Post by asahartz on Mar 11, 2011 20:32:51 GMT
Well it's been one of those weeks.
We picked up a replacement family bus last weekend - Volvo XC90 - but the dealer failed to put the promised MOT on it. As it had a bald tyre we insisted on the MOT, but this left us without a main car for a couple of days.
I've been driving Skye, despite the blowing exhaust, as Nemo had developed a nasty misfire and reluctance to start, so I fitted new plugs & condensor in Nemo, adjusted the points, and everything seemed fine - drove just as it should again. Next day Jane got to work, but the misfire returned and it just wouldn't run to get her home. She got a lift, and I went back to fix it in the car park.
I realised the distributor baseplate was sticking, throwing the timing out, but fixed it enough to get the car home. When I took the baseplate out I realised the force I'd had to use to slacken the mullered points screw had distorted the baseplate.
No problem, spare dizzy in the shed, fitted, re-timed, fine.
Next morning, no start. Jane's on the bus to work.
Wednesday, Adam has a lift to work so Jane borrowed his car. Coming back from work, some muppet runs into the back of the car (10 reg Seat!) while it was stationary at traffic lights - hitting it hard enough to fire the seatbelt pretensioner and knock out the electric power steering. The car is undrivable and has to be recovered. Jane has whiplash and a belt cut on her neck as a result; 3 hours in casualty. This is the night we were supposed to fetch the Volvo back, but by now the dealer is closed.
I spent some time looking at Nemo again. It's a bit of a mystery - there is fuel, replacement dizzy, new points, condensor, rotor, cap, spark, but no go. Recheck everything, all in order. After all the tricks I can think of, I eventually got the car started, but it was missing random beats - and leaking water from the water pump gasket. Along with the newly-developed oil leak from the rocker cover, things began to add up - a compression test gave consistent readings but the engine turned noticeably slower with the gauge in cylinders 1 and 3. I diagnosed a blown head gasket.
With my camper needing attention, our 5-car household is suddenly down to one, and that has a blowing exhaust!
Fortunately Jane was able to take a bus to fetch the Volvo back the next day, and today Adam had a courtesy car delivered (Fiat Punto. Doesn't go, doesn't handle - safe to say he won't be buying one of those!)
I've been out in the new garage, finally putting it to the use it was built for, and stripped Nemo down. You can never really tell with head gaskets from just looking, but there is some unexpected staining on the copper side. At least everything else looks to be in very good condition (it ought to be, Nemo has still only done 28000 miles!)
The one bright spot of the week: Linzie got some GCSE results to add to the A* she already has in English. Despite insiting she would fail, she got As in Biology and Chemistry, and A*s in Physics and Maths!
We picked up a replacement family bus last weekend - Volvo XC90 - but the dealer failed to put the promised MOT on it. As it had a bald tyre we insisted on the MOT, but this left us without a main car for a couple of days.
I've been driving Skye, despite the blowing exhaust, as Nemo had developed a nasty misfire and reluctance to start, so I fitted new plugs & condensor in Nemo, adjusted the points, and everything seemed fine - drove just as it should again. Next day Jane got to work, but the misfire returned and it just wouldn't run to get her home. She got a lift, and I went back to fix it in the car park.
I realised the distributor baseplate was sticking, throwing the timing out, but fixed it enough to get the car home. When I took the baseplate out I realised the force I'd had to use to slacken the mullered points screw had distorted the baseplate.
No problem, spare dizzy in the shed, fitted, re-timed, fine.Next morning, no start. Jane's on the bus to work.
Wednesday, Adam has a lift to work so Jane borrowed his car. Coming back from work, some muppet runs into the back of the car (10 reg Seat!) while it was stationary at traffic lights - hitting it hard enough to fire the seatbelt pretensioner and knock out the electric power steering. The car is undrivable and has to be recovered. Jane has whiplash and a belt cut on her neck as a result; 3 hours in casualty. This is the night we were supposed to fetch the Volvo back, but by now the dealer is closed.
I spent some time looking at Nemo again. It's a bit of a mystery - there is fuel, replacement dizzy, new points, condensor, rotor, cap, spark, but no go. Recheck everything, all in order. After all the tricks I can think of, I eventually got the car started, but it was missing random beats - and leaking water from the water pump gasket. Along with the newly-developed oil leak from the rocker cover, things began to add up - a compression test gave consistent readings but the engine turned noticeably slower with the gauge in cylinders 1 and 3. I diagnosed a blown head gasket.
With my camper needing attention, our 5-car household is suddenly down to one, and that has a blowing exhaust!
Fortunately Jane was able to take a bus to fetch the Volvo back the next day, and today Adam had a courtesy car delivered (Fiat Punto. Doesn't go, doesn't handle - safe to say he won't be buying one of those!)
I've been out in the new garage, finally putting it to the use it was built for, and stripped Nemo down. You can never really tell with head gaskets from just looking, but there is some unexpected staining on the copper side. At least everything else looks to be in very good condition (it ought to be, Nemo has still only done 28000 miles!)
The one bright spot of the week: Linzie got some GCSE results to add to the A* she already has in English. Despite insiting she would fail, she got As in Biology and Chemistry, and A*s in Physics and Maths!
