MG-Cars.com
MG MGF Technical Overheating BBS discussion at MG-Cars.net
MG-Cars.net
Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.
Recommendations
Parts
MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.
|
|
MG MGF Technical - Overheating
| Hi Guys I wonder if you could help me. I drove home from work, as per usual, the trip is only 6 miles. Got to about the 5 mile point and smoke (steam) could be seen coming from the rear of my car, I then loked at teh temp guage and it was on red. I managed to limp the last mile home and the car was steaming, as the water was boiling out from the expansion tank. I waited till things ahd cooled down, and first checked the oil (to see if the head had gone, there does seem to be some water gundge on the dipstick. I really don't know what to do first, as i am quite concerned that I may be in for an expensive job. My car is a 97, VVC, and has only done 44K |
| TonyG |
| You have HGF, if you didn't when the car started boiling then you will have by now. |
| Will Munns |
| Firstly I take it there is a loss of water, then you should look to see where it is going, fill up the expansion tank and start the engine, if it is the head gasket then a common place for it to leak out is above the alternator. As for a little water in the oil, if you only do 6 miles journeys a lot of the time then it could judt be condensation. Lastly If you think it is an HGF, then DO NOT DRIVE IT, you could do a lot more damage causing a greater expense. Good Luck Mike |
| Mike (Mersea Office) |
| Thanks for your comments. One thing that I forgot to mention, is that when I noticed the temp guage on red, I put the heater on full (to take some of the heat from the engine), and the air coming out of the heater was cold.... |
| TonyG |
| Tony, the heater would blow cold as there is no water left in the heater matrix. Mike |
| Mike (Mersea Office) |
| How much does it cost to replace a Head Gasket? |
| TonyG |
| Tony, approx £500 , but if head needs skimming or other work required then it could cost more. Mike |
| Mike (Mersea Office) |
| £500 is cheap, expect it to be closer to £700 at an MGR garage. |
| Will Munns |
| Will , I was going by a leading independants quote of 450 + vat Mike |
| Mike (Mersea Office) |
| I have just (last week) had a new head gasket and a new radiator at the local MG/Rover dealer for £610 including parts and vat. try negotiating with them. |
| Martin Chappell |
| Too true, but do you know any "leading indi's" in Bournemouth? |
| Will Munns |
| I don't suppose Craze bros in Boscombe are still there, or the black cat pub or the numbers club, or .... memories, just memories :-o |
| Mike (Mersea Office) |
| Hi guys read the previous and as luck ( not) would have it my F is also overheating - The local garage suggests I try bleeding it first - but to be honest ( unlike my nice easy midget) and do not know how I bleed an F? he said to jack it up high ! - sensible answers please though , I do take homour :) |
| Amanda Rawson |
| Hi Amanda, when is your car overheating? In stationary traffic, and then the temperature returns to normal when you get going, or is it high all the time? If the former, then suspect the operation of the radiator fan - for more detail on looking at this, see http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/group2/common_problems/hgf_pages/related_problems_overheating.htm |
| Rob Bell |
| Hi Rob I saw the steam first when I was driving the car, let it cool down - drove home 1/2 mile filled up the expansion - about 2 lites went in ran engine stationery and it overheated again. dip stick looks clean so hopefully not the HGF |
| Amanda Rawson |
| If you have air in the rad it will not find it's own way out, there is a plastic bolt on the top of the rad, it has a square access hole in the Radiaror cowel, this is the only non-automatic bleed point. If the rad is full then perhaps you have a sticky thermostat. |
| Will Munns |
| Thanks Will Do I need to do the jacking up bit as well ? Is the thermostat easy to spot? |
| Amanda Rawson |
| Jacking up is not required. Thermostat is in a bugger of a position, it is under the inlet manifold, to remove the stat you need to slacken off the bolts holding the pipe it is wedged into, these are 8mm and go into the block (routes the metal pipe around the block), then you need to undo the three 8mm bolts that hold the plastic housing together - a ratchet 8mm spanner is a requirement!, then pull the whole lot free. All this has to be done pretty much blind unless you want to remove the inlet manifold. If you need to borrow a spanner, or look at the engine in a more forgiving engine bay then drop me a line. |
| Will Munns |
| thanks Will I think hubby will be able to follow this over the weekend so I will let you know. |
| Amanda Rawson |
| Good luck, I probebly won't be checking the net over the WE, if you want a number to call just in case, drop me a line @ will underscoore munns att iname doot com |
| Will Munns |
| How did your investigations come along over the weekend Amanda? |
| Rob Bell |
This thread was discussed between 25/10/2004 and 01/11/2004
MG MGF Technical index
This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGF Technical BBS is active now.