Mystery leak

[nathanMR2]

Ouch! Do you want the number for my guy?

Im not sure how ud get on getting it to him but i have a feeling it will be alot cheaper.

[MelBee42]

Thanks - I can't really drive it anywhere in case it does more damage. £740 is worst case, depending on the amount of damage done, which they won't know until they strip it down (or whatever the technical term is). I've done quite a lot of miles in it though since the apparent 'leak' occurred so I'm predicting the worst. To be honest I had always thought that head gaskets failed due to overheating, which in my case did occur due to a lack of coolant... due to a leak. Not the other way around. I really hope I don't still have a leak once this gets fixed...!

[Wabbitkilla]

You just echoed my thoughts Mel.

Leak .... Garage couldn't find leak ...... Leak got worse ... lost significant coolant .... overheated ... head gasket (possible head) = Garages responsibility for being inept at not finding the leak in the first place.

Proving it = impossible.

Never heard of a HG going on a standard engine, they have no reputation for it.
Well i suppose you're feeling pretty unlucky enough now, sorry about that, look forward to it being back on the road roof down and wind in your hair   s:) s:)

[StuC]

Proving it = impossible.

Made worse but the fact they didn't charge the first time around  s:-( :-( s:-(

[MelBee42]

Rest assured I will be asking them to check again for leaks after they fix it, and then monitoring the coolant level like a hawk! They did say they pressure tested the system (again), checked everything, couldn't find any leaks (again).
Usually they are pretty decent though, I've been there probably about five or six times in the last year and a bit and the sum total of all charges was £10 (they even came round to my house once to get my car started so it could make it to the garage so they could fit a new connector to the battery - no charge).
Yup. I am feeling unlucky indeed. First it burns oil (new engine), then the mystery leak, then power steering epic fail (still don't know what's causing that but the steering bizarrely seems OK at the moment), then head gasket blown. And I've only had it since June. Total repair bills will be more than £2k so far after this.

[nathanMR2]

Ive just made a call and been quoted £500.00 worst case on a head gasket by my guy. Are you not with the AA or RAC and get them to recover you to 'your nearest Toyota specialist'. From what uve said i really dont trust your garage and by the sounds of it their actions have resulted in the problem you now have, thats if they are even right!

Failing that you could always see what Mattperformance would charge to give you an idea. Atleast with either Matt or my guy they work on MR2's, they know MR2's and will be far more reliable than your garage.

[MelBee42]

Thanks Nath but I just really don't have the time or the energy to do that - I want the car walking distance from mine so I can actually pick it up, too. Also they have already started work on it.
I am certain they're right about the gasket, my concern is that there's still a leak somewhere that caused this whole problem in the first place. If it turns out there is, I'll complain to the garage and I'll take it somewhere else. It's just all very difficult getting things sorted logistics wise because of where/when I work, and I am running out of leave to take (have used a significant portion of my leave on fixing/finding cars/engines).
Sorry if I sound grumpy - I feel it!

[Anonymous]

mel how far did you get until you noticed the temp

[MelBee42]

I was stuck in slow moving traffic, and no-one would let me pull into the left lane to get out of the way for some time (insert rude word about them here), even though the car very much looked like it was on fire.
So - not great really!

[Anonymous]

[right:3drdku0o][/right:3drdku0o]

I was stuck in slow moving traffic, and no-one would let me pull into the left lane to get out of the way for some time (insert rude word about them here), even though the car very much looked like it was on fire.
So - not great really!

but how many miles as im just wondering if the thermostat is working correctly, because it wont cause a leak but if it stays closed then it will over heat as the water is never pump through the rad at the front till its open.

[MelBee42]

It wasn't overheating when I topped it up with coolant or when I drove it home (it's about a 100 mile round trip) so I don't think it's the thermostat. To answer your question - no miles, more like yards, I was crawling along in traffic on the slip road to get to the M1!

[Anonymous]

i remember markiii telling me that the thermostat sensor reading (what you see in the car) and actually how hot the engine is. and from what i remember the engine and over heat before the needle actually reads hot. Might be worth having it changed if your not sure when it was changed for the cost of £5 - £10 it just rules it out. plus they a sod to change if they are needed to be changed

[mrzwei]

There are exhaust gas detector fluids about which you put in the radiator. The fluid changes colour if exhaust gas is present. The only way exhaust gas could get into the coolant would be via something like a blown head gasket (or a defect in the head / block). I guess this is what your garage did.

As stated, head gasket failures are rare but the overheating could have caused the gasket failure so get the garage to check that there are no other leaks in the system and when you get it back, check daily for a bit.

I think you've had your three bits of bad luck so things can only get better   s:D s:D  .

[Anonymous]

First head gasket failure I remember having heard of on the '2,hope you get it sorted easily enough.  s:( s:(

[MelBee42]

Quick update on this.
Head gasket now replaced to the tune of an eye watering £757.28.
12 hours labour (?!)
Head set
Head bolts
Water pump
Thermostat
Head skim

I'm told no leak can be found but that the cylinder head was seriously warped so could explain a loss of coolant (bearing in mind it overheated on two separate occasions - gasket could've gone the first time around maybe...?).
Sadly there's a few other things wrong with it as well...!  s:( s:(

[nathanMR2]

What else is wrong Mel?

[MelBee42]

See 'steering troubles' - plus worn spark plugs (apparently).
Due for a service and MOT as well!
I wonder how much you get for a kidney on the black market these days...?

[nathanMR2]

Yep seen it. See if D!ck has got a clean joint knocking around. Its not too difficult to fit by the looks of Les's how to.

Im assuming Rob put new oil and a new oil filter when he replaced the engine??? Your unlikely to really need a 'service' if so

Spark plugs..... no biggy but need doing.

[MelBee42]

Thanks. Back to the same problem of not having anyone to fit second hand parts though.
Yup, new oil and filter, though the engine fit was around 8,000 miles ago.

[loadswine]

Well you got it fixed, so that is good in itself, but I can't help wondering if that water pump was behind it all along.
On Les's hwo to for the steering joint, there is also a link to getting new joints at sensible prices.
But, you have to find someone to do the job first I guess.

[StuC]

See 'steering troubles' - plus worn spark plugs (apparently).
Due for a service and MOT as well!
I wonder how much you get for a kidney on the black market these days...?

were the spark plugs new at the engine change?
or carried over from one or other of the engines?

as for the fitting of your second hand partsis it worth looking up Matt performance. Perhaps you could arrange to drop it off in the morning then pick it up later in the same day, as I know from previous posts overnight stuff presents a problem for you. Just a thought as it is something smaller.

[smarty72]

Quick update on this.
Head gasket now replaced to the tune of an eye watering £757.28.
12 hours labour (?!)
Head set
Head bolts
Water pump
Thermostat
Head skim

I'm told no leak can be found but that the cylinder head was seriously warped so could explain a loss of coolant (bearing in mind it overheated on two separate occasions - gasket could've gone the first time around maybe...?).
Sadly there's a few other things wrong with it as well...!  s:( s:(

The warped cylinder head is likely to be a secondary issue caused by the overheating and not the cause of the coolant loss in the first place.  My local independent Toyota specialist told me that they have never had a head gasget failure.

[MelBee42]

See 'steering troubles' - plus worn spark plugs (apparently).
Due for a service and MOT as well!
I wonder how much you get for a kidney on the black market these days...?

were the spark plugs new at the engine change?
or carried over from one or other of the engines?

as for the fitting of your second hand partsis it worth looking up Matt performance. Perhaps you could arrange to drop it off in the morning then pick it up later in the same day, as I know from previous posts overnight stuff presents a problem for you. Just a thought as it is something smaller.

I haven't at any point bought any spark plugs, I would assume they are from the newer engine.
Thanks for the suggestion but I wouldn't then be able to either make it to work or home from there I wouldn't have thought!

Thanks Smarty, and yes I am well aware of that. However I do now have a new water pump which may well have been the problem in the first place. Everything's been pressure tested twice and they can't currently find a leak. Not really anything else I can do other than monitor it for now.

[smarty72]

Good luck.  You're well overdue some...!   s:( s:(

[2 of the left]

It's a pity you can't get your Roadster down to my neck of the woods - The RN Engineers I know,  would have turned it around within 6 hours and the cost? - Under £100 and a case of Beer  s:wink: :wink: s:wink: