Hgf Or Not A Hgf? You Decide!

[Wuddie]

OK heres the story

 

Was ragging the car yesterday and pulled up at some lights where i noticed the temp reading was flashing at 120!!! the cooling fan was on and trying to cool and the temp did go down to about 115, the noise the engine makes hadn't changed either, i pulled over and turned the car off, I checked the coolant level which was Non-Existant (Coolant seems to need topping up very regularly!!), i also checked under the Oil cap for any signs of Mayonnaise but there was non...I left the car for about 5 mins, un did the coolant tank, and filled it with some more coolant (keep some spare in the boot), I started the car again and the temp steadied around 88 - 91, i continued my short journey home and the temp seemed fine peaking at about 93 at another set of lights.

 

I am wondering if this is either:

1. just down to coolant being extremely low and me ragging the car.

2. a dodgy Temp sensor

or 3. the beginnings of HGF

 

What do you guys reckon?

[steve]

Hello mate!

 

Yup - I'm still alive!

 

It sounds very similar to mine when it got HGF. The water was leaking into the cylinders which explains the absence of mayonaise. But i did drive it for a few hundred miles after first noticing it - I was on the way to Holland!.

 

Best to get it looked at though because after a while the water will erode, corrode or somehow form its own pathway and the head will need skimming. Having the head skimmed is not a big deal but if the block needs skimming, thats a different matter.

 

I hope this helps (and is not too depressing)

 

Steve

[ipanter]

To check for HGF you can take the car to almost any garage and ask them to run a pressure test on the head, that will show up any leaks caused by HGF.

[strees]

Could also be the inlet manifold gasket ... I was losing 2 litres of coolant per 200 miles, and was told by Nick Whales it was HGF even though the sniffer test was fine. Didn't bother with the pressure test.

 

Spoke to Simon Scuffham about it, who felt it could be the IMG. I checked the spark plugs 1 and 4 and lo and behald they were corroded, indicating water was escaping from the fuel rail. When the IMG was removed, it had perished.

 

The new IMG is called the green gasket and supposedly does not have the same perishability!

 

Just a thought - worth checking

[Dixie]

Could be just a simple coolant leak??? have you checked for leaks?

[Wuddie]

Dixie

 

Haven't had a good check for leaks, but there are no puddles under the car.

[ipanter]

i dunno about that - have you seen your avatar!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sorry, i'll get my coat.

[Scott_Mac]

I've had a couple of variable reasons for coolant loss.

 

Knackered Radiator - showed no signs of coolant loss as it was pissing out onto the windscreen and generally everywhere asa you went along, so i also got no ppuddles.

 

Split Hose - Puddles.

 

Inlet Manifold Gasket Failure - coolant level going down, visible "damp" patches inside the engine, on the gearbox housing etc I posted pics on here ages ago.

 

Horizon sorted my inlet manifold for about £160 so hopefully for you its just that... New Rad stung from NW, but again probably a bit cheaper at Horizon. £700 odd from NW!!!

[strees]

Inlet Manifold Gasket cost me a favour from Suffers and £20 part

[Scott_Mac]

I won't ask what the favour was....

[Foley]

any update Wudders?

Hope it's not too bad

[Wuddie]

Have Mailed NW, and Ian suggests that because my coolant was so low that might have been the cause for the high temp....Will keep an eye on the temp, have also topped up coolant and will keep eye on that too, C service is Next week so will get Horizon to check for coolant leaks then.

[JohnnyM]

Wuddie, what colour is your coolant ? mine didnt have a film on the top, or mayo in the oil, but the coolant subtly started to change colour as particles from the engine got mixed into it. If i recall correctly when mine went, Ian @ NW said his guys did the pressure test a number of times before it finally showed up as having HGF.

 

As others have said, remove leaks as a possibility first since i suggest this is more likely with the top quality jubilee clips that are used and invariably not very tight !!

 

Hope its not HGF !

 

JM

[Wuddie]

At the Moment Coolant is still Blue, will keep an eye on it tho.

[ryan.wilkinson]

You chaps have now got me very jittery about my S2. I have noticed a fall in the coolant level but I dont think it is anywhere near 1 litre every 200 miles so could be other factors. That said I have read on this forum a few times about the AA warranty service, would this cover a HGF if a suitable time has passed from taking the warranty to making a claim?