "They're all right them" and when I tell him that's how they were on tuesday before it dies on me, he said "it wouldnt start when I got to it"
How do these guys sleep at night?
After he and his lad debated whether it is head gasket or radiator, they check the pipes for heat transfer and decide it must be the radiator which is blocked.
( I stand there wondering if there was a problem with the "bust thermostat" in the first place ... )
I say when I got the car , 10 thousand miles and 18 months ago, I changed the coolant, expansion tank and added Barr's leaks at the time. "Ah! That's what's caused it!" he shouts... bring it in tomorrow and I'll throw a second hand radiator on for you"
Yours
Flummoxed of Liverpool Bay
bent it back with a massive crow bar 
Sure is.
After he twisted that cowling back with the jemmy between it and the starter motor, he bashed the cowling as the fan was whirring round, looked at me, waved the stick in his hand and says "End of !" , smiles and walks into the dark cul de sac of a garage, where the huddle of young lads gather ready for knocking off
After he twisted that cowling back with the jemmy between it and the starter motor, he bashed the cowling as the fan was whirring round, looked at me, waved the stick in his hand and says "End of !" , smiles and walks into the dark cul de sac of a garage, where the huddle of young lads gather ready for knocking off
Sorry Oli, no pics of Vera. She's a tired but standard P6 in cameron green, with faded cream leather seats that are past improvement, lots of rust to a couple of doors, but apart from that all the damage is to the sections under the skin. SH!! Dont tell My Other Half, but I think I have a cunning plan to spirit Vera away for the work for the MOT to be done. When she returns working after jusy basic outlay, I can upgrade her over time. Lovely new seat covers and headrests will smell nice, too. One day.
Cheers about the work on Jerry. I do the oil and other changes myself. It was the idea that the head gasket had gone and needing it done for work every day that led to the panic decision to send him in this time.
Cheers about the work on Jerry. I do the oil and other changes myself. It was the idea that the head gasket had gone and needing it done for work every day that led to the panic decision to send him in this time.
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