Overheat sometimes ?
Discussion
Hi,
I have been having an issue with a Suzuki grand Vitara VVT 2008 1.6.
It overheated several months back and spat all the coolant out.
I did a combustion leak test and it showed no gases in the coolant whatsoever.
I checked for leaks and couldnt see any either.
Filled and bleed the system all fine, you can leave it on tickover for ever and the temp stays rock solid.
Once again it overheated, so as I had the following I decided to change the following : radiator, water pump, thermostat, radiator cap and temp sensor. water pump impellor had slight wear but nothing of real note.
Rebleed and all good once again.
Roll on a couple of months....
So on to the other day, on starting it was hesitant and was pinking for a few seconds ( 5 maybe ), it then ran ok without issues.
Then yesterday when starting is was worse but after a few more seconmds it was fine, ticks over and drives perfect.
There looks like a small amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust, but really very slight.
I did another gas check and again all ok.
Nothing in the oil or oil in the coolant.
So my questions:
1) Is it possible that coolant is getting into the cylinder causing the initial engine misfire ( the car was left a few days )
2) why would combustion gases not show up in the test if the coolant has comprimised the head gasket and found its way into the cylinder ?
3) Any other tests I can do I ascertain the issue ?
Really I am sure the HG is failing but just after some more advice before I go down that route.
I probably should get it to a garage I know.
thanks
I have been having an issue with a Suzuki grand Vitara VVT 2008 1.6.
It overheated several months back and spat all the coolant out.
I did a combustion leak test and it showed no gases in the coolant whatsoever.
I checked for leaks and couldnt see any either.
Filled and bleed the system all fine, you can leave it on tickover for ever and the temp stays rock solid.
Once again it overheated, so as I had the following I decided to change the following : radiator, water pump, thermostat, radiator cap and temp sensor. water pump impellor had slight wear but nothing of real note.
Rebleed and all good once again.
Roll on a couple of months....
So on to the other day, on starting it was hesitant and was pinking for a few seconds ( 5 maybe ), it then ran ok without issues.
Then yesterday when starting is was worse but after a few more seconmds it was fine, ticks over and drives perfect.
There looks like a small amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust, but really very slight.
I did another gas check and again all ok.
Nothing in the oil or oil in the coolant.
So my questions:
1) Is it possible that coolant is getting into the cylinder causing the initial engine misfire ( the car was left a few days )
2) why would combustion gases not show up in the test if the coolant has comprimised the head gasket and found its way into the cylinder ?
3) Any other tests I can do I ascertain the issue ?
Really I am sure the HG is failing but just after some more advice before I go down that route.
I probably should get it to a garage I know.
thanks
White smoke on start up wouldn't be a huge concern as you get that when an engine is cold and there's some residual moisture in the engine. White smoke when the engine is warmed up would be more of an indicator of head gasket failure in my opinion.
How often do you drive the car and what sort of driving does it do? My 107 would give white smoke when the wife was using it but she'd only drive it from the house to the train station and back, so it was never really running to temperature before it was shut down. This led to the mayonaise type substance collecting under the oil filler cap. I now give it a good thrashing once a week and the mayonaise and white smoke haven't returned.
If the gas test has returned negative, I wouldn't think it's HG is failing. But it'd be good to know what sort of use the car gets. If the petrol is stale or hasn't had anything fresh in a while it could be that, and when was the last time the car was serviced?
How often do you drive the car and what sort of driving does it do? My 107 would give white smoke when the wife was using it but she'd only drive it from the house to the train station and back, so it was never really running to temperature before it was shut down. This led to the mayonaise type substance collecting under the oil filler cap. I now give it a good thrashing once a week and the mayonaise and white smoke haven't returned.
If the gas test has returned negative, I wouldn't think it's HG is failing. But it'd be good to know what sort of use the car gets. If the petrol is stale or hasn't had anything fresh in a while it could be that, and when was the last time the car was serviced?
Hi,
the car is my wifes and it is used daily but not far, it is driven from home to work and back, less than a mile.
It will have longer journeys during a weekend and when she is off.
I think the worry is the overheating even though the whole cooling system has been renewed.
Perhaps there is a small leak I cant see?
Last serviced nearly a year ago. Mileage is 60k.
the car is my wifes and it is used daily but not far, it is driven from home to work and back, less than a mile.
It will have longer journeys during a weekend and when she is off.
I think the worry is the overheating even though the whole cooling system has been renewed.
Perhaps there is a small leak I cant see?
Last serviced nearly a year ago. Mileage is 60k.
That's also terrible for the driver as well as the car. Much healthier to walk or cycle. I think pressure testing will only show CHG failure when it has well and truly failed. When only just beginning to fail, possibly transient owing to the thermal expansion/contraction that happens in the failure area, not enough gas will escape on pressure testing, so you will get a false negative. All you will notice at this stage is the mysterious disappearance of coolant requiring a regular top-up every few hundred miles.
bubblebobble said:
Hi,
the car is my wifes and it is used daily but not far, it is driven from home to work and back, less than a mile.
It will have longer journeys during a weekend and when she is off.
I think the worry is the overheating even though the whole cooling system has been renewed.
Perhaps there is a small leak I cant see?
Last serviced nearly a year ago. Mileage is 60k.
Your wife is using the car the same as I was, so it's not getting to temperature. Hence the condensation/water vapour isn't being burned off. the car is my wifes and it is used daily but not far, it is driven from home to work and back, less than a mile.
It will have longer journeys during a weekend and when she is off.
I think the worry is the overheating even though the whole cooling system has been renewed.
Perhaps there is a small leak I cant see?
Last serviced nearly a year ago. Mileage is 60k.
Go out on a sunday, leave it in 4th and just hoon up and down a carriageway to give the engine a good thrashing. Do that at least twice a month, and you'll be grand.
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