Glover

Cheers, yeah depending on what the outcome is, I’m thinking of taking it off the road and getting stuck into being a project with the age of it, keeping it on the road is going to see me chasing one problem with another !

Yeah I’ll give it a go then ! Thanks for the tips, and all the replies. I do love this forum, been on some other car ones before and the people on it can be terrible ! I’ll keep this up to date with progress, it will end up turning into a project thread at this rate !!

It’s one of the chemical dye ones https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/BT-3-BLOCK-COMBUSTION-LEAK-TESTER-KIT-CO2-BLOCK-HEAD-GASKET-TEST-FLUID-35d/282514603676?epid=527979883&hash=item41c72ebe9c:g:MuUAAOSwLEtYi8Gi Didn’t want to drive it again now until I’m sure so might try get a mobile mechanic out. I’m with The AA but not with home start so I’d have to drive it around the corner or upgrade and call tomorrow.

Any of the eBay ones any good? Or does anyone have a link to one they’ve used.

That’s where the problem started... it wouldn’t get warm outside the house and when I took it around the block it started to blow hot and then cold again when it was steaming.

Yeah I’ve topped it up and the tank is half full. Yeah I’ll have a look at doing that to test it. Think it may be time to take it off the road and plan to get all the little jobs done as well !

New cap fitted (old one looked terrible and was loose it seemed, like it wasnt sealing right) Still getting steam from coolant overflow hose after getting to temp and driving round the block. The temp gauge in the car seemed to be higher than it normally would (not by much) and it seemed to be a lot more smokey on start up and lasted longer. Possible BHG or look for maybe a leak in a hose or the radiator ? What type of range am i looking at if it get it pressure tested ? Cheers

Fingers crossed its just the cap then! I'll keep it updated!

Would make more sense then! Yeah I think I'll get it to the garage for the pressure testing after if the cap doesn't sort it. What sort of ranges am I looking at keeping it between?

My cap seems to look a little shorter inside that this one, Im thinking the spring may have gone. Thanks for the replies, I'll keep this up to date once I've changed the cap for future reference incase anyone has the same symptoms! Hoping it isn't the HG. The temperature gauge never moved though so I'm guessing the engine isn't overheating? Or will it still be overheating and its just not registering on the thermostat? Cheers

New cap coming this weekend. Hopefully this fixes it. Had to top up the radiator with about 2.5 litres of coolant. Found out it was steaming out of the overflow hose and I'm confused as to why the cap would be doing this? And why my temperature gauge isn't moving from where it normally does? if it isn't the cap, am I looking at the thermostat next or does this have the symptoms of a BHG? Cheers

I'll have a look at that then! Filled it up this morning with coolant because it was low and I saw a little steam from under the bonnet when I was driving for a few minutes! Got to work and it's used a lot of coolant! It looks like it's come from the radiator cap so I've got one on the way to try first and then eliminate that!

The car has always had a coolant loss since before I had it but lately I've been getting either no heat inside the car or heat and then it stops and goes cold. Tried bleeding any airlocks becuase when the alternator was changed they said it lost some coolant from taking the pipe off. This morning I had heat but not as hot as usual and the engine looks like this, looks like its from the radiator cap, are they known for causing these issues?? Or if not the rad cap, anyone else had the same issue. Cheers

Had the cap off fully and tried to get the air lock out that way, tomorrow I'm going to try what you've said about half way and getting it on a slope! Yeah, I'll check the power steering fluid as well actually, didn't think of that, cheers!

Update, after trying to bleed it yesterday, it's getting hotter now like it did before but if I increase the speed on the blower it goes back cold again! Seems to be warmer after I've put my foot down also!

To be honest it sounds worse on the video so I'm maybe being over the top about it and worrying! Yeah ill have a go at that then. Thanks

Had an issue with the alternator going last week which has been fixed with a new alternator. Also changed the distributor seal (which was like plastic) to stop the oil leak which I'm sure didn't help the old alternator. I've now got two issues since. 1. Strange high pitched noise under the engine bay, I'll upload a video. 2. Lost coolant when changing the altenator and the temperature in the car doesn't seem to get half as hot now. Think it's an air block but I've tried running the car with the radiator cap off and squeezing the air out but it rises too quickly so I'm not sure. Anyone got any tips or what else the heating loss could be? Thanks in advance

It is mate! Yeah I'll be doing that job as well and get that sorted up! Thanks

Does a new alternator have the regulator fitted to it? With the miles and the age of the car I'm thinking it would be a good idea to put a new alternator on anyways.

Great, I'll have a check into that before I buy an alternator then!

Yeah the readings from the AA said the alternator was shot! He put a battery with a full charge on to get home. Had a look this morning and it looks like I've had an oil leak from near the alternator and I think that's what's finally pushed it over the edge, and it's done 140k miles so it was due! New alternator end of the month and have a look why I'm get an oil leak and it'll be back on the road!

Looks like it was the alternator, AA sorted me getting home

Sweet, perfect!