Head gasket failure.

[david.mckay.3760]

By 2.0hdi has blown it's head gasket. It's 2006 55 plate done 131000 miles. It's using water, no signs of a leak that I can see, there is pressure inside the engine, the dipstick blows out, it looks like it's blowing oil out the filler cap, the water hoses are rock hard and when I remove the expansion tank cap it nearly blows the cap out of my hand. However there is no mixing of oil and water, the oil is very recently changed and still is clean. It is still starting and running perfectly with the temperature gauge showing normal. One local garage said 5 to 600 pounds to do it, another said sell it while it's still running ok.

Are these a pita to do? I am debating selling, I can't afford the garage, and way up here in the frozen north there's not much daylight to work outside as well as freezing cold to contend with. If I decide to diy it, I have never set up a timing belt before and if the head comes off then I will fit a belt and water pump at the same time. I don't really want to sell it, as I love the car, and recently fitted an im reconditioned axle which cost £300. I've priced a head gasket and bolt kit, and timing belt kit and water pump and it comes to about £120. The big problem is doing it outside in the weather here, with my sometimes poor health which cold makes far worse. I can't decide whether to sell as is, or park it up until spring then attempt repair myself. I do have alternative vehicles I can use so it's not critical to do like right now. Any advice about Doug this job gratefully accepted.

Davie.

Sent from my SM-T705 using Tapatalk

[cancunia]

I don't know the advisability of using head gasket repair additives in a 2.0hdi?

[david.mckay.3760]

I don't usually like using them. It seems too much like a bodge to sell it to me, and I don't do that. I'd rather sell honestly as is, or fix it properly and keep it.

Sent from my SM-T705 using Tapatalk

[Col]

Buy yourself a cheap pop up gazebo and put a fan heater in it and use as temp garage

[cancunia]

I don't usually like using them. It seems too much like a bodge to sell it to me, and I don't do that. I'd rather sell honestly as is, or fix it properly and keep it.

Sent from my SM-T705 using Tapatalk

Like you, I prefer to fix things, rather than treat the symptoms, but thought this method may hold things until the weather is warmer, if it works that is..  I read a lot of positive things about Steel Seal etc so wondered if anyone else on here had any experience of it. If it's any good, it may well sort things out until there's an opportunity for a full head gasket change.

[david.mckay.3760]

I've read good about it too but my dislike of them is that they may choke up bits in the cooling system it shouldn't and cause problems later. And the fact that someone may have done this in the past. I don't desperately need this car, I bought it to turn into a mini camper for use next summer, and having already done the axle, which had new shoes already fitted they are like new, and fitted new discs and pads on the front, and it had 2 new tyres on it when I bought it I really think it's now parked until warmer climes appear. I have the activa to play with and a Peugeot 107 to use for work which was my son's car and we kept it for a spare between us when he upgraded to a bigger one and is 100% reliable.

Sent from my SM-T705 using Tapatalk

[cancunia]

After doing a bit more reading, it seems that for best results you should flush the cooling system first then apply the repair with clean water in the system then flush and refill with antifreeze. As you say, it's probably best to wait until there's better weather if you can lay the Berlingo up for a while. I bought mine for camping too, but it's also my winter car. I have an MX5 for the summer, but so far am having enough fun in the Berlingo to think twice about swapping next year.

[jj9]

Steel Seal is just another one of the many liquid head gasket repairs, having personally seen the state it made of an engine I would stay well away from it.

By the way the Steel Seal 99.9% success rate is based on the number of bottles sold compared to claims they receive for it not working, given that a lot of people won't bother or won't be able to make a claim due to the guarantee conditions I think the 99.9% figure is rather misleading.

If you like the car keep it, lay it up over the winter and fix it when the weather get warmer or get a tent like Col suggested
Plenty of help on here or the internet of how to do the job, a Haynes manual will help no end if you haven't got one. 
(think there's a link somewhere on the forum to one, if you can find it)

I wouldn't get rid of it, especially as you aren't stuck for transport.


.

[david.mckay.3760]

It's now parked in the drive where it's staying for the time being. There's plenty of cars here between my son and myself to keep us mobile
Berlingo
Xantia activa
Peugeot 205 gti
Civic type r
Fabia vrs pdi
Peugeot 107 sportium.
Three of them currently not working, the skoda getting repairs, 205 gti getting complete rebuild, berlingo head gasket. Let's hope the others don't break lol


Sent from my SM-G361F using Tapatalk

[DanClark]

I changed the head gasket on mine over a weekend. With the engine in the car. Pig of a job, mainly getting the manifolds off as there isn't enough room to pull them off the studs, I needed to unwind the studs from the block. The exhaust manifold needs to be off before the intake, which complicates things a little as it's underneath. But since then I havn't had any problems. Mine was pressurising the coolant.