Used car problem.... Should I be worried?

freddiecider

Hi.

Any advice appreciated.


I bought a Mini Cooper s with 26000 on clock and fsh from a mini dealership. I bought it in mid feb with a years warranty.


Usually I only need it for short journeys. A five mile commute to work and back again. However three weeks ago I went on a longer family trip where we got stuck in traffic numerous time on the motorway. On returning smoke starting coming out of the engine ( scary with three children in car and no hard shoulder). I pulled over when safe and to cut a long story short, mini assistance towed it away. It was diagnosed as a hole in the radiator ,fixed by the dealer under warranty.


When I got it home it was making a loud noise from the engine so I returned to the garage.. They found that they hadn't bled the air correctly so had it back in to do so. On returning home again I still wasn't happy as further noise was coming from the engine. After repeated calls to the garage they finally had it back. They then diagnosed a need for a new head gasket which they replaced last week.


The engine is still making odd hissing noises. Jam still not convinced that it is right.. I am not happy that it has needed all this despite it being low mileage and relatively young.




Do I have grounds to reject this car? I am concerned that this issue may relate to further engine faults.

worried_jim

It was steam coming out of the radiator not smoke from the engine. As the engine got hotter as more coolant escaped the cylinder head has warped which has then damaged the head gasket causing it to fail.
Once fixed it should be fine, I'd have expected the garage to have checked the gasket when they changed the radiator as the two faults often go hand in hand, I am not too sure what is causing the new sounds, are they going to have another look? Does it over heat when you drive it again?

freddiecider

Hi, thanks for the reply.

It is hard to work out whether it is still overheating as these cars stupidly don't have a temperature gauge .


I also agree, I'm surprised that they didn't check the head gasket issue at the time too. The head gasket was fixed on Friday and the car returned to me. However the car does seems to get hot very quickly but would this be normal on this specification of car? Worryingly , I opened the bonnet to try to ascertain where the hissing and whirring sounds are coming from. As I did so I noticed that the coolant was below minimum which I also find odd if they only sorted the head gasket out on Friday and since then I've only driven 10 miles or so.

worried_jim

freddiecider wrote: »

It is hard to work out whether it is still overheating as these cars stupidly don't have a temperature gauge .

Take it back Freddie. Do you really not have a temp gauge (I don't doubt you- I am stunned), how do you know when it's over heating?

Richard53

If the engine has overheated and warped the head, then a new head gasket won't cure it. If the warping is minor, the head can be skimmed, but if it's serious than a new cylinder head is needed. That will be expensive for them, but it's the only permanent cure.

The fact that it is still losing coolant is a concern.

freddiecider

I know....ridiculous that it has no temperature gauge. The first sign of the initial overheating issue was the steam! Only after a lot of steam was coming out, then coolant light then come on!

I'm presuming it is losing coolant still as I would have expected them to have made sure that there was the right amount in on fri. However I have to say, there is no visible loss in the sense that I can't see any puddles etc.


What a hassle this is proving to be!

Richard53

freddiecider wrote: »

there is no visible loss in the sense that I can't see any puddles etc.

That is a symptom of a warped head or blown head gasket, I am afraid. The coolant is escaping into the cylinder and not onto your driveway.

You really need to check the level with the engine cold, then go for a run, and check it next morning when cold again. Then you would know if it was losing coolant or if they just hadn't topped it up properly.

freddiecider

Incidentally, how would I know whether it needs a new cylinder head or not??

thegirlintheattic

worried_jim wrote: »

Take it back Freddie. Do you really not have a temp gauge (I don't doubt you- I am stunned), how do you know when it's over heating?

Many modern cars no longer have a temp gauge.

Richard53

You wouldn't. Checking it means taking the head off (quite a big job) and measuring it. It's not a DIY proposition. I'm not surprised the garage didn't do this the first time, but they need to now.

worried_jim

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

Many modern cars no longer have a temp gauge.

I had no idea, will make sure in future that I always have check before buying.