Shocking Revelation (also a plea for advice)

"Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock) 05/14/2015 at 09:29 • Filed to: None

0

28

The £500 Saxo my parents bought without consulting me has broken down. The symptoms:

Uneven idle/ cutting out completely. Almost sounds like it’s running on three cylinders.

Water from the exhaust (let it run for a good few minutes and it just kept streaming out).

Gauges cut in and out.

Sometimes will rev, sometimes will shudder and die.

Coolant reservoir basically empty.

I’m thinking head gasket at the moment, any thoughts mighty opponaut car-brain havers?

CalzoneGolem > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/14/2015 at 09:32

1

What? Sorry I was staring at these beautiful wheels.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/14/2015 at 09:33

1

Head gasket, but there’s a good chance it’s totally borked if it’s spewing water like that. You also could have hydrolock.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > CalzoneGolem 05/14/2015 at 09:34

1

Haha they’re mine. Steelie pride!

Schaefft > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/14/2015 at 09:34

3

There’s your problem.

It’s a Citroen.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 05/14/2015 at 09:36

0

Yeah it definitely seems terminal to me. I’m going to make sure I inspect the next one before they buy. Sorting the head gasket will cost almost what the car is worth and it needs a few other things too.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Schaefft 05/14/2015 at 09:37

0

Agreed. The look on my face when they said they’d bought it without consulting me was one of anger and confusion.

Clown Shoe Pilot > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/14/2015 at 09:41

0

Water is a product of combustion, so having water from the exhaust is perfectly reasonable.

2 C8H18 + 25 O2 ==> 16 CO2 + 18 H2O

Saoul-Virage > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/14/2015 at 09:41

0

Head gasket, and probably an idle actuator (it tends to break down), on the 1.4liter there are two types of actuator.

KirkyV > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/14/2015 at 09:44

1

Almost certainly the head gasket. If it’s gotten this bad, there’s a decent chance it’s been on the way out for a while now.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Saoul-Virage 05/14/2015 at 09:47

0

It’s a 1.1 model. If the head gasket has gone it’s not worth fixing I believe.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > KirkyV 05/14/2015 at 09:48

1

This is why they should let me look at cars before they buy... It also has the classic rear subframe rust, worn out clutch, blowing exhaust and so on. They’ve bought a complete dog.

Saoul-Virage > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/14/2015 at 10:02

0

You should by an other 1.1l Saxo, and this old one will be a good donor for spare parts.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Saoul-Virage 05/14/2015 at 10:04

0

Don’t have the room to keep it. We still havent got rid of the dead car this replaced...

Theres our old micra on the drive.

Saoul-Virage > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/14/2015 at 10:08

0

You have two (nearly) dead cars? It’s time for demolition derby !

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Saoul-Virage 05/14/2015 at 10:12

0

Haha with the way the Saxo’s running (or rather isnt) itd just be the micra ramming it over and over.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Clown Shoe Pilot 05/14/2015 at 10:13

1

Ah so the fluid in the coolant tank is meant to pour into the engine and out the exhaust. This car is healthy after all!

Pilot of the Clown Shoe > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/14/2015 at 10:50

0

Not necessarily. I’m just saying that some quantity of water in the exhaust is part of normal operation. Now, if you’re detecting water that you KNOW is from the cooling system (for instance, it has anti-freeze in it) then that’s definitely a problem.

Schaefft > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/14/2015 at 11:03

0

I bought a E38 7-series for 500£ and didn’t have a single problem apart from a spring that snapped the evening before I sold it when reversing out of my parking spot. Your parents should buy a cheap 7-series next. I still got a good set of tires.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Schaefft 05/14/2015 at 11:50

0

Fuel and tax is the killer on something like that.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Pilot of the Clown Shoe 05/14/2015 at 11:53

0

It was definitely coolant, I topped it up and left the car to idle for a while then cool back down. Level had dropped noticably and there was a puddle from the exhaust.

Schaefft > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/14/2015 at 18:20

0

So is constantly buying/fixing another car. Also, its not like you don’t get anything for your money.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Schaefft 05/15/2015 at 07:26

0

Even if it made sense, explaining to my parents why they should get a luxobarge instead of a Yaris etc would be pretty difficult.

Schaefft > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/15/2015 at 15:03

0

Naaahhh, just let them drive one for 5 minutes and they’ll get the appeal. Easy peasy.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Schaefft 05/16/2015 at 05:45

0

Unlikely haha. They literally want the smallest reliable transport possible.

Schaefft > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/16/2015 at 18:01

0

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Schaefft 05/16/2015 at 18:07

0

Those things only last like 100 miles before the soles go.

KirkyV > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/16/2015 at 19:10

0

They’re absolutely fantastic for driving in, though!

Note: slight potential bias...

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > KirkyV 05/16/2015 at 19:20

0

I have some £4 plimsolls for driving that are pretty comfortable. Converse are a bit expensive for me haha. My shoe collection consists of a pair of Doc Martens (free) black caterpillars (free) and some 2 year old Nike trainers I wear almost every day. They’re more superglue than shoe.