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MG MGF Technical - HGF no. 2 question

Hello,

well after approx. 500 km since the first HG replacement I had to have it done a 2nd time. Looks like the first one was faulty which I had recognized actually a day or two later because of dropping coolant level. At first I thought it might have been due to air locks but it became a constant problem. Everything was replaced under warranty so I only had to pay for the oil change and some coolant.
When changing oil the garage probably did not consider that I have an oil cooler fitted in the front, because there is still some "Mayo" residue on the dip stick. As the oil cooling circuit is not permanently open, after a 40min ride new and old contaminated oil has mixed.
Can this cause further damage and do I need to change oil once more or is it sufficient to only monitor it ?

thanks for your help

cheers Oliver
Oliver Groeteke

Hi Oliver,

you said HGF happend even so you have an oil cooler installed ?!? !?!
Err, looks like the oil cooler enthusiasts need to take attention to the matter ! ;)


However, I don't think lack of flushing the oil cooler circuit was a reason for the 2nd.
Other chaps may know better ?

What about the first one. Do you know whether oil had got to the coolant circuit ?? .. and if so, how did they flush the coolant system ??

Btw. you haven't let the job done at the 'Bad Homburg' dealer ? ;-)
Come on, tell us, who did it ?

May be they didn't get out oil drops on the first repair, or just damaged the sensitive gasket while putting on the head.

Regards
Dieter
Dieter K.

Hi Dieter,

first HGF was initially caused by a faulty expansion tank cap last year in September. The car was checked at the time and had no signs of HGF but later on I always noticed air ( CO ) in the heater. You could hear it when accelerating. There was never oil in the cooling system.
At this years service I had all gaskets replaced and even now there was no oil in the coolant. Coolant level constantly dropped after refilling and suddenly oil level on the dip stick was much higher i.e. water in the oil.
For the cause of the 2nd HGF I also think that the gasket might have been damaged on the first repair but that is speculation.
With respect to the oil cooler I think that it helped to prevent more damage on the first HGF because the expansion tank was completely empty and I still had to drive some 40 km stopping every now and then to refill with water and remember I had no oil in the water.

Dieter if you are still interested I can tell you off public where the repair was done.

Coming back to my initial question should I change the oil again or will the "mayo" which is left in the system disappear at some stage.

Oliver Groeteke

It will work it's way out, depending on oil temp, if you have the option then cover the oil rad, this will speed up the waters exit.
How much mayo is it, if significant I would drain and refill, mayo does not lubricate nearly as well as oil!
Will Munns

>> you said HGF happend even so you have an oil cooler installed ?!? !?!
Err, looks like the oil cooler enthusiasts need to take attention to the matter ! ;) <<

Hi Oliver

sorry to hear about the problems you've had recently. The oil cooler you have - is it a front mounted air/oil cooler or a water/oil cooler mounted in the engine bay?

Both systems will have quite a large capacity of oil - although the front mounted system will presumably be harder to bleed due to its location and long oil pipes from the engine and back.

It would be worth getting the oil flushed out a couple of times to rid of the remaining 'mayo' - as Will rightly says, it ain't doing your engine much good at the moment!
Rob Bell

Rob,

I have a front mounted air/oil cooler.

Well I must say I would also feel better if there were no more 'mayo' that's why I'll flush it out a couple of times using first some cheap oil before putting in a good one.

thx
Oliver Groeteke

One flush should get most of it out, rememeber to get the oil hot (not just the water!), I wouldn't use an oil flush, bacsue it will stit in the cooler and thin the new oil as well :-(
Will Munns

This thread was discussed between 21/04/2004 and 22/04/2004

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