The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: funkyfish on January 30, 2013, 04:34:59 pm
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Bought a car (Y reg Freelander 2.5, V6) in November. The head Gasket (or 2 of them...) has gone.. Had a friend of the family look at it, he thinks is bad news, but tried putting a can of sealant stuff in it. Its helped a bit, can now drive carefully to get animals done, with out the collent erupting everywhere.
The garage say its probably terminal and the car needs scrapping, but we could try another sealant thing thats about £40 but its a hassle to use.. I'd prob get them to put it in as it sounds complicated and I have no idea how to get to the radiator in this car.
Has anyone else used something like this on their car and got a good result? Or is it wishful thinking? Have like, no £ to buy a new car at the moment!
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I don't think any amount of pouring magic sealants in will cure it if the head gasket has properly gone. Trouble is it's a fairly complicated piece of kit and would be an expensive job to get done at a garage. Have you thought about looking for a replacement second hand engine and swapping them over? Even if you have to get a garage to do the swap it wouldn't be as expensive as fixing the head gasket.
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If the coolant is erupting, that means that the leak path is between the cylinder and the coolant path through the engine block, right? That means that instead of the exhaust gases being blown out of the exhaust, they're pressurising up the coolant system.
TBH, I don't think you'll have much luck with sealants on that sort of leak. A hairline crack in the radiator, perhaps, but this is altogether more difficult from the sounds of it. You have my sympathies!! :-(
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Have used K seal in the past for head gasket problems..worth a try for the price but no guarantee..otherwise a strip down and new parts very expensive job..if K seal doesn't work crush it
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Sealant would be a get you home measure at best if it is the hg .
The days of engine rebuilds are long gone , unless , you are a mechanic , or have money to burn .
An engine swap would be the cheapest way out , unless you find another usable car cheap , but why would it be that cheap ? , another one with hg gone or about too ?
Engine from scrappie or ebay £250-500 , engine swap £100-200 , if you know a man who can ?
If not , scrap it for parts on ebay yourself , and put the money towards another black hole , oops , i meant car .
There is no easy cheap fix ,eng rebuild = £££££-
eng swap = ££-
scrap it = £££+
buy another = ££££-
best outcome = £-
good luck anyway .
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I know nothing about cars except how to drive them but wanted to say :hug: :hug: :hug:
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it could be worth cranking down the headbolts another 1/3 of a turn. if your going to scrap it anyway....?
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it sounds like my discovery, which i bought in sept. my gaskit is on its way out. overheated miles from home and i had to get it transported back home. our local garage put in a sealant for £40 and said its not fixed but should last a while, the other cars hes put sealant in are still going.
after 3 weeks, im still doing the school run, its overheated twice but i wont go more than 8 miles from home. 5 people have told me to scrap it but as its a 4x4 im hoping a friend will put in a new engine.
for a garage to fix it its over a grand.
id only had the car a few months but had done 2kmiles before it went. we are struggling on as i dont have any choice as no spare money. buying another old car could have the same problem so id rather get a new engine especially as i want to tow the horses about.
mine is also spilling oil which it wasnt before. iv been told aslong as its got oil and water etc it should still go...but as i say i dont go far and have rac cover so i know il be towed home when it does die.
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Thanks so much for the input! I think it's a scrap job. The garage says this engine does it for a passtime, so an engine swap is a hg just waiting to blow again.
I really really love this car! No only is it a joy to drive, it does everything I need!! My animals are 25miles away, so need something reliable to get to them. Am taking the back lanes and driving like a snail at the moment!
Will have a chat with the bank and see if I can get some £ for a new money pit!!
Thanks again!!
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I know nothing either, I do know the Saxo small hatch back we had that cost £600, lasted 4 years with only a Battery and some new dirt cheap tyres, that car was the lowest TAX and cheap insurance, was diesel and economical...shame it leaked...the radio did not work...no heater....etc etc..
We bought our Renault Kangoo and its great for stuffing stuff in, dogs, rubbish, washing machine etc but its had a few things go wrong..I am beginning to worry about it as things happen randomly...sometimes my door lock works and sometimes it doesn't, then odd lights come on to say a door is open when there isn't, the rear wiper falls off if its on the go too long, the key sometimes works unlocking and locking then sometimes doesn't....the speedo is the same...it will be working then suddenly drops......I have no idea why but its beginning to be annoying!!
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ha
we are driving like a snail too, constant worry of breaking down and i wont drive after dark as my kids are young and cant walk far.
i love the discovery - but its also prone to overheating, and the boot wont open and other doors are tempermental.
"car loans 4 u" are easy to get credit with.
"we buy any car" offer more than scrap if its still running.
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I would sell my sole for an old Landrover Defender in good condition ...anyone?????
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If your Freelander has over heated the head is probably warped and no gasket will fix it. I think you can get them skimmed but not sure. The problem with second hand engines is how good they are, I replaced my freelander engine with a rebuilt engine for £800 a bit expensive but the engine is very good. Freelanders are quite bad for head gaskets going due to the engine having a very low coolant capacity and when a leak happens they overheat very quickly. I would get several professional opinions and go from there all the best PS some mechanics call them Freeloaders.
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Trick is to never let an engine overheat. Modern engines hate this and respond by blowing head gaskets and warping cylinder heads. Freelanders do have a bit of a reputation for it. Thye 200 and 300tdi motors fitted in Discos and Defenders up until 1998 are known to be pretty bulletproof so long as you keep on top of the oil and coolant checks and replace the timing belt when recommended.
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You could also look for an old (classic shape) diesel range rover or Jeep cherokee, both very comfy to drive and can be picked up cheap. Defenders are pricey by comparison esp now they wont be made any more soon - we cant afford to get a newer defender of the same age we bought ours for, ours is still worth what we paid for it 5 years ago - madness!
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Trouble with Defenders is that they're so saleable that people are asking the same high prices for a knackered old wreck as they might for a good one. The beauty of them is that every bit is replaceable and pretty much doable by the home mechanic too. An old Disco will do anything a defender can do for a fraction of the price but the tin worm will render it beyond economical repair eventually.
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Love the old Defenders! No chance of being able to afford one! A couple years ago an old friend offered me his B reg- rebuilt engine, fantastic condition, didn't need a 4x4 then. Damn it! Typical!
Think may try and sell it for parts- has new battery (prob keep it) and a new back window thingy as it snapped and the window dropped and spare tyre is brand new... Even if I get £200 on Ebay its a bit more than scrap.
God as usual the timing couldn't be worse! Sigh..
Thanks guys for the input! Prob look at a pick up type as can carry sheeps in the back of them, and more hay etc. Any recommendations?
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things like the e cu can be worth a few quid too, and the cat.
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why not try an ex mod defender from about 2k for a reasonable one
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thought for the day - :innocent:
i bought my car through a garage 100 miles away via autotrader. it had 3 mths warranty but i got a transporter to collect it for me and he never received a written warranty from the garage. after 8 weeks we got stranded miles from home with an overheating disco - it cost me £150 in train fares home, and £400 transport costs to get car home again (rac were shameful - wont even mention them).
i foned up the garage and he said he would collect the car and fix it as it was under warranty - then he never answered his fone again - i must have called 100 times - so i gave up. obviously without a car, i couldnt travel the 100 miles to speak to him face to face.
i was watching "the sherrifs are coming" yest morning on tv (bbc2, 7am) and there was a similar scenario, where a man bought a car from a garage, this time without a warranty, which seized up 2 weeks later. he took the garage to court as by law the car has to be in working order for the first 12mths, warranty or no warranty. i never knew this. he got all his money back. i presume this is just for trade sellers.
in australia, when you sell a car you have to get a special "mot" certificate to prove it is roadworthy before you can sell it, mind they are few cheap cars around there.
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thought for the day - :innocent:
i bought my car through a garage 100 miles away via autotrader. it had 3 mths warranty but i got a transporter to collect it for me and he never received a written warranty from the garage. after 8 weeks we got stranded miles from home with an overheating disco - it cost me £150 in train fares home, and £400 transport costs to get car home again (rac were shameful - wont even mention them).
i foned up the garage and he said he would collect the car and fix it as it was under warranty - then he never answered his fone again - i must have called 100 times - so i gave up. obviously without a car, i couldnt travel the 100 miles to speak to him face to face.
i was watching "the sherrifs are coming" yest morning on tv (bbc2, 7am) and there was a similar scenario, where a man bought a car from a garage, this time without a warranty, which seized up 2 weeks later. he took the garage to court as by law the car has to be in working order for the first 12mths, warranty or no warranty. i never knew this. he got all his money back. i presume this is just for trade sellers.
in australia, when you sell a car you have to get a special "mot" certificate to prove it is roadworthy before you can sell it, mind they are few cheap cars around there.
Thats true re roadworthiness but apparently the extent to which you can pursue does depend on the age/price paid for the car - so in practice the courts wont likely give a full refund for a car which was bought for 'banger' money, altho they may well force the dealer to repair it.
The guy on the TV had a swanky Jag he had paid a dealer lot of money for and his case was possibly successful partly because the garage had had the opportunity to put the faults right and hadnt done so competently and also kept it for months in the process.
But essentially if the car is being sold as fully roadworthy and it fails in a major way within 6 months esp if bought from a dealer it is well worth pursuing.
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The guy on the TV had a swanky Jag he had paid a dealer lot of money for
i thought it was an bmw for £2800.
mind you it was early so i may be wrong. :D
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its covered under trading standards law for the first 3 months, warranty or no, from a dealer. private sale doesnt apply.
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put it on ebay spares or repairs. Better than scrapping it. Somebody will pay for it.
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Thanks guys! Think EBay is the way to go- some £ is better than none! Has lots of good bits to salvage.
HATE car shopping almost as much as I hate shoe shopping.. lol
Picking up 15 rescue ducks tomorrow- have to squeeze them in a crate in my dads Volvo now. Would have stacked up nicely in the Landy- sigh..
Will look up ex military cars... Although I know how they get driven....
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The guy on the TV had a swanky Jag he had paid a dealer lot of money for
i thought it was an bmw for £2800.
mind you it was early so i may be wrong. :D
Pretty sure it was Jag and the BMW was the 'not as good replacement'. Mind you I might be wrong too!
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Will look up ex military cars... Although I know how they get driven....
Have a google at modsales - its based in lincolnshire(i think) and they have auctions all the time with a tender sale every few months or so. Theres one this month. You can go and see all the vehicles - its a fascinating place.
Yes some of them are very 'used' but others are worth a look.
Personally I scan ebay for the same thing because someone will have chosen one and put them through an MOT
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Have decided to EBay the car as lots of good/new bits on it. But now I cant find my log book! Can't remember putting it anywhere else other than with the rest of the car paperwork, but can't find it, or the green bit I got when I bought it! ARGH!!!!
An going to cripple myself by upping my car buying budget a few grand (usually try n spend a grand or less), so hopefully :fc: get something better. Oh and will be buying from a dealer so get some warranty.
Thank you thank you thank you all sooo much for your comments, ideas and support!! :thumbsup:
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If you can get a 300TD engine - it should be a good'un.