Our MG-ZR Head gasket has gone..

gabyjane

Ok we have an MG ZR 2005 and all has been well until recently (had it getting on for 3 yrs)..a few weeks ago it started making a ticking noise from under the bonnet, it was intermittent though so we didnt think much of it. Now a few weeks on it is very loud and can't see where it is coming from but does it on most startups (not all) and so it was booked in today.

They were also asked to look at the brakes as sound odd and the coolant has some sort of residue on it..the garage thought when i went in it would be the head gasket.

It went in this morning at 9am and at about 3pm i got a call to say it was the head gasket grr. They reckon in the region of £4-500 but may be more depending on what state it is in. He also said the cambelt? (think that's right!) should be changed too as although it has only just hit 50k it is 6 years old so he said to save on labour they would do at same time if ok. All in all a possible £700 bill..Does that sound about right?

*EDIT* Forgot to mention i asked a friend (just to check they were on track with price) who is a mechanic who said it would be about the same price as above..is it likely to be much higher anyone who's had this prob? (this is the same mechanic who currently has 4 of his own cars ALL of which have played up so much the last few weeks, oh and he doesn't fix them btw so can't blame him!!) he drops his kids off to me and every morning they brake down in one of them so don't much think we will get a better car tbh!

The ticking stopped 2 days ago and typically (and it really annoys me) hasn't done it all day with them. The lad who dealt with it used to be an engineer for MG so he knows his stuff and i trust him when he says they have checked it all out and all is well.

The brakes again they say are fine, they make a funny rubbing noise quite a lot of the time when we stop, like it is a not going to stop noise! again they say they are fine and unless i want to waste money on it then to leave them..fair enough!

Not a great result and did joke i was going to P/X it BUT we are only the second owners and bought it on 23k mileage, it has been fab and gone through all i think MOT'S passing since we have had so figured we are better off spending the money and keeping it, plus i love it and find it one of the best cars i have driven!

It is booked in next week for 2-3 days while they work on it:(

ahillsy

Head gasket failure is a very common problem with the K-series engine that's in the ZR - it's not really a case of "if" it happens but "when" it happens. I'd recommend you go over to themgzr.co.uk - there's tons of people there who've had HGF and should be able to give you as much info as you need.

HTH

Gerrard_8_lfc

I watched A friend of mine smash his MG ZR up.

Every month there was a fault waiting for him until his head gasket went. They are notorious with this fault the sames as the rover 25s.

The problems that I remember were

Head Gasket
Electric windows
Crank shaft
Clutch & Gearbox

It is close between the ZR and Punto to which one I hate most. Unrealiabilty is good it no one.

I wouldn't pay to get a re-conditioned head as it is never the same car and has just as much chance of happening again. Save your £700 towards a cheap runaround.

gabyjane

ahillsy thanks for the reply. I am a member of the MG forums and have asked on there just thought id'e get another opinion! I knw they do go so isn't a suprise but still!

Gerrard_8_lfc you have basically re-stated everything i have said and advised me to do everything i have said i won't do! ALL cars have problems..it's a known fact that god forbid whatever car you buy there will be some issue with it, no car is invincable. If this is the only thing we have to 'wait' for then great i say. If the car isn't as good afterwards i guess we will notice and deal with it then but i think £700 is a small price to pay for what is otherwise a reliable car!
Oh and funnily enough our last car was a Punto! again imo a fab car as no probs until something big cropped up (and id'e had an accident in it so they thing related), it was not a common thing though so we were unlucky but again had that for years no probs so?

thanks for the reply though x

Mankysteve

As long as you haven't allowed the engine to over heat. You shouldn't have too many problems, I wouldn't drive in any distance in case of over heating or water-locking the engine

Gerrard_8_lfc

gabyjane wrote: »

ALL cars have problems..it's a known fact

Some more than others :A Hope all goes well with the car once its sorted.

TiTheRev

gabyjane wrote: »

ahillsy thanks for the reply. I am a member of the MG forums and have asked on there just thought id'e get another opinion! I knw they do go so isn't a suprise but still!

Gerrard_8_lfc you have basically re-stated everything i have said and advised me to do everything i have said i won't do! ALL cars have problems..it's a known fact that god forbid whatever car you buy there will be some issue with it, no car is invincable. If this is the only thing we have to 'wait' for then great i say. If the car isn't as good afterwards i guess we will notice and deal with it then but i think £700 is a small price to pay for what is otherwise a reliable car!
Oh and funnily enough our last car was a Punto! again imo a fab car as no probs until something big cropped up (and id'e had an accident in it so they thing related), it was not a common thing though so we were unlucky but again had that for years no probs so?

thanks for the reply though x

Glutton for punishment?! Punto and now Rover?

Every car has issues, at some point or another, but both of those have MORE than their fair share, and having worked with someone who worked at Rover for 35years even a new head and gasket will go again in no more than a couple of years. It was more or less the only job that his garage did for most of the last 10 years! That and coolant pipes on the underside of the car.

gabyjane

Thanks guys!

Mankysteve thanks is it likely to start overheating then?

Gerrard_8_lfc thanks like i said this one no probs yet..literally in almost 3 years..i think that's quite good or is that just me?!

TiTheRev glutten for punishmenht i don't agree with as if i had said 'oh the punto was rubbish' then fair enough but id'e buy another tomorrow. Also the MG id'e buy another despite this!..makes me laugh when i see all these nice new cars or very expensive cars on recovery lorrys, just shows no cars are free from probs! I am happy to say i have never called the breakdown ad we have driven it a long way since having it and gets used constantly all day every day BUT saying that i have probably just jinxed it and now will have to!
Thanks for the replys

dizzyblonde82

Head gasket problems are common with rovers, my uncle had a rover 45 (reg in 2000) and it had only done 36000 miles in 9 years and the head gasket went - repair bill was around £580.

He has since given the rover to my husband as his first car, he only passed his test 2 weeks ago so at least we know who owned the car and how well they looked after it.

Jakg

K-Series is a great engine... besides the HGF.

Not sure on the ZR, but I know on the 1.8 in the ZT / 75 the MLS gasket should stop it re-occuring.

Mankysteve

gabyjane wrote: »

Thanks guys!

Mankysteve thanks is it likely to start overheating then?

Well it leaking coolant so if you run out it'll over heat and warp the head if eh head warps as best it can be skimmed at worse new head not worth risking. It also possible for pieces of head gasket to stuck in a water way but unlikely.

Other problem is coolant leaking into the cylinder, liquid don't compress unlike gasses and this will do all kinds of horrible damage.