gp3000000
New member
(Long post alert)
I seem to have blown the head gasket on my 2002 Sei SX.
Around december-time it drank half a tank of water in one journey, and was puffing white steam out, but then hasn't been using any water or oil up until last week.
After one 15 mile journey the whole tank was empty, (I know it was full before as I just washed the car and I always do my checks just after i wash it!) It also gurgled after I switched the car off.
So I refilled the tank with warmish water from the kettle, waited for a few hours, went on another journey just 3 miles to the supermarket, and found when I got there, the water halfway between 'max' and 'min' marks. (It also gurgles now every time it's switched off) I drove home and when I got home it was under the 'min' mark again. So I topped it up, went to bed, got up next morning to go out and it started, sounded like it was running on 2 or 3 cylinders. Revving the engine didn't help, so I though maybe it's a dead plug, pulled all the spark plugs, and found plug no.2 (assuming cyl no.2 is second from cambelt end) covered in petrol, the rest of the plugs were dry. So I changed all 4 plugs for a spare (used) set I had, and it started fine.
After this journey I left the car for only 1 hour and came back out to it, started it and it was running on 3 again! Revving it high several times, it kicked in and started running ok again. I then rang my dad (handsfree, I might add) whilst driving around the block several times, and he said the water must be going through the head gasket into cylinder no.2 and that's where all the water's going, and when the car's switched off the water is filling cylinder no.2 up, so that's why it starts running on 3 when I start it.
It is using no oil at all, I'd just changed the oil a week ago so have been monitoring the oil level closely anyway.
Does this diagnosis sound correct to you? Is it worth getting it compression tested or is it definitely the head gasket? There's no visible water leaks, and there's never any puddles of water under the car.
Any help greatly appreciated,
I seem to have blown the head gasket on my 2002 Sei SX.
Around december-time it drank half a tank of water in one journey, and was puffing white steam out, but then hasn't been using any water or oil up until last week.
After one 15 mile journey the whole tank was empty, (I know it was full before as I just washed the car and I always do my checks just after i wash it!) It also gurgled after I switched the car off.
So I refilled the tank with warmish water from the kettle, waited for a few hours, went on another journey just 3 miles to the supermarket, and found when I got there, the water halfway between 'max' and 'min' marks. (It also gurgles now every time it's switched off) I drove home and when I got home it was under the 'min' mark again. So I topped it up, went to bed, got up next morning to go out and it started, sounded like it was running on 2 or 3 cylinders. Revving the engine didn't help, so I though maybe it's a dead plug, pulled all the spark plugs, and found plug no.2 (assuming cyl no.2 is second from cambelt end) covered in petrol, the rest of the plugs were dry. So I changed all 4 plugs for a spare (used) set I had, and it started fine.
After this journey I left the car for only 1 hour and came back out to it, started it and it was running on 3 again! Revving it high several times, it kicked in and started running ok again. I then rang my dad (handsfree, I might add) whilst driving around the block several times, and he said the water must be going through the head gasket into cylinder no.2 and that's where all the water's going, and when the car's switched off the water is filling cylinder no.2 up, so that's why it starts running on 3 when I start it.
It is using no oil at all, I'd just changed the oil a week ago so have been monitoring the oil level closely anyway.
Does this diagnosis sound correct to you? Is it worth getting it compression tested or is it definitely the head gasket? There's no visible water leaks, and there's never any puddles of water under the car.
Any help greatly appreciated,