Seicento Help, what just blew up?

[Huckleberry]

Hey guys,

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this, if not, then i do apologise.
So, my car wouldn't start and when i opened the hood i saw this pipe completely broken. The broken pipe had some murky liquid in it and was otherwise filled with tiny black particles. (Picture in attachment)
As you may have guessed, i know nothing of cars :bang: . So my question would be, do you guys know how bad this is? Just to get an indication before i go to the repair shop and get a huge bill again.

Cheers,

Huck

 

[portland_bill]

Its an engine breather pipe.
When running, pressure is created in the crankcase (bottom part of engine) and this has to be released, or it will push oil out of every seal. To keep fumes out of the atmosphere, the engine breathes into the air intake system, so that any fumes are taken through the combustion process. It is quite normal for the pipes to get some oily deposits, which will also contain carbon particles, so the stuff inside is normal. Quantity will depend on age and use, so I can't comment there.
If the pipes get clogged, the excess pressure has to go somewhere. If the pipe has a weak spot due to age, it can rupture, but I'd normally expect a smaller tear in the pipe.
Occasionally there can be a blow back from the engine into the air intake system, potentially causing anything in there to burn. These breather systems are designed to prevent or arrest any such burn, but if there were fuel fumes in there, perhaps very soon after startup, a tiny explosion can occur, then any weak spot may pop open like your pic.
The pipe is quite complex, so likely to be expensive. However, fitting it should not take long, so labour charges not too bad. A replacement hose is all that is needed, then all will be well. No need to worry about anything else.

 

[purf]

I'd cut out the holed section and fit a length of copper or plastic pipe with jubilee clips.

I have seen this happen on much newer cars like Vauxhall astra ecotec!

 

[Huckleberry]

Thanks a lot for the info guys, and really happy its not a huge expensive engine problem . I'll ask the car repair guy about the replaecment, metal or plastic. Much appriciated! Thanks

 

[rallycinq]

Make sure the crankcase breather is free of obstruction.

D