General Engine overheating and rattling - help please!

[ryan123]

Hi everyone,
I bought a 1.2 punto mia with approx 60,000 miles on the clock at the end of September, and with the exception of needing a new coil pack, it's been a great little runaround.

But recently the car was left for a few days buried under snow in freezing conditions. It needed a jump to get it started, and made some knocking noises at first, but these soon went away. But then as I was driving it a day or so later, the engine started to shake quite forcefully when I wasn't applying any gas, the temperature light came on and white steam/smoke began to come out from near where the oil stick is and there was a smell of burning. The car also stalls sometimes in idle or a low gear and will only start again if you leave it a few minutes. The heater can blow hot air, but only rarely and unpredicatably. I'm pretty sure it's not the head gasket, since there is no 'mayo', no coolant leak, and the exhaust gases seem normal.

Obviously, I'm not driving it anymore until I can get it checked sometime this week but I just thought I'd ask here and see if anyone had any idea what could be the problem. Cheers!

 

[Ffoxy]

How is the coolant level? Note coolant not just tap water... could the coolant have frozen?

And the oil level / type?

You may have a coolant air-lock which needs bleeding out, but the shaking suggests a miss-fire which may be plug / plug lead / coil-pack.

When was the car given a good servicing last? This shouldnt be neglected.

 

[ryan123]

Admittedly, I didn't put any anti freeze into the car until this began, so for all I know the previous owner could of been running straight tap water. I'm 19 and have only passed my test in September so I'm no expert, what could the consequences of the water freezing be?

The oil level does seem a little low (maybe 1/3 of the way up the hatch marks), but I'm not sure what type of oil was put in it since my brother put some oil in it last week when he was driving it. The car was MOT'd when I got it but I haven't had it serviced yet.

The mystery to me is why it was fine before the snow and ice

 

[ryan123]

Also, the coolant i just below the MAX level and it was filled up a few days ago, so I think that's fine. Thanks for your response btw

 

[Ffoxy]

Admittedly, I didn't put any anti freeze into the car until this began, so for all I know the previous owner could of been running straight tap water. I'm 19 and have only passed my test in September so I'm no expert, what could the consequences of the water freezing be? At worst a frozen & cracked block. Not wanting to scare you but coolant / antifreeze is essential, and not just as protection against freezing but also against rust / corrosion inside the engine.
The oil level does seem a little low (maybe 1/3 of the way up the hatch marks), but I'm not sure what type of oil was put in it since my brother put some oil in it last week when he was driving it. The car was MOT'd when I got it but I haven't had it serviced yet. Dont place too much sway by an MoT, its good to have but guarantees nothing, especially regarding service items.
The mystery to me is why it was fine before the snow and ice

See above in blue font. You oil level shouldnt be a problem, but the type of oil might be if its too thick at low temperatures. Cold weather exposes any weakness a car has. If it were my car I'd start with a good full service inc plugs & leads, oil of the correct type & grade, new filters & the correct coolant.

 

[ryan123]

Thanks for the advice. Is there any way I could check whether the block was cracked without taking anything out? Or any way I could be sure it's not the gasket head? I only paid £750 for this car so very expensive repairs are out of the question :bang:

 

[rallycinq]

Needs a coolant pressure test, followed by a compression test if nothing shows.

In the future remember that an MOT has nothing to do with a service.

Cheers

SPD

 

[ryan123]

Thanks for the feedback. I was forced to drive the car earlier to get someone stranded with a broken down car. It may be screwed but it sure is nippy in the snow

But anyway, what's weird is for the first 10-15 minutes of driving you'd think the car was in perfect condition, quiet, smooth. But then it starts to overheat, the light comes on and it shudders at first when you take your foot off the gas, and then all the time, and then just gets worse until it stalls. And I can't get it to a mechanic until Friday because of all the poor buggers like me with weather damaged cars! Grrr!

 

[DaveMcT]

It could be plain water in the radiator from it not having antifreeze before the cold snap.
Running for 15 mins then suddenly overheating suggests its got an iced up rad so you could be looking for a new one soon.