Broken Down!

[abs66]

I know i can hardly believe it myself but here i am sat by the road with the bonnet up!

Was sat in traffic and suddenly heard s sound like out of tune bagpipes followed by the sight of steam coming from front right of bonnet. Overflow pipe from expansion bottle by looks and sounds of it.

Anyone experienced similar? Im rooting for something simple, i dare not think the un thinkable!

I hope the break down truck hurrys up this is embarrassing.

[mikeyv]

Hope it's an easy fix, at least she waited for the better weather.

Reminds me of seeing a Rolls Royce broken down near Leeds years ago, they covered it with a sheet before loading it on to the breakdown truck.

[Malc]

Hey, quickly, it could simply be the pressure cap is leaking !

It was on my old one many, many years ago now.

A cheap fix too.

Malc

[ambermarine]

Hi

Sounds like the water pump as gone the engine may may run but eventually the timing belt will give up and you will lose the valves on anything beyond 92 .Happened to me 8 yrs ago and because mine is a 90 the engine was saved .

If this is the problem it requires new water pump tensioners and idler and while your at it a new cambelt.

If Lexus do it ,well eight years ago £800 so you need to shop around.

[abs66]

I'm hoping its something simple like the cap I have heard of them going before on Toyota's . Also thinking thermostat too as when breakdown guy refilled the temp went higher than normal but it was a gradual increase rather than sudden but it didn't leak although we didn't push it too high.

If it is water pump then I'm knackered as I don't have 800 quid to fix so off to the breakers I'm afraid. She is booked in for lpg next week so if it is terminal then better I find out now rather than after.

Fingers crossed as she is my lively hood and the punters favourite taxi.

[Bluesman]

I'm hoping its something simple like the cap I have heard of them going before on Toyota's . Also thinking thermostat too as when breakdown guy refilled the temp went higher than normal but it was a gradual increase rather than sudden but it didn't leak although we didn't push it too high.

If it is water pump then I'm knackered as I don't have 800 quid to fix so off to the breakers I'm afraid. She is booked in for lpg next week so if it is terminal then better I find out now rather than after.

Fingers crossed as she is my lively hood and the punters favourite taxi.

Keeping my fingers crossed its a cheap fix.

Mike

[abs66]

I've got everything crossed!

[beavisrules]

also on the list to check is the fan(s) come on when hot.

[abs66]

Thanks, fans on the list too.

[ROYT]

If the cooling on a P reg is the same as my '94 model, the cooling fan is behind the radiator, i.e in front of the engine.

The visible fan/s are, to the best of my knowledge for the aircon.

On mine the 'big' fan is fluid coupled, so check that as well.

Was the eng.temp gauge up high before this happened?

If you had no water pump noises or leaking, you might get lucky with just a hose gone!

[abs66]

UPDATE.

Pressure cap and thermostat replaced but the gauge still rises above the norm if revs are lifted to just over 2000 for a couple of mins when I chicken out!

I'm wondering if its an air lock and or goosed radiator.

Viscous fan seems fine. Heaters are hot.

[ambermarine]

UPDATE.

Pressure cap and thermostat replaced but the gauge still rises above the norm if revs are lifted to just over 2000 for a couple of mins when I chicken out!

I'm wondering if its an air lock and or goosed radiator.

Viscous fan seems fine. Heaters are hot.

Hi

I hate to sound pessemistic but these are all the symptoms of a failed water pump and as I said in a earlier post the engine will run for a while until the pump seizes and then strips the cambelt,you will then have a seriously damaged engine.

At the moment the engine will cool down through thermic flow, through the radiator and as the fan will act on the heated viscous clutch that will also help to keep the coolant at a temprature that seems ok.You have already noticed how the temprature rises when you rev up as the coolant is not being pumped fast enough round the cooling system.

You need to ascertain quickly if the pump as failed mine only lasted about a hundred miles before it siezed after the first expulsion of coolant through the expansion tank.

A way of checking if the pump is working is to fill up with the coolant reccomended wait for the engine to cool down to below operating tempature so leave a few hours ,start the engine and observe weather there is coolant surging into the bottom of the expansion chamber from the engine, if ther is'nt then the pump as probably failed.

[abs66]

Hi thanks for the reply. When you say surging into the bottom of the expansion tank, where am I looking to see the hopefully there surge? Do I need to remove a pipe or will it be obvious from removing the expansion cap.

As a side note the temp gauge is now rock steady on normal after the mechanic was convinced an air lock cleared a couple of times and has stayed steady even with the revs at 2300 for 6 or 7 mins or am I just being optimistic!

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

[steve2006]

Sounds like you may have it sorted, just keep a close eye on that temperature gauge and the coolant level for a while to be sure.

[Bluesman]

Hi thanks for the reply. When you say surging into the bottom of the expansion tank, where am I looking to see the hopefully there surge? Do I need to remove a pipe or will it be obvious from removing the expansion cap.

As a side note the temp gauge is now rock steady on normal after the mechanic was convinced an air lock cleared a couple of times and has stayed steady even with the revs at 2300 for 6 or 7 mins or am I just being optimistic!

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

Hopefully you have sorted it. Fingers still crossed.

Mike

[abs66]

Thanks for the replies guys much appreciated as its due for lpg conversion on Monday and I'm now panicking that I'm about to waste money on the conversion if the belt goes and lunches the engine.

[ambermarine]

Thanks for the replies guys much appreciated as its due for lpg conversion on Monday and I'm now panicking that I'm about to waste money on the conversion if the belt goes and lunches the engine.

Hi

Do not remove the cap or any pipes.The expansion tank is see through just look to the base and the coolant will come up through the bottom pipe, the reason the surge occurs is that the thermostat will be in the closed position and no coolant will pass through the radiator and is by-passed through the engine and into the expansion tank,increasing the flow pressure which escapes into the expansion tank .If there is no pump operation no flow pressure will occur.

[abs66]

Thanks for all the help guys consensus of opinion is that its likely s combination of stat playing up and failing water pump. Biting the bullet and doing water pump, pulleys and Timing belt to be on safe side.

[abs66]

Well she is in for surgery, new water pump pulleys tensioners etc and of course new timing belt. If all goes well she will be converted to LPG and back with me by Friday so fingers crossed.

I'm chickening out and having flash lube as a pre caution. I also read that iridium plugs produce a better spark at a lower voltage thus saving the coils a bit so they are going in too.

Will update if anyone is remotely interested :-)

[Malc]

Very interested to know the full prognosis and eventual outcome please.

Thanks.

Malc

[abs66]

No probs Malc will let you know how she fares.

[abs66]

Well all fixed now and converted to lpg. I didn't think I could be any more smug until I went to pay for my first fill up of lpg. :-)

My plugs were already iridium and in good nick but they were gapped incorrectly and have now been gapped to.85, she now flies! Ofcourse the new timing belt helps :-)

Will keep an eye on it all and see how it goes.

[mikeyv]

Glad you're sorted and back on the rank, hopefully without too much financial pain.

Mines getting converted in a couple of weeks.

I noticed a Shell garage just round the corner from me has dropped it's lpg price to Morrison level - it's always been a good 10p+ dearer in the past.

Hope it's countrywide, as Shell stations are pretty plentiful.

[abs66]

My local Morrison's doesn't do lpg so I have to drive over to st helens to Morrison's there as its 67.9 per litre. 80p here in Warrington.

I think we should congratulate Morrison for their good attitude and encourage them to fit log at all their stations.

[Bluesman]

My local Morrison's doesn't do lpg so I have to drive over to st helens to Morrison's there as its 67.9 per litre. 80p here in Warrington.

I think we should congratulate Morrison for their good attitude and encourage them to fit log at all their stations.

Well done Pete. I had forgotten you were having all that work done.

Now its all done you bet you can wear that smug smile, you've paid for it youve earned it.

Mike