What's Wrong With My Car?

[scrimple101]

Today i coming home from work and i noticed big plooms of blue smoke billowing out of the exhaust when i accelerated. The temperature guage was also right at the top. I pulled over checked the oil, it looked a little low so i filled it up and waited until until the engine cooled down. I drove a little further and noticed the temp guage still up high and smoke still billowing from the exhaust. I drove it to a petrol station and opened the hood. There was steam coming from the reserve tank for the radiator. I poured water in the reserve and then opened the radiator cap with a cloth over it, it hit the bonnet with the pressure, there seemed to be water in it. I filled it up and noticed there weren't any leaks. I drove some more and still the blue smoke and temp guage high, i stopped again and then i noticed a hissing sound coming from the engine.

Was wonder if anyone has any ideas about what might be happening?

Best regards, Rob

[suburban drifter]

Today i coming home from work and i noticed big plooms of blue smoke billowing out of the exhaust when i accelerated. The temperature guage was also right at the top. I pulled over checked the oil, it looked a little low so i filled it up and waited until until the engine cooled down. I drove a little further and noticed the temp guage still up high and smoke still billowing from the exhaust. I drove it to a petrol station and opened the hood. There was steam coming from the reserve tank for the radiator. I poured water in the reserve and then opened the radiator cap with a cloth over it, it hit the bonnet with the pressure, there seemed to be water in it. I filled it up and noticed there weren't any leaks. I drove some more and still the blue smoke and temp guage high, i stopped again and then i noticed a hissing sound coming from the engine.

Was wonder if anyone has any ideas about what might be happening?

Best regards, Rob

has to be either leak in hose or you got a blockage if it doesnt appear to be leaking ...had simular problem with my old car (prelude) ended up beeing bulk build up in the radiator and started over heating ..i left the car for a day filled up with coolent and drove less than 2km's and BANG there goes me engine haha my engine pretty much set fire but it made a hissing sound from the coolent dripping out the overflow on to the hot metal of the car >> hope that helps

[scrimple101]

has to be either leak in hose or you got a blockage if it doesnt appear to be leaking ...had simular problem with my old car (prelude) ended up beeing bulk build up in the radiator and started over heating ..i left the car for a day filled up with coolent and drove less than 2km's and BANG there goes me engine haha my engine pretty much set fire but it made a hissing sound from the coolent dripping out the overflow on to the hot metal of the car >> hope that helps

thanks for you reply. i think it is something far more scary though as i left it for a couple of days and thenrefilled the radiator and noticed that the water was disappearing but i couldn't see any leaks until i noticed a small leak around the exaust manifold and that got me thinking that the water is going into the engine. Sure enough i tryed to start it and it won't even turn over not. I opened the oil cap and there is definitely water in the engine.

So where do i go from here? Is the engine completely stuffed? If not what caused it and how do i fix it up?

Best regards, Rob

[Craved]

sounds like a headgasket went on you .... so was that the cause of the over heating or a result? hard to tell.

eitherway head needs to come off, you might as well clean the readiator and replace the thermostat while you there.

[scrimple101]

thanks for you reply, my dad said the same thing - so i went and checked the head gasket and the screws to the head were kind of loose. The gasket seemed fine but there was a lot of gunky oil/water mix. Don't know what it could be know.

Regards, Rob

[Craved]

any screws you can get to without removing the cam covers and using a 10mm allen key fitting next to the cams after getting the motor to TDC - hasnt got anythign to do with the head gasket.

sounds like you just tightened the cam covers down.

[scrimple101]

any screws you can get to without removing the cam covers and using a 10mm allen key fitting next to the cams after getting the motor to TDC - hasnt got anythign to do with the head gasket.

sounds like you just tightened the cam covers down.

Thanks for your reply.

How do i get to the head gasket?

Regards, Rob

[tridentt150v]

Lots of work, you need to take the cam covers off, the timing belt and most of the front [CAS, cam wheels, belt, etc], the inlet and the exhaust manifolds...........if you don't know, then take it to a mechanic. Attcahed is a jpeg screen shot of the manual, that should give you some idea for a R33. GL

[SSHatch]

thanks for you reply. i think it is something far more scary though as i left it for a couple of days and thenrefilled the radiator and noticed that the water was disappearing but i couldn't see any leaks until i noticed a small leak around the exaust manifold and that got me thinking that the water is going into the engine. Sure enough i tryed to start it and it won't even turn over not. I opened the oil cap and there is definitely water in the engine.

So where do i go from here? Is the engine completely stuffed? If not what caused it and how do i fix it up?

Best regards, Rob

Any water you can see in there will not prevent the motor from turning over. That's not to say that you don't have a cylinder or two full of water as well. Did the engine turn at all?? Did it turn and then make a clunk noise??

thanks for you reply, my dad said the same thing - so i went and checked the head gasket and the screws to the head were kind of loose. The gasket seemed fine but there was a lot of gunky oil/water mix. Don't know what it could be know.

Regards, Rob

Thanks for your reply.

How do i get to the head gasket?

Regards, Rob

If you are asking questions like this and checking your head-gasket with a screwdriver then I seriously suggest you put down the tools and step away from the motor vehicle before you do any further damage and cost yourself a whole lot more than its already going to cost.

Tow it to a workshop and get a quote. Its not a job for beginners.

As for opening the radiator cap when you have just overheated your car???

There is a reason why they have a two stage release. The first click is to release the pressure so the cap does not fly off and have the coolant instantly boil and spurt out of the radiator causing serious burns to anybody who is nearby and unlucky enough to be splashed.

[scrimple101]

Any water you can see in there will not prevent the motor from turning over. That's not to say that you don't have a cylinder or two full of water as well. Did the engine turn at all?? Did it turn and then make a clunk noise??

If you are asking questions like this and checking your head-gasket with a screwdriver then I seriously suggest you put down the tools and step away from the motor vehicle before you do any further damage and cost yourself a whole lot more than its already going to cost.

Tow it to a workshop and get a quote. Its not a job for beginners.

As for opening the radiator cap when you have just overheated your car???

There is a reason why they have a two stage release. The first click is to release the pressure so the cap does not fly off and have the coolant instantly boil and spurt out of the radiator causing serious burns to anybody who is nearby and unlucky enough to be splashed.

Thanks for your replies. I still want to have a go at changing the gasket as i see it as a good way to learn about how to do it. I have another car to drive in the meantime. So i wondering if there are any tutorials on this or other sites that anyone knows of and whether there are any special tools i need. All the best, Rob

[-Dukes-]

Go to the library and get some books on car/engine maintenance or if you can get a workshop Manuel ect,

Failing that, use teh interweb.

[scrimple101]

Hello, just an update on what happening with my car. Stripped down the engine. Cleaned up all the gunk inside, head flat but a broken gasket, cleaned around surface and put back with new gasket. Cleaned injectors. I am wondering how to torque the nuts that hold the inlet manifold onto the head? Is there a special way to do this? Regards, Rob

[PUDZ 32R]

u have an R31 with an RB30 right?? i used to have one of them and they are the easiest engines on the planet to work on, go to supercheap and get a workshop manual. pay $30 and it will have the head sequence and torque settings etc. get a good torque wrench about $50 and do the job properly. chances are u have warped the head but u might be lucky.

get some "HYLOMAR" at supercheap (comes in a blue and silver can) and spray it on the gasket before u put it back on. its good stuff and will help seal if there is a slight warp in the head.

also if u havnt already drain the oil and filter and replace the whole lot. it might have water in it as well.

[koduRB25det]

mate, if u really dont know how to do rb25det head gasket, dont do it. it make worse. but if u really wonna do it ur self. i can guide u. coz i did my 3rd rb head gasket replace last week. any way where u locate..?

[Tony de Wonderful]

I poured water in the reserve and then opened the radiator cap with a cloth over it, it hit the bonnet with the pressure, there seemed to be water in it.

WTF were you thinking opening a hot radiator?!

[08yannch]

why would u open a hot radiator like omfg not the smartest thing 2 do and confusing the rocker covers with the head again omfg.

im sorry if im sounding harsh but seriously u dont sound 2 good with cars and ur replasing the head gasket i can see it now ur going 2 try 2 start the engine and