The Car Thread

[Shez]

A cap shouldn't leak unless the water is scalding, we're talking 2.0 bar of pressure before the cap will let fluid out. Actually make sure you have a 2.0 bar cap on, it should say on the cap what it is. It might just say 2 or 200 something like that.

Other than that, you can actually test the head gasket with one of these:

http://www.toolprofessional.net/Combustion-Leak-Detector-UVW-560000/M/B000NPDL76.htm

If there is a gasket leak the fluid changes colour from blue to yellow(ish) - I just linked the first one I saw using google, but these are readily available in this country.

From what you've said I don't think it is head gasket related, but it's really difficult to give correct advice over the internet and without seeing the car/fault in action.

I'd double check the tank/cap for hair line cracks.

Oh btw: Does the heater in the car blow warm, when switched to warm?

[randombs]

Yeah, the heater works fine, as does the air conditioning. When I had to use the car for emergency driving I'd keep the heaters on max as I believe the heat from the engine is drawn away to the vents which would help keep the engine cool.

You're right - there should be 2 bar of pressure before the cap leaks and I think that must be what's going on. There's definitely a build up of pressure going on and he's basing his assumption on the fact that two tanks and two caps have gone yet the coolant(or, right now, plain water) isn't hot enough for that sort of pressure. The cap is the proper OEM one for the BMW, as is the current expansion tank (the original was OEM but the previous replacement that cracked was a compatible part).

The burning smell coming from the coolant inside the engine was really bad, though.

@ Hohum: Could well be a duff radiator but the radiator was replaced because it stopped working for some reason. I'm wondering if whatever caused that radiator to fail could still be acting now.

On a side note, does anyone know how long you can run a car on water for? He didn't want to put coolant in because it just keeps coming out so would get expensive to keep topping up while he was diagnosing the problem but I'm worried leaving water in there for a long time could start to cause corrosion or similar. I know the most obvious danger is freezing but the weather's not bad enough yet, I'm thinking purely about leaving water in there like this.

@ Shez: Cheers for the idea. Have you used one of those before? There's one on eBay for £30-odd with the fluid and I think you just put it on top of the expansion tank and see if it changes colour...

[Shez]

Yeah man, i've got one at work, they work a treat, diagnosed many a head gasket/cylinder head problem with it.

Youtube strikes again, some yank on there showing it in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1om5kFlT7E&NR=1

Looks like strider from off here heh

Good luck with it though chap, let us know how you get on and what eventually cured it.

[Hohum]

I wouldn't want to be running it with water in the system for very long - bar the anti-corrosion and anti-freeze properties present in coolant which you've mentioned, it also has a higher boiling point than water.

[randombs]

Cheers guys.

@ Shez: I assume it works fine with just water in the system? It's not looking for coolant or anything?

@ Hohum: Yeah higher boiling point, too, but I suppose it's not even reaching that temperature yet. Obviously I'm not really trusting what the temperature gauge is telling me but even while the water's spraying out, it's nowhere near boiling as it's quite hot but I can still unscrew the cap with my bare hands. I think I might try poking a thermometer in just to see what sort of temperature it reads. It'll be interesting to know.

[Shez]

Yah works fine with just water in there. It's actually cheking for gases.

The only thing to watch for is not to suck water/coolant into the fluid by mistake.

[randombs]

Well I bought one last night off eBay and they've posted it already. Hopefully it'll come tomorrow, as I'm taking the day off work to go poke around Shozuki's arcade cab.

Fingers crossed, although in a way I'd probably prefer if it was a head problem, if only because it'd be an obvious repair process and less head-scratching in the long-run...

[Yakumo]

I took an all new bumper cam video today. It's came out pretty nice too.



From the YouTube description.

Bumper cam video for real close to the floor action. For making this video I had the camera placed inside the Impreza's front air intake just under the number plate.

This video starts off from a Seven 11 car park in Kyushu then quickly moves on to the motorway where a speed of 160KM/H (100MPH) is reached as I exit the tunnel. Following the tunnel it's across the Kamon bridge in to Honshu where I take a steep hill road with blind corners to my home.

All audio is a mix of outside and in car sound. The outside audio for the most part was wind. In car audio captured using an iPhone 3Gs. Is there anything you can't do with a phone these days. Video was taken with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01 Digital Camera.

[randombs]

Awesome video! I was playing the Wangan Midnight song while watching it! Have to run out so will watch it fully when I get back.

In other news:

I got that head gasket tester and the result is...

Head gasket problem

I made sure no water actually got in but the blue liquid turned yellow. Ah, well. At least it's more or less confirmed now.

[Wools]

Great Video Yakumo, I'm becoming more jealous of the driving roads around Japan after the traffic I have to put up with on my commute!

I'm getting closer and closer to being able to buy a new car and wondered if anyone has experience of, or owns a BMW 3 Series 1998 - 2000 Model?

The car I currently drive and my first car are generally reliable and easy to look after. Above performance or any other factor, I want my new car to look good and be reliable! I've considered a Ford Focus and Alfa Romeo 147 but have started to be swayed by a 2000 era BMW 3 Series.

Does anyone have any tips, reasons to consider not buying one, recommended websites or any well known faults I should watch out for?

I'll probably be buying one before or after Christmas so I just want to do some research before I start to seriously consider it as a option.

[Yakumo]

New video up on a road that the locals call the Rollercoaster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZjEEmqiihY

[Hohum]

You need to revisit that one during the daytime

[Yakumo]

I can tomorrow but the problem is that in the day it's quite busy I've heard so it sort of looses the rollercoaster feel unless everyone drives fast

[booth83]

My MOT runs out on the 7th Nov, it says on the certificate the earliest i can present for a new test is the 8th. It doesn't mention on there the latest I can take it in, anyone know how long I have?

With work, and the fact I'm going away (with the car) for the weekend 12th-14th I won't be able to take it in till the 15th at the earliest, will I be breaking the law?

[Shez]

Your mot runs out on the 7th November, that is it, there is not a grace period, so yeah you will be breaking the law if used after that date.

The 8th date you talk about on the certificate is actually October 8th, re-read it