Could Really do With Some Advice Please

gravitytolls

We have a Nissan Serena, L reg. I paid £500 two months for the MOT - two wheel cylinders, clean up braking system, tyre, ball joint and a couple of things I can't remember. 7 weeks later, strange whirring sound, £150 bearing. Two days later, overheating, and radiator leaking all over the road.

Stuck in rad weld, but no joy, Recovered home.

A friend of ours is just getting started with his own garage business, so, despite always using the chap whom did the MOT, we put the business the friend's way, want to support him. DH had already replaced the radiator, but it was still losing water, and overheating. Friend took it, replaced the water pump, needed to remove cam belt to reach it, so had to replace that too, plus a couple of auxilliary belts. #

The bill now stands at £366, and it's still overheating, and apparently 'driving lumpy', which it never has dome before.

Now, I feel that I've spent so much, that I'm passed the point of no return, but equally, I can't help wondering if he's done something wrong. If it's driving 'lumpy', I wonder if he's not fitted the cambelt correctly, in whioch case, I don't feel he should charge me any mnore for his time. But as he and his family are friends, I feel very uncomfortable about broaching this with him.

I would value any advice from anyone who has an idea of what's wrong with my car, and how I should deal with the situation. Basically, if the car can't go back on the road, the children will need to change school, as there is no public transport to their village school, and it's too far (7 miles) to cycle.

Thanks
Karen

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

What does your friend say about it driving lumpy?

gravitytolls

He simply says, 'did it used to drive lumpy?'

He then asked if I wanted it back, which of course I don't, as it's no use to me with lots of shiny new bits, a whopping bill, but still not going. So he's going to 'take a look', and I've got to be honest, and say I'm not inspired with confidence at this point.

shown73

Makes you wonder if the original problem might be the head gasket. He ought to have checked for that....

jeannieblue

No disrespect, but she is an old lady now, your Serena. Bits will start to go - and the car has done well so far.

Lumpy could be anything. Plugs? Leads?

Don't lose faith just yet... your friend could come good!

Ginger_Nuts_2

Well, imo, after 7 weeks of no problems you cant really put the finger of blame directly on the original reapirer, also from what you listed, it wouldnt affect the overheating issue you now have. Going by your description, after the overheating, it could well have a blown head gasket. Again from your description, the whirring sound was most likely the wheelbearing, especially if the noise has still gone. But you are left with the overheating, spilling water out and the lumpy running. To me this does unfortunately point towards a headgasket problem which probably occurred when the original overheating occurred. The waterpump, may have been a bit of a red herring, but unaware of exactly what he was presented with, may have been a plausable fault.
Really I dont think in either case, either garage acted wrongly, whilst removing the timing belt which would have been necessary to replace the waterpump, replacing this at the same time was correct, it would have been a false economy not to. Perhaps the friends garage should have done a more thorough check for headgasket failure first, but really, without being there and seeing exactly what he was presented with it's hard to say. Really what i'm saying is, that most likely it's been a real bad run of bad luck and unfortunately, if it is head gasket failure, you're probably looking at around the £500 mark in an independent garage to replace properly, as in remove head, replace gasket, skim head face and reassemble. sorry

anewman

Is another banger an option? That way hopefully you'll always have at least one of the two cars on the road. Only problem is the insurance, tax and MOT on top and yet another car to service and repair.

I feel in much the same position. Spent a lot of money on repairing bits and now other bits are failing. As I spent all the money before I feel compelled to spend the money to repair the other bits but also wonder if I'm on a slippery slope. But I guess the other way to see it is the car is old and bits will fail - and at least those bits you've sorted are unlikely to fail again.

Driving lumpy suggests either headgasket failure (which can happen after overheating) or the cam belt has not been fitted correctly so the timing is out. Overheating - again possibly headgasket issue, or possibly an airlock, failed thermostat, or radiator fan switch.

gravitytolls

Thanks folks. TBH, my original suggestion was head gasket, but I guess we're all after the quick fix, including those who have to do the work. The thermostat was removed at the outset, and it's still out; it was wide open anyway, so wasn't that. The radiator was definately leaking, as it squirted warm water all over my leg when I was lifting the bonnet.

I guess the gasket became warped after faffing about with rad weld, refilling, running it to see if was OK etc.

Damn and blast - cars, they're the bane of our loives. But, you know what, if we had a donkey, it's leg would fall off.

Well, I feel I need to see it through to the bitter end - he's done the work, he must be paid, and if I cut my losses and got something else, I could end up with another whole heap of trouble.

Thanks for the advice - i still feel down in the dumps, but hey, it's only a car, we're not starving in a village in Africa, so life's not so bad is it?

anewman

Headgasket can be checked by compression testing the cylinders.

Ginger_Nuts_2

Another way of looking at it is, when you get it fixed, you will have a car thats known to you, you know whats been done and your repairs still wont come to 6 months payments in a 3 year finance agreement on a new car that will still need repairs and servicing in that time. My feeling, although I havent seen the car, i'm sure it's doing what you need of it, it's been a decent beast before this so i'd be inclined to fix it(prob go to original garage tho, it's hard to complain to friends) and then drive it into the ground

goldspanners

is it the 2.3 deisel version of serena? i used to have the van version of this,the non turbo 2.3 is rediculously underpowered,so unfortunatly they get the engines driven very hard indeed,as the van got older it got slower,and very noticably.but would always run and start.
fuel economy was terrible,but it was indeed a workhorse and never needed any real major work in 6 years of daily mechanical abuse.
they are a bit awkward to work on aswell seen as the engine is under the seats.

my post doesnt really help you i know,but the point im trying to make is the serena might be worth spending the money and getting it repaired right.
i understand the predicament with the mechanic,it isnt nice,but its your money and your car so make sure he knows this and get him to repair it properly.

my guess is the timing is out,it was common when my van got its belts changed,it happened twice,it would run pretty normally until the motorway,when you couldnt get over 50mph,took it back and the timing was out.