hello all

am new to this forum, and know next to nothing about car engines..

i have a problem with my 1998 1.2 punto sx

for the last few days my temp gauge has been getting hotter... but not too hot, and cooling fan has been kicking in ok.

i got in the car last night.. drove about a mile and the car started feeling really "hicky" each time i slowed down and the revvs dropped off.. it felt like it was going to stall.. but was ok when revvs were high.. i also noticed lots of white smoke/steam coming out of exhaust.. about a minute later.. the smoke stopped and temp went sky high (way past the red mark).

unfortunately i was on a stretch of dual carriageway and was not going to stop the car there as if it didnt start again i knew id have no wheels and smashed windows the next morning.. i made it to the next turn off which is opposite the local asda.. let the car cool down and checked the oil/water.. oil was very low and water seemed empty (it was dark so hard to see but the container thing for water was cold and as car was overheating id assume this should be boiling hot) i went over to the asda and got some oil/water and topped car up... (took a full 1.5l of water!!!)

on restaring at first no white smoke out of back but engine sounded clunky and revvs still dropping off at idle.. but temp stayed low (at the first quarter mark).. soon though the white smoke/steam from the exhaust came back in abundance.. but i managed to drive the 5 mins back home... and temp stayed low all the way..

i havent started it this morning, but i had a quick look under bonnet and there was alot of oil running down front of engine (excuse my lack of knowledge here) it was basically on the front of the engine (the big block bit i would call it) coming down from where the top part is stuck to the bottom part..

is my cyclinder head fcuked do you reckon??

any help/advice would be much appreciated. roughly how much should it cost to get repaired by a small reliable local garage?

Cheers

Lee

It sounds like the head gasket has blown. Depending on the garage, you are looking £200 - £350 to sort it out. When they do it, make sure they skim the head, use new head bolts, new cambelt, new tensioner, may as well bung a new water pump on as well. Also, the thermostats have been known to stick when they get really hot. May as well replace that too, they only cost a few quid.

yep headgasket im affraind and gon quite badly by sounds of it

Defo sounds like head gasket unfortunately

I would agree with the others, head gasket

But this is not all bad news. If you are techincally minded enough you can change a head gasket easily and for under £100 including a skim (means surface of head on mating to gasket-to-block is like brand new and completely flat and true)

cheers guys.. i took it down to a mates dads garage yesterday morning.. hes just phoned me this morning to say its fixed and i can collect it... all done including head skimmed for £220.. cant complain at that when am getting it back within 24hrs!!

cheers for all your help.. this was first time ive used this forum.. but no doubt ill definitely be back!

Sounds like a decent garage price, my dad would probbaly charge just under but i dont think it would be 24 hrs, maybe two full days from one morning to the next day night just because around here alot of engineering firms have moved premises further away, so theres only one guy my dad relies on and he normally takes a little while to fit it in around his schedule, but he normally gets it done by the end of the day to put in next moringin and be ready the afternoon (with a valet)

Glad to hear you're sorted, hope you become another regular and donate

woo that is fast work i like sound of that garage