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MG MGF Technical - Another One Bites the Dust ! (HGF)

On my way home rom work on Friday, I pulled up at the round-a-bout about 700m from home, and all of a sudden white smoke everywhere from behind me.. #$%&!@ HGF I thought. I checked the Temp guage and the needle was sitting in the RED.

This must have happened very quickly as I checked the temp guage with in 2 mins earlier, and I checked my rear view mirror when I pulled of the highway at the same time.

I checked the oil and there is no sign of water contamination, and what little coolant that was left in the expansion bottle was still the normal gree colour, and not contaminated.

I then refilled the expansion tank (with the engine off) and the water was pouring out of the bottom of the car nearly as fast as I was filling it.

Next morning I had to start the car so we could get my car down the driveway (verry steep) and onto the back of the Truck.. Car started fine, and idled perfectly. but still the coolant ran out of the engine with a fast drip/trickle.

The front subframe was replaced (radiator fully removed) about (less than) 1000 km ago. The car is a 97 VVC with just over 61,000 km on the clock. Cambelt and Coolant replaced (60,000 km service) at 59,200 km (about 2.5 months ago.)- Never had a problem with the car overheating in the past.

Could the cause of the HGF be that the Cooling system wasn't refilled correctly ? - Still had air in the system.

Scott

PS.. Where is the registor for HGFs ? I'll add mine to the list....

Scott Martin

Scott

Are you sure it is a HGF and not just a burst/fractured pipe?

Ted
Ted Newman

Ted, 3 times I had HGF it was 3 times exactly as Scott describes... I'm afraid this is another sad case. But the recent works on the car suspect more is going on than the famous F reliability alone.

Scott, you'll be added to the hated (well, some at least don't like it) but true Hall of Shame, I only need to know when in 97 you bought it and if you have any performance mods (exhaust, airfilter etc)
Dirk

Scott
I'm sorry about your problems.
:(
Guess you'll never find out the true reason.
In one case you may be right with lack of bleeding the coolant system after that 1000km ago repair.
On the other hand the 'loose cylinder head bolts' can be also valid.
BTW have you got the exhaust bracket installed ? Rog wrote about it some days ago.

Anyway, if I where you, then I would 'design' a complain against the garage on the coolant change and probabbly lack of bleeding. Even if its right or wrong.

Rgds
Dieter

Dieter Koennecke

Dirk

I asked Scott the question!

Ted
Ted Newman

>>Are you sure it is a HGF and not just a burst/fractured pipe?<<

I once had a burst pipe too on my MGF 1.8 Mpi. Same visual showdown as a HGF(white puff of smoke), but other cause. Had to pay the costs myself :-(
My MGF equally experienced already two HGFs (at 30K kms and at 100K kms) :-(((

I hope for Scott the problem on his MGF is only a burst pipe related one, but it looks however more to be a HGF, when he describes the following fact: "I then refilled the expansion tank (with the engine off) and the water was pouring out of the bottom of the car nearly as fast as I was filling it."

Hall of Shame:
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Track/4461/HGFintro.htm

Cheers,
Luc
Luc

Quite a coincidence: the intro-page of the Hall of Shame (pertaining data on some head gasket failures) currently features a GeoCities publicity window (banner) with publicity for Yahoo Auctions of...
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......POKEMON !

Well uh...
Luc

Hi Dudes/ (and Dudettes.... I know there are a few on the list)..

Ted, I thought the same thing, and I asked the garage the same question, and they say that it is a HGF and not a Pipe.. I tried to look for the leak myself, but I couldn't get under the car enough to see the source. I tried ti feel around with my hand but couldn't locate any moisture.. (Still seem rather strange to me..)

Dirk, My car was built in 97, and first registered in 11 month 97. I purchased the car in Feb 98. The only modification to the car is the K&N cone air filter.

As I said before, This failed less that 1000km after the front radiator was removed, and the coolant drained. - Might be interesting to compare how soon after a coolant drain other HGF have occured.

Thanks for the feed back people.. I'll certianly be having 'discussions' about this with the Garage..

Here's to Happy 'F'ing..

Scott

Scott Martin

Sorry Dieter,

I didn't answer your question.. No I don't have the exhaust bracket installed.. It does sound interesting though.. I will be making some enquires about it..


Scott
Scott Martin

Am getting a bit paranoid about this HGF thing. Keep looking in the mirror for white smoke after I rev the car! My big question is roughly how much does it cost to get the engine fixed after HGF and does it mean taking the engine out of the car to do so?
Andy

Andy,

no reason to get paranoid or panic.
Check the archive for hints on how to serve the car yourself.
i.e.
If you got an MPI then check wether the airintake sealing is in latest version. (Not a must, but let me sleep calm)
You can also check the condition of the coolant cap yourself. (rivet inside the cap must be located in the center)
Get sure that the coolant system is seal.
Check the coolant level in the expansion tank from time to time.

Check the level as often as possible if the coolant was changed or refilled after repairs in a garage. Some craftsman don't know about how to bleed the system in right manner. In that case any air in the system gets off very slow.

Cheers
Dieter
PS No HGF at my MPI which got 83k km.
Dieter Koennecke

Sorry, I forgot to give some more details about my car and its f....ing HGF for the Hall of Shame:

It is a Jan. 2000 model with K&N airfilter (fitted in resonator box, not to be confused with cold air & cone filter) and with a SP exhaust system.

So long

Marcus ;-)
Marcus Abele

Marcus, just for the record: do you mean you have a HGF on a MY2000 ? What's the mileage and the number of months it lasted HGF-free ?

Cheers,
Luc
Luc

Luc,

I can answer here, cause Marcus was so kind to use the VIN Email Form. Thanx Marcus !!
Its a YD51xxxx, so one of the very first MGF MY2k which appeared in Germany.

Thats indeed unfortunately a record for the records.
:(

11 month HGF free, the milage is Marcus case to report, but I guess it wasn't quite much.

Regards
Dieter
Dieter Koennecke

This thread was discussed between 30/10/2000 and 02/11/2000

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGF Technical BBS is active now.