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Technical Glug, glug!!!

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Technical Glug, glug!!!

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Fab Idea

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Feb 12, 2009
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Hi

I have recently noticed that my Idea makes a running water/glug noise. This is most noticeable when revving from idle when the car is stationary and usually happens when the car has just been started or is getting up to temperature.

I've read elsewhere that this can be indicative of problems with the water pump or an air lock within the cooling system. I've also read it's potentially a sign of imminent head gasket failure. :(

My Idea runs well, pulls well (for a 1.4! :D), idles well and doesn't misfire. The temperature gauge, after the car has warmed up, always sits bang on the centre of the dial and never budges, except in really hot weather (not now then!)

There's no mayonnaise under the oil filler cap or on the dipstick. The coolant hasn't been changed recently and is possibly quite old. I find it's a right pain to see the level for the coolant in the Idea. It does look a bit dark though. :confused:

I'm a bit paranoid about glugging noises as I remember my old Vauxhall Nova glugged before Mr Head Gasket left the building :cry:.

Has anyone experienced anything like the above with their Idea?

I'm due a service very shortly, just wonder if it's worth getting the rad flushed and fresh coolant popped in.

Any comments would be much appreciated :)

Cheers

Simon
 
Hi Simon

I've got the same thing with my '04 petrol Idea. It occasionally 'glugs' when idling or settling to an idle after revving. My temp gauge always stays bang in the middle after warming up and there's no mess under the oil filler cap or on the dipstick.

Checking the coolant level is tricky on the Idea, but I managed it using a torch and shaking the radiator slightly. I bought the car in April this year and checked my coolant for first time today. Very slack, I know! My level was right on the 'MIN' mark, but it could've been like that for a while. I've topped it up to 'MAX' now, so I can keep an eye on it.

I had a Peugeot 106 that 'glugged' for a few months before the head gasket went, so like you, I'm a bit paranoid about it! The glugging noise on my Pug was much louder though. Maybe it's just a noise that Idea's make when ticking over. I've done quite a bit of research on Idea's and I can't remember coming across head gaskets as a weak point. My air bag light's come on twice after going over a bump and it's needed sorting with diagnostic stuff at the garage. Fairly common on Fiats apparently. Idea's are fairly solid really, being based on the Punto .

Maybe someone else can shed some light on this noise? I know there's some tappet noise on starting the engine, but this is normal. It's down to some kind of reduced maintenance thing or prolonged time between servicing.
 
Many thanks for that :)

It's good to know I'm not glugging in isolation! :D

I must say I tend to give my Idea a fair amount of welly, so I hope it isn't a product of 'giving it some'. I will definitely get it checked out come service time though.

Luckily the only other things I've needed have been an oxygen sensor and a new horn. Otherwise it's been 12000 miles of happy (and economical considering my heavy right foot!) motoring. No airbag lights. Yet! :eek:

Yes, my hydraulic tappets do make a bit of a din at start-up but to be honest I've had this on quite a few cars. Seems harmless. I regularly check my oil but they were particularly noisy once and I thought it was odd. Pulled the dipstick out, plenty of oil, right up to the MAX mark. Wiped the dipstick, put it back in and found it was way below minimum! The dipstick seems to give an inaccurate reading unless you wipe it before putting it back in. Other dipsticks I've had aren't like this, it didn't make any difference whether it was wiped or not. Or maybe I'm being the dipstick! :rolleyes:

Cheers

Simon
 
Many thanks for that :) - I certainly will do that as it's too good a car to risk damaging the engine :(

Cheers

Simon
 
I have the same problem with the dipstick too. It seems inaccurate sometimes. I can check it two days apart and it can give quite different indications on how much oil's in the engine. Must be an Idea thing!

I think I'm gonna have a go at bleeding the system to try and cure the gurgling noises. I think it's a case of removing the two (upper and lower) black plastic screws and letting the engine warm up, with the heater on fully warm. Then, when the coolant appears where the screws have been removed, put the screws back. I think the screws are marked with 'L' and 'H'. Are these the bleed points?! Is this the right way to bleed the system?!

I like my Idea (bought it in April), but this cooling system thing worries me slightly, mainly due to the head gasket woes on my previous motor.
 
I have the same problem with the dipstick too. It seems inaccurate sometimes. I can check it two days apart and it can give quite different indications on how much oil's in the engine. Must be an Idea thing!
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I think it is indeed a strange dipstick :). If I wipe mine and then put it back in again and take it out, it seems to give fairly consistent readings though. It's only when it's 'just taken out' and examined that it always has oil right to the maximum mark (even if it's low on oil!). It's like the oil gets stuck on it!
 
I think I may have solved my original glug, glug problem (or at least improved it anyway).

The coolant had dropped quite a bit below minimum :eek:. I topped this up at the weekend, the glugging has subsided since and tonight I didn't hear anything watery (I hope there's still some coolant left! :D)

Still a bit concerned I may have a small airlock, but indeed to get this checked out at the garage next week when the car is serviced.
 
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