Well, this was an unexpected event in my ford ka mk1 maintenance journey.
It looks like the head gasket has failed.
The car had been on a long journey, and the coolant temp light came on. Hopper was near empty. No sign of fluid in the oil, no mayo. At first I was hoping it was the heater control valve, but RAC did a exhaust gas check and there is a slight colour change.
It looked liked the thermostat failed initially and then the engine cooked, even though the car was stopped quickly.
People may remember i did a major flush of this car's coolant system and replaced the thermostat 2 years ago. So, I’m a bit miffed the thermostat failed. I documented it here.
https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/ford-ka-mk1-coolent-flush-query-and-questions.632020/page-2
Could that heavily lime-scaled coolant that sat in the engine for years beforehand have done more damage than i realised?
Apparently there is an issue with the thermostat housing (failing seal?) and a trapped air pocket that can cause thermostat failure like symptoms. (Need to check if this is true)
So, prognosis..... head skim and a new gasket? Like i said, no signs of mayo yet.
Thoughts on where to go next, much appreciated.
It looks like the head gasket has failed.
The car had been on a long journey, and the coolant temp light came on. Hopper was near empty. No sign of fluid in the oil, no mayo. At first I was hoping it was the heater control valve, but RAC did a exhaust gas check and there is a slight colour change.
It looked liked the thermostat failed initially and then the engine cooked, even though the car was stopped quickly.
People may remember i did a major flush of this car's coolant system and replaced the thermostat 2 years ago. So, I’m a bit miffed the thermostat failed. I documented it here.
https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/ford-ka-mk1-coolent-flush-query-and-questions.632020/page-2
Could that heavily lime-scaled coolant that sat in the engine for years beforehand have done more damage than i realised?
Apparently there is an issue with the thermostat housing (failing seal?) and a trapped air pocket that can cause thermostat failure like symptoms. (Need to check if this is true)
So, prognosis..... head skim and a new gasket? Like i said, no signs of mayo yet.
Thoughts on where to go next, much appreciated.
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