Not good signs:(

[WHITESLAG_VTSMK1]

I have a 1998 mk1 vts and this are the current problems:

Loosing coolant,
loud ish tapping noise from engine,(gets faster/slower with revs
struggling to stay idle,
white ish smoke from exhaust,
And signs of oil weeping from where oil filter is connected

any idea's, is this gonna be a big bill?

I have video clips to show if some1 wants to listen to the tappingsmileys/sad.gif

Any help would be great thanks.

just as I wanted to get alloyssmileys/sad.gif

[Dan]

I have a mk1 vts engine in my vtr and that started to make a similar noise about 2 months ago. I changed the oil. oil filter and spark plugs and this sorted the problem, Id try that and see if that helps.


Check the radiator to see if there are any leaks too.

[Rosco906]

Whiteish smoke sounds like head gasket!
Noise from engine could be low oil or tappets needing adjusted!
The idle could be dirty idle control valve, carb cleaner will sort that out,

and the oil filter bit check make sure the filter is tight. also give the bottom of it a wipe with a cloth then run the car to see if its still weeping out.

if u send me the clip send it to RoscoAnderson906@hotmail.com al have a listen.

let us no how u get on

[WHITESLAG_VTSMK1]

thanks for help and advice,
I will send the vid asap.

RE: Answers.

Its has just had a service, so plugs and oil change is new. oil is topped up to max and is good looking, brown/transparent colur, rather than blackish sort u get over 100's of miles

[WHITESLAG_VTSMK1]

Also just changed all collant in rad, but seems to be no coolant?

[Rosco906]

what to do is get a bit of carboard and place it underneath your car, run car with coolant in it and if ur leaking externally at least u'l have an idea where its dripping.if your leaking internally its headgasket prob.

[WHITESLAG_VTSMK1]

well there was alittle liquid coming from exhaust, but i had a compression test done and apparntly all was ok?

what could the tappping br?

I will get the vid clips up asap,

its just tapping noise sounds like a tapping sewing machine?

also how much will HG cost to fix?

[WHITESLAG_VTSMK1]

any idea's?

[chrissyboy]

Tapping is usually the hyraulic valve lifters. If the headgasket is shot then the oil may be getting contaminated with coolant and it will deteriorate rapidly and poor oil will make the lifters tap.

I had my headgasket changed ealier in the year and it cost me £325, including new head bolts, but I think I may have been robbed.

[WHITESLAG_VTSMK1]

what mileage was your vts on? mu mk1 is on 47k. could the tapping be the big end?

some1 quoted me about £550 for headgasket replacement!!!

Where did you get yours done?

whats a good price for head gasket replacement

[WHITESLAG_VTSMK1]

what signs did you get of your hg going?

[Rosco906]

check oil cap for shite around it, and the coolant bottle been the same,

apparntly head gasket is a big job on the vts engine

[WHITESLAG_VTSMK1]

I started it up tonight, on oil cap their were little (tiny) speckles of white bits???????- No mayyo substance though and oil in dipstick looks clean(just had service)
they did a compression test and fgiures were around 210, 215 etc.., of which I thought was ok?

Could it be the head? Crack?

Also once reved after about 5 mins from starting that was water coming out of exhaust like a tap!!!
BUT rad was full, but did seem alittle oily.

what ball figure are we looking at for prices?

I reckon head/bottom end is fudged too, y the tapping?

[Rosco906]

exhaust should have some water coming out of it as condenstaion in the system. Could be tappets,bottom end.

[WHITESLAG_VTSMK1]

how much would bottom end cost to fix around?

[chrissyboy]

When my head gasket went (at 46K, like yours) it started with an oil leak at the front corner at the timing end, then coolant started coming out the same place and oil started to go in with the coolant (lots of brown sludge on the top of the coolant in the expansion tank).

All TU engines are prone to head gasket failure but they don't always go in the same way. They tend to either go like mine did or compression starts leaking into the cooling system which usually leads to mega pressure in the cooling system which tends to lift the cap and coolant leaks from the cap.

I would shop around a bit for prices. Is there an independent citroen specialist in Bath?

The bottom end is probably fine mate. They are usually very strong on TU engines. The noise is more likely to be the hydraulic lifters.

Oh, and a bit of water coming out the end of the exhaust is normal, it's just condensation. It takes a long time for the exhaust system to fully warm up and for it to dry up and stop. If it is still going it after, say, 20 miles then there may be a problem.

[WHITESLAG_VTSMK1]

yea it still leaked after 20 milessmileys/sad.gif

I am going to try and search round for a specialist, its just prixe wise i am worried about lol
how much did yours cost to fix?

thanks for help chrissyboysmileys/happy.gif

[chrissyboy]

Mine was £325 just for the head gasket with new head bolts. That's with seven hours' labour. (They didn't replace the cambelt at the same time as the one that was on it was only 4k old but you may want to get them to replace yours at the same time)

I would not recommend the place where I had mine done as they were cowboys, not that you would want to come all the way down to Poole anyway.

I think £300 is plenty to replace a head gasket. I don't think they are enspecially difficult on a VTS. If you know anyone in the trade who could do it 'on the side' you could save yourself a lot.

Good luck mate

[WHITESLAG_VTSMK1]

well only time wil tell, i hope its just hg not worn engine etc..smileys/sad.gif