Help

[MRBROWN33]

I have just brought a MGF VVC 3 days ago and its my pride and joy. But today i have signed up to this site as i have a problems all ready . i noticed that there was smoke coming out of the top and one side of the vents of the car, the smell is like steam but the car is not over heating and the oil temp is fine? we had a big down pour of rain and i hope its just water vaporising on the engine. Is there anyone who knows if this is what happens when the car gets wet or is it to my disbelieve that the head gasket has gone?

Please help

[Keith Williams]

Welcome to the forum. Pity you have a problem already with your car.

Steam seen out of the boot vent is not normal. I would not expect to see steam off the engine through these vents even in the wet. Even less chance to see steam out of the side vents as there is a fan in one of them.

Check the fluid level in your expansion tank. Has this level moved at all? If it has dropped this could have been causing the steam through a leak some where in the cooling system hitting a hot surface on the engine. Unlikely it is rain water. More importantly is the fluid clean in the expansion tank? ie: no oil in the coolant. If the coolant looks oily you may have had a HGF but even if the coolant is clean this does not mean you have not had one, it depends where the gasket has failed. Does the steam smell of coolant? The expansion cap can sometimes let fluid through and needs changing on a regular basis.

If you have only just bought the car, have you a warrenty with it? Hope things work out well for you

[MRBROWN33]

Thankyou for your reply. There is NO smell of coolant, just a water steam smell. I have just gone out and checked the water level again, and it seems fine and hasn't dropped? Also, it is not overheating and all gadges are normal. I'm paranoid to go out in it now incase the steam happens again. Do you think I should take it to a garage at this stage?

Thank You

[petevick]

maybe the expansion tank cap is not sealing, as Keith suggests, and is letting out steam. I'd suggest replacing with a new cap.

[MRBROWN33]

The steam seems to be coming from the bottom left hand side, no where near the water bottle, thanks for your help though. Took it out again today and the same thing is happening , so i think its going to the doc's now. Unfortunately the car was borough private so there is no Chance of a refund, any way i think i've got the MG bug now,

[Keith Williams]

Good to hear you have the bug and are not too down over this problem. Welcome to owning a F

Hope you find an easy fix to your fault and a cheap one at that. It might be just a rubber pipe leaking if you are real lucky? Unlucky for this to happen so quickly after you bought the car. Sounds like a leak to me. I would not drive it again until you have the fault fixed as if you do have a leak you dont want it to become worse and give you a major problem especially with the sensitive head gasket the F's have.

Hope to see you at a local or national event real soon.

[MRBROWN33]

Well you have to laugh coz if you don't you'll cry . All is not lost the old man is a mechanic

[MRBROWN33]

Problem solved! May I say thank you for all your help, i took what all of you said about the problem and investigated. I unclipped the back of the roof and took the shelf out, then i removed the plate (10mm dolts) and there it was the coolant pipe had split.

[Geoff.F]

There are too many reports of leaking/split pipes.
I maintain the car on a Preventative Maintainence Programme. ie. a planned replacement befroe it is likely to fail. Coolant pipes are replaced if disturbed after 5 years and all replaced at 10.
I had a head rebuild and cambelt done at 4 years before a long European trip so next year the cambelt is due again therefore all rubber brake and coolant hoses will be replaced.
Geoff F.

[MRBROWN33]

There are too many reports of leaking/split pipes.
I maintain the car on a Preventative Maintainence Programme. ie. a planned replacement befroe it is likely to fail. Coolant pipes are replaced if disturbed after 5 years and all replaced at 10.
I had a head rebuild and cambelt done at 4 years before a long European trip so next year the cambelt is due again therefore all rubber brake and coolant hoses will be replaced.
Geoff F.

Thanks for that i'll keep that in mind. I am now looking to get them all replaced, i'm just happy that it was all what was wrong

[Keith Williams]

Lucky that it was nothing too major. Easy fix and now you can just enjoy the car.

Geoff's comments are good. I did replace the rubber front pipes when the radiator was changed and have had one fail on me since at the engine end. I will get the others replaced soon when I get the underfloor pipes replaced.

Hopefully see you at a local or not so event real soon

[Mr bennett]

I would say THE most important thing to have fitted is a coolant level sensor.. then you can have peice of mind
so you can enjoy your car.
all the best.

[Steve C]

Hi

What year of manufacture is your 160? I purchased mine 2 weeks ago from a dealer, who told me that the head gasket was not a problem on 2004 models?
is this true? just wondering what others may of heard or think. Mines done 40000 miles & the head gasket has not been replaced.

Cheers

[Chris Tideswell]

...who told me that the head gasket was not a problem on 2004 models?
is this true? just wondering what others may of heard or think.

I think it would best to say that a HGF is less likely to happen then on earlier cars.