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Lisa
23rd March 2010, 16:32
...the head gasket has blown again for the 3rd time since I've had it (4 and half years) and the damage this time is so severe I either have to scrap it..or buy a recon engine. Fact is, as this is a common fault on the 1.8 k series honda engines it is just as likely to happen again after i've paid out..well at least £800.. It's nearly 10 years old, It's heartbreaking because I love my beautiful car. Last time we had new head gasket was only 8 months ago..think it's time to give up. I would love another Rover but wouldn't buy a 1800 again...any comments appreciated

chrislloydie
23rd March 2010, 16:34
Was it fitted with the uprated Head Gasket Kit that is recommended for the 1800?

Departed 32016
23rd March 2010, 16:35
it's not a honda engine.

The head gasket goes for a reason- replacing it will only put ofF the inevitable. You need to find out why it keeps going. Normally due to a coolant / pressure leak.

If you've paid a garage to do it everytime or had it replaced under warranty they may have just replaced the head gasket but not found out why.

If it was 8 months ago- surely it will be under warranty.

The key is to check the coolant level at least once a week

James.uk
23rd March 2010, 16:40
It doesn't sound as though the repair has ever been done properly, and £800 is a very high price for the job anyway. :shrug:

Personally I think you should get it repaired by one of the Club shops in your area, and then decide.. Either keep it. Or sell and get the Diesel version.. :shrug:

Before you make your mind up A phone chat with Lates would be a good idea.. :}
...

Cymrudragon
23rd March 2010, 16:49
Sure i read a post singing the praise of the 1.8 this is the 3rd time i have seen a post with the hg was repaired 3 times on a 1.8 :shrug: are they that reliable. get shot and get a derv or a kv6 they have issues but not as bad as a 1.8 i feel

N1&EPR
23rd March 2010, 16:54
If the repair was done right, you wouldn't be havng this problem. I'd be getting further advice on the engine being scrap as well.

Sack your garage and get it done right.

I have a friend with the 1.8 in a kit car, and with the proper gasket on, it's never went wrong despite getting ragged to death on trackdays.

carlpenn
23rd March 2010, 17:00
It doesn't sound as though the repair has ever been done properly, and £800 is a very high price for the job anyway. :shrug:

Personally I think you should get it repaired by one of the Club shops in your area, and then decide.. Either keep it. Or sell and get the Diesel version.. :shrug:

Before you make your mind up A phone chat with Lates would be a good idea.. :}
...

I agree - My Mechanic didnt quote that for our V6 H/Gaskets - when the car overheated and we thought they might have been damaged. My 214i only cost £450 to replace H/Gaskets.

brownie21
23rd March 2010, 17:07
It could be the reason it keeps failing is because the head has been overskimmed, therefore the lack of compression will inevitably lead to another gasket failure. A new or recon cylinder head should cure the problem once and for all (together with the MLS kit of course) Any reputable mechanic who knows the K series engine should be telling you this.

N1&EPR
23rd March 2010, 17:08
It could be the reason it keeps failing is because the head has been overskimmed, therefore the lack of compression will inevitably lead to another gasket failure. A new or recon cylinder head should cure the problem once and for all (together with the MLS kit of course)

Overskimm will increase compresion, not lower it...

Lisa
23rd March 2010, 17:28
It's a tricky one because the mechanic only charged us about £250 for a new head gasket last time. And also I'm sure i'm partly to blame because i didn't check the water weekly...but on how many cars should you need to check it weekly?! The £800 charge is £510 for a recon engine, and the rest for labour to change the engine etc. Think it's quite badly damaged because it had black smoke pouring out of engine and exhaust.

steve107
23rd March 2010, 17:33
why not put a diesel engine in .bit of hardwork i know but more reliable.and you still get to keep the car

stevemac
23rd March 2010, 17:47
It's a tricky one because the mechanic only charged us about £250 for a new head gasket last time. And also I'm sure i'm partly to blame because i didn't check the water weekly...but on how many cars should you need to check it weekly?! The £800 charge is £510 for a recon engine, and the rest for labour to change the engine etc. Think it's quite badly damaged because it had black smoke pouring out of engine and exhaust.

The sad fact is that the K4 engine needs a vast amount of TLC. Coolant should really be checked every day. I have been in your position and fully understand how you feel. I have had 3 engines and 5 head gaskets (most MLS) in 3 and a half years. For most of that time I have been loosing coolant with no outward signs at all. No mayo on cap or in oil, no dripping and no OAT stains and no steam. Rover dealer has been unable to fine leak. I am hopeful that my third engine will solve the problem (cost me £1600 before fitting) I will stick with this car as I now see it as a battle of wits. My advice is cut you're losses and get rid of it. IMHO

stonesfan
23rd March 2010, 17:53
wits. My advice is cut you're losses and get rid of it. IMHO

Agree. Theres plenty of other decent 75s out there just waiting to be picked up for relatively little money. There comes a point where you just have to ditch what your heart is telling you and use your head.

Southside
23rd March 2010, 17:53
As said it should not have gone 3 times. If done properly it will only need doing once and it will outlast the life of the car.

In your case there is obviously something else causing it to overheat like coolant leak which could be anything from inlet manifold gasket, waterpump, cracked head, cracked or dropped cylinder liner.

the k-series 4-pot is not as unreliable as people make out. You look after it and it'll look after you. My girlfriends 1.4 MG ZR has done 130k miles on its factory gasket. I'll be changing it soon but not because its failed its just because i need to take the head off to change the valve stem seals as its burning oil and it makes sense to change the gasket. Shame really as i'd liked to have sene how long it would of lasted.

Also my old MG ZS 1.8 k-series was on nearly 80k on the factory gasket when i sold it.

1gp
23rd March 2010, 17:55
Put it on ebay spares repairs , you can only put so much money in to a car . with what you have spent upto now ,you could be running around in a mgzt cdi or a v6. its a shame , but time to move on.:(

SD1too
23rd March 2010, 18:20
The £800 charge is £510 for a recon engine, and the rest for labour to change the engine etc.
£510 for a reconditioned engine and £290 to fit it are unrealistically low charges. Walk away from that garage. Club member Lates receives constant praise on the forum. Why not send him a P.M. and see if he can help you.

Simon.

Lisa
23rd March 2010, 18:25
I didn't think mg rovers suffered from the same head gasket problem? So, which is the one to get...a diesel...a 2 litre? it's got to be something that isn't quite so easy to wreck and needs less attention

1gp
23rd March 2010, 18:35
Get yourself a cdti , yes there 2.0 , make sure its had a clutch , and fsh and fuel pumps ,cooling fan and you wont go far wrong .... plenty of people on here would back me up on that.

James.uk
23rd March 2010, 18:40
Black smoke = too much fuel being burnt/injected.

Blue smoke = Burning oil..

White smoke = Unburnt fuel exiting the engine..

Steam can be mistaken for White smoke, the smell will identify which it is..

Black smoke after a failed head gasket is unusual.. ??? :confused: :shrug: ..

For reliability you can't beat the 2.0 liter Diesel powered Rover 75.. I would recommend an automatic gearbox version.. :)
..

brownie21
23rd March 2010, 18:44
Overskimm will increase compresion, not lower it...


I am only going on what I was told by the (Rover specialist) mechanic who last did mine. He wouldn't guarantee the HG repair unless I fitted a a new (or recon) cylinder head as I would lose compression because the head had been skimmed twice before. Perhaps I was misinformed or heard wrong then? I do admit to being a complete airhead when it comes to these things but I am sure I have read somewhere on this forum and the other one that the head has a hardened surface of only 0.2mm and skimming more than once will render it practically useless. I know this has been subject of much debate but I do trust the garage who did mine (M&G Bradford) (http://www.mgandroverspecialists.co.uk/) - look at their feedback on the good garage scheme (http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/search_detail.php?recordID=1964) and a few members on here will agree.

stonesfan
23rd March 2010, 19:19
I didn't think mg rovers suffered from the same head gasket problem? So, which is the one to get...a diesel...a 2 litre? it's got to be something that isn't quite so easy to wreck and needs less attention

I'd recommend the diesel lump any day of the week. BMW put a lot of time into developing this engine and it shows. Of course it needs a little looking after, but its pretty much a service and forget engine.

At the risk of upsetting the petrol boys here, I'd say, if you can see it from a neutral point of view, the CDT engine is the best of all the units available for the car.

James.uk
23rd March 2010, 19:39
Skimming a cylinder head makes the combustion chamber slightly smaller, and therefore increases the compression ratio slightly. You could offset that by using a thicker gasket, dependant on how much metal you skimmed off-removed.. :shrug:

As an apprentice engineer I once skimmed so much off a petrol engines head that the fuel self ignited with the increase of heat caused by the increased compression! (as does a diesel engine) dohh.. .:o :o

Case hardening the head could be done after skimming I suppose, but is risky due to poss distortion of the head caused by the localized heat needed to do it.. :shrug:
..

Jakg
23rd March 2010, 19:49
Surely by skimming, you remove metal, making the cynlinder bigger, reducing compression?

carlpenn
23rd March 2010, 19:51
Surely by skimming, you remove metal, making the cynlinder bigger, reducing compression?


"Boring" makes the cylinder bigger - Skimming is done on teh Cylinder head

Telferstr
23rd March 2010, 19:51
Hi Lisa.
Sorry to read about your troubles with your 1.8 K Series engine. All 75's & ZT's had MGRover's own designed and built engines, either the 4Cylinder 1.8 and 1.8T, or the V6 K Series in 2ltr or 2.5 ltr sizes, apart from the Diesel version which used the 2ltr BMW M47 unit.
As it has already been said, the Gasket repair has not been done correctly and therefore before any repair is done it is absolutely essential that the fundimental cause of the failures be established, and this fault dealt with before proceding with the proper repair. There is always a cause, Cylinder Head Gaskets do not just fail for no reason.
The whole Cooling System also needs to be completely examined and any doubtful Hoses, Clips, Plastic and Metal Piping replaced as required. The Water Pump also needs to be checked for leaks and if it has done a high mileage, then it would be best to have it renewed also at this time. Oh and one other item I failed to mention, and that is the Header Tank Cap. This has a built in valve which regulates the Coolant pressure and if the pressure spring inside the Cap becomes weak , this then allows Coolant to escape down the overflow pipe, reducing the amount of Coolant available. Best to renew this Cap as well. They cost in the region of £10.
Please read the following Link below which will give you information as to what needs to be done for a successful and long term repair. If you then decide to repair, please find a repairer who fully understands this engine inside out, who I'm sure, would then be able to carry out the repair to a very high standard, thus enabling you to enjoy your car once again.

www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=35570
Item 4
Regards,
Telfer.

windrush
23rd March 2010, 20:18
When a Cly head has been skimmed the combustion chambers are reduce in size therefore the higher the compression

James.uk
23rd March 2010, 21:11
>>>Surely by skimming, you remove metal, making the cylinder bigger, reducing compression? <<<

Imagine a jam jar split horizontally near the top, then skimming would be to remove some of the glass from the bottom edge of the jar lid so when you put the lid back on the amount of air inside has been reduced..

Boring is taking some of the inside walls of the jar off, thus making it bigger inside. .. A Hone or diamond borer are used to take very small amounts out of a bore. ..
..

baconbuttyman
23rd March 2010, 21:58
It's a tricky one because the mechanic only charged us about £250 for a new head gasket last time. And also I'm sure i'm partly to blame because i didn't check the water weekly...but on how many cars should you need to check it weekly?! The £800 charge is £510 for a recon engine, and the rest for labour to change the engine etc. Think it's quite badly damaged because it had black smoke pouring out of engine and exhaust.

that was going to be my question, how often did you check o&w. i do mine dilligently twice a week, more if i cant remember having done it, its the first thing i was told when i started asking for advice on finding the right 75 for me. i agree how often do you need to do it on other cars, my old mig and vw was checked rarely, once an month ish. its one thing i am not going to get caught out on, i also agree you probably have some recourse with the mechanics but if you didnt check the fluids as you should have then they may cop out., any way good luck

trevNZ
23rd March 2010, 22:39
I agree with what other posters have said regarding the fact the head gasket should not have gone again, and I would put money on the fact the head gasket is not the problem, merely a by-product of it. We have more than 300k miles over 5 vehicles with 1.8 K series engines, only once have we had genuine HGF (on an early style gasket) and it was a simple fix. The bulk of the rest of so-called HGFs have been thermostat related, once or twice we've had bleeding problems. Payen replacement is fine, we've had no issues with it and our cars get used in extremely hard competition conditions (low car speed, high engine speed = very hard on coolant system). No issues there. Actual rate of head gasket failure on K series is far far lower than most people realise, and lower than most other engines.

Also, the head on my competition VVC has had a very hard life - overheated (we bought it as part of a scrap engine), used as a test-bed for modifications, found it worked very well, so skimmed it, rehardened it and have had no issues since. Compression is around 11.2:1, on payen gasket, and 98 RON minimum.

If you want uber-reliability from a 75 engine, hard to go past the V8, they're supposed to crank up big miles without ever being opened. A lot of Ford Falcons over here with the 5.0 versions haven't been opened after 400k km, used as taxis.... Good excuse for a 75 V8 I feel ;)

Villa Villan
24th March 2010, 00:20
The Boss blew her top about a month ago and all was fixed, however a week later the tank was empty again and the high speed fan was giving it a goodun'...Back into the garage for two days and it was all sorted, the problem was the header tank filler cap that had a problem with a gadget that is underneath/in the cap that has something to do with the pressure and that was the reason for coolant loss...All fixed now.

Cheers
Tony

Scribbler.
24th March 2010, 00:50
:} Hello Lisa and welcome to the friendly Rover 75 and ZT owners club.
It may be worth your time to look up roverbreakers.com. A low mileage engine should only be around £300. delivered to you or a garage of your choice. (uk only.) They also give a guarantee so it does NOT require a rebuild. With a little `haggling' you should get away at around £550 fitted.
My replacement KV6 engine cost less than a grand, with engine purchase, newstat and metal housing and fitting incl. of new timing gear. The 1.8 is a much easier job. :shrug:
Regarding checking weekly on coolant, sadly it comes with the Rover, given their history. Good luck and any help you need is always available from this helpful :bowdown: website. Mike. :}

kevin
24th March 2010, 09:01
the 1.8 is not as bad as some say, you get HGF after over heating.
reson for over heating 9 out 10 times is lose of water.
when getting the HG done you need to find the reson why, not just do the HG and think its repaired. ( your garage should know this)

having had a 1.8 for 3 years and never having to repair it.
I had to get a auto and went for a v6 was always trying to find where I was losing water from. car over heating lots of time lucky not blowing the HG.
Sold the v6 having done all the work but fould it to hard to work on.
(fould the water leak was seal at top of rad)

Now getting a 1.8 again and looking forward to it.:D
you say its £800 to replace the engine then you have a car you know.
£800 to replace the car would not get you much of a car.

good luck with repairing or replacing your car,

you sure if HGF again if you would like some one to come over to look let be know,

Jules
24th March 2010, 09:48
Sorry to hear of your woes Lisa.
There's quite a few misled owners driving round with K series engines believing they are HONDA !!! (Those awful Salesman will tell you anything at point of sale)

Not sure Lisa where you would find a low mileage 1.8 engine as the reason these cars are scrapped is usually because of a blown engine!
The most scarce variant in the scrappers is the Diesel, and when you do see one it's crash damage that writes them off.

Tim_Burgess
24th March 2010, 10:35
Hi Lisa, sorry to hear about your problems. It sounds to me as though the garage is treating the symptoms without looking for the cause. As many others have said, I'd try to find another reputable garage and a replacement engine.

I've had Rovers for 20 years, mostly with K Series engines, exceptions being a 820, KV6 800 and 75 Diesel. All have done big mileages, some 6 figures, with regular servicing by a competent garage. The biggest issue is the small coolant capacity of the K Series, so when you lose coolant from any point it's critical that it's addressed.

Most common areas of coolant loss are hose clips, thermostat housing and inlet manifold gasket; the latter can give symptoms very similar to HGF, as on occasion the coolant leaks in to the head giving no outward sign of failure. I am convinced that some less reputable garages see the chance to make a fast buck and diagnose any coolant loss on K series as HGF, preying on the owners lack of knowledge.

When I'm asked advice about buying a K series engined car, the first question I ask is "do you check your oil and coolant at least once a week?" if the answer is, "no, I can't be doing with that" I advise them to look for a V6 or a diesel, or a car from another manufacturer.

Good luck, and don't give up on the 75 they are great cars.

Jules
24th March 2010, 10:38
Spot on Tim.

The other give away with a coolant leak is that Pungent smell !!!

Lisa
24th March 2010, 14:15
Thank you everyone for your contributions to this thread. I have learnt that a k series engine is definitely not a honda, as well as the fact that I am a bad rover 75 owner because I should've checked the water on a weekly basis. Still thinking what my options are and whether I'm going to go for another engine. Really intersting advice though, and I'd never knock this lovely car...think I may be better off with a diesel though!

Graham1961
24th March 2010, 15:19
Hi Lisa. First things, sorry to read your bad luck regarding your engine, the K-series is not a Honda unit, but with proper servicing and checks on the coolant levels and conections and any signs of leaks corrected it is a very reliable engine that will give excellent service, they do not have a huge coolant capacity (6.2ltr) so any undetected leaks can become serious and cause overheating which in turn causes the head gasket to fail, but keep the cooling system in good order and regular servicing and the K-series is a fine unit. I hope you get your car properly fixed, but post up and let us all know how thing go. ps Does the garage you are using familiar with the K-series ?

ampwhu
24th March 2010, 19:10
good advice from some good knowledgeable people here.

i check my water on average, around once every 10 days. i've also gone a month as well! . since i had the gasket done a year ago, i've put hardly any water in. i changed the cap and that seemed to help.

Tim_Burgess
24th March 2010, 19:38
Changing the factory hose clips for good old-fashioned jubilee clips seems to help too.

Fraser Mitchell
24th March 2010, 21:56
Lisa's car does seem to have become a bit of a 'Black Hole' for money. With the number of HGFs it seems to me there was/is something beyond the normal faults causing the problem, like sunken liners maybe, or indentation of the head where the HGF fire rings press against it. Another good 2nd hand engine should cure the problem, provided the head is lifted, the engine checked out, and the MLS gasket and new oil rail is fitted; easy to do before the engine is swapped out.

Wether Lisa wants to do this is a matter for her, bearing in mind the value of the car. Of course either way money will have to be spent, either on a replacement car, or another engine. With an HGF, I would think the car is not worth very much at the moment.

It is decision time but it must be very heart breaking

chrissyboy
24th March 2010, 22:18
it's not a honda engine.

The head gasket goes for a reason- replacing it will only put ofF the inevitable. You need to find out why it keeps going. Normally due to a coolant / pressure leak.

If you've paid a garage to do it everytime or had it replaced under warranty they may have just replaced the head gasket but not found out why.

If it was 8 months ago- surely it will be under warranty.

The key is to check the coolant level at least once a week


check coolant every day that way you can stay on top of things .. lisa .
sounds to me like the garage you use is no good .3 head gaskets and they still aint sorted the car .. its no good them just repairing the car ,they have to find out why it happened in the first place .as it gone so many times i would suggest they never bleed the system properly and they never replaced the water pump. these engines are good if looked after .if you see the coolant needs topping up find out why ,look for any leaks and repair .. where in london are you .i use yannis motors in peckham ..

chrissyboy
24th March 2010, 22:20
Sure i read a post singing the praise of the 1.8 this is the 3rd time i have seen a post with the hg was repaired 3 times on a 1.8 :shrug: are they that reliable. get shot and get a derv or a kv6 they have issues but not as bad as a 1.8 i feel


its not the engine it is the qualitity of repair . sounds like they never fixed it right .

chrissyboy
24th March 2010, 22:23
I agree - My Mechanic didnt quote that for our V6 H/Gaskets - when the car overheated and we thought they might have been damaged. My 214i only cost £450 to replace H/Gaskets.


yep thats about the going rate .including a new water pump . my guys did my other halfs rover 200 series 4 years ago and its still running great ..

Jules
24th March 2010, 22:28
I've seen quite a few 1.8's in my workshop were owners have forked out £100's for Gasket repairs and low and behold I find the cooling fans not functioning !!!!!

It beggars belief Garages do all the engine work and don't check one vital part that caused it to overheat in the first place.:shrug:

chrissyboy
24th March 2010, 22:28
It's a tricky one because the mechanic only charged us about £250 for a new head gasket last time. And also I'm sure i'm partly to blame because i didn't check the water weekly...but on how many cars should you need to check it weekly?! The £800 charge is £510 for a recon engine, and the rest for labour to change the engine etc. Think it's quite badly damaged because it had black smoke pouring out of engine and exhaust.


every car you need to check the coolant weekly ,but on these cars it best to spent 30 seconds checking it with a cold engine every day .
i check mine every day ,i have had 3 hoses go on me ,if i had not been checking the car and the coolant was lost then a hose was to go i would be needing a head gasket now .£250 is a cowboys rate .a proper job is around the £450/£480 mark .if i was you i would be taking the car back and leaving it there till it was done properly .. but then for £250 i guess you might of know it was too good to be true ...

Lisa
24th March 2010, 23:30
I live in SE27 but the car is in Kent where the garage is, sitting there until I decide what to do. The mechanic is someone who's done our cars over the years as a favour cheaply. I know you're all going to laugh at that because you'll think that it wasn't much of a favour, but in his defense, he would've done his best. Maybe it was too damaged from before, or it really did run out of water again because I stupidly didn't check the water often enough. Of course I only thought of it when I got petrol and it was too hot to take the cap off. I know you have to check water on all cars, but not quite as religiously as you should on these. It's 2000 W Reg, the fob key has broken, it needs 2 new tyres, there's a dent in the back door where someone ran into me in a car park, etc etc. I would be more inclined to go for it if the car was in an otherwise good condition, but I'm thinking this could run into a thousand or more, is it worth it.

Rovernut
25th March 2010, 00:43
Lisa

Trade it in for a nice diesel. Even if you repair your engine again you'll never trust it. Its been opened up too many times already.

If you love Rovers as we all do.....get shut and buy a nicer specced diesel or V6. There's plenty for sale at very low prices.

Chris (1.8T)

Chris

SD1too
25th March 2010, 08:02
Lisa,

I get the impression that you're feeling more inclined to buy a replacement car rather than repair yours. Some food for thought:


Many members are recommending a diesel. These are not trouble-free either. Have a look at the Technical Section and you'll see what I mean.
The V6 is heavy on petrol and, if newer than 2001, attracts a high rate of road tax. The thermostat housing and adjacent pipes can leak and it's an expensive job to replace them.
If you haven't done so already I would get a quote from one of the recommended Club repairers to fit the uprated gasket and a genuine MG Rover exchange cylinder head to your 1.8, and throw that into the melting pot.

Simon.

Rovernut
25th March 2010, 09:29
Fair comment Simon, its not an easy call, but when my 1.8 gasket went at 31k I felt very uneasy about trusting it not to go again. Its not a nice feeling at all.

So far so good at 67k with a cheapo gasket fitted four years ago.


With a diesel you might get a fuel pump problem etc but so did my 1.8. (twice).

Don't get me wrong I'm no great diesel fan but I can afford the time to check my car as I'm retired and don't do big mileage. To ask someone to check the coolant once or twice a week is crazy for most people. Even I don't do that now.

We have a family friend with a 75 diesel and she adores it just like Lisa does her k series....but no way would she put up with all those checks and uncertainty.
Mind you she's 72!

Chris

Lisa
25th March 2010, 11:59
My Dad's got a petrol 75 too and he's had it longer than I've had mine (about 6 yrs) and gasket's only blown once. He's probably far more careful with his though

SD1too
25th March 2010, 13:32
My Dad's got a petrol 75 too and he's had it longer than I've had mine (about 6 yrs) and gasket's only blown once. He's probably far more careful with his though
Or he had a better job done than you did. :wink2:

Simon.

Lisa
25th March 2010, 13:47
Yes probably. OK I've got a question for all you rover lovers...I know very little about cars but is it possible to get a diesel engine instead for my rover 75?

superdavid
25th March 2010, 13:50
diesel car yes, but as far as putting a diesel engine into a petrol it would be a massive massive job

Lisa
25th March 2010, 13:52
Thanks...I thought it wouldn't be possible but I'm trying to think how I can salvage the situation without scrapping it

Jules
25th March 2010, 13:53
Not impossible but this list of other bits to change might put you off Lisa:cool:

Gearbox
All ancillaries
Drive shafts
ECU etc
IPK dash
Fuel Pumps
Exhaust system
Cooling fan & control box
...............and the list goes on.

Cheaper to buy a whole CDT car

Lisa
25th March 2010, 13:55
I see what you mean!

superdavid
25th March 2010, 14:05
I dunno what to suggest, goin back a couple of years now i used to do a lot of k series head gaskets and they are very easy to do in comparison to most.
Me personally I would see the value of the vehicle on the road to justify if to have it repaired or not. If I gid get repaired then it might be time to chop it in as if its been done so many times al'ready its not going to be the most reliable engine.

chrissyboy
25th March 2010, 14:11
I see what you mean!
im in se21 lol ,get a quote from a decent repair place .you say the car is in kent at the mo ,there is a member out there that repairs alot of the members cars on here . i sure someone will tell you his name i cant remember ,think it is ralph or something like that .maybe you could buy trhe bits you need and get a price for the labour .just remember that these cars require a bit more know how when it comes to repairing them .. as jules said people repair without finding the cause of the headgasket going in the first place .something as simple as the fan not working .when the system is refilled they should of tested it for the fan operation .i would keep the car myself and get it down by someone that knows how to do it properly...

AURORA MG
25th March 2010, 14:18
...the head gasket has blown again for the 3rd time since I've had it (4 and half years) and the damage this time is so severe I either have to scrap it..or buy a recon engine. Fact is, as this is a common fault on the 1.8 k series honda engines it is just as likely to happen again after i've paid out..well at least £800.. It's nearly 10 years old, It's heartbreaking because I love my beautiful car. Last time we had new head gasket was only 8 months ago..think it's time to give up. I would love another Rover but wouldn't buy a 1800 again...any comments appreciated

Give our guys a call at the garage on 01634 388999 & we may be able to help you out.
www.mgr-service.com

We are in North Kent....That is us mentioned in the above post.

Lisa
25th March 2010, 15:02
Give our guys a call at the garage on 01634 388999 & we may be able to help you out.
www.mgr-service.com (http://www.mgr-service.com)

We are in North Kent....That is us mentioned in the above post.

Have called them thanks...if it was just head gasket replacement that would be fine...but when you're talking about another engine etc it is just far too much money

SD1too
25th March 2010, 15:13
... but when you're talking about another engine etc it is just far too much money
But who says that you need another engine? The place which replaced your head gasket three times? Why not ask Aurora ZT-T to inspect the car and give you a full assessment. From what I've read, apart from the head gasket, you don't know what else is wrong, if anything. It might not be as bad as you think.

Simon.

chrissyboy
25th March 2010, 16:40
Have called them thanks...if it was just head gasket replacement that would be fine...but when you're talking about another engine etc it is just far too much money

i wouldnt mind betting that in the 3 times the head gasket was replaced the head was never skimmed ,thus the 3 times it went .if the job is done right and the care of the car is right then there is no reason why it should go again ,head gasket failure is caused by insufficent coolant allowing the engine to over heat , head becomes un even thus no seal ... yes they are the guys i was thinking of in kent .. by all accounts they are good .if i was you i would get them to check the car over for all faults and i think you will be surprised that it is not a bad as you think .. you also wouldnt need another engine at worse another head.i guess once you know what the cost will be then you can decide what to do .personally i would spend the money on the car i know,never know you may buy a car that it all happens again on .what colour is the car ?

Lisa
25th March 2010, 23:25
My car's the pale gold colour....lovely colour

SD1too
26th March 2010, 08:19
... the pale gold colour...
Officially: White Gold.
Hmmm, "Rover 75 1.8 in that lovely White Gold" in the box to the left of your posts?

Simon.

chrissyboy
26th March 2010, 08:29
My car's the pale gold colour....lovely colour

i think you have answered your own question now ,you clearly love the car so there fore there is only one thing to do and that is to get it sorted by the guys from here in kent .then your have a lovely clooking car that runs lovely too ;) i think you owe it to yourself to give it one more try to get it sorted .ok the guy that used to do your repairs may be good with other cars but these cars you need to know about them to sort them .hope you do decide to have it sorted .

Lisa
26th March 2010, 12:28
Officially: White Gold.
Hmmm, "Rover 75 1.8 in that lovely White Gold" in the box to the left of your posts?

Simon.
How do you mean Simon? Is it etiquette to upload a photo?!

Lisa
26th March 2010, 12:32
i think you have answered your own question now ,you clearly love the car so there fore there is only one thing to do and that is to get it sorted by the guys from here in kent .then your have a lovely clooking car that runs lovely too ;) i think you owe it to yourself to give it one more try to get it sorted .ok the guy that used to do your repairs may be good with other cars but these cars you need to know about them to sort them .hope you do decide to have it sorted .

I know what you're saying CB but there are other issues like a dented back door, and the electrics have been playing up etc. I do love the car but I have a young child, I need reliability and I can't keep spending money on something that may keep needing more and more spent on it.

P63500S
26th March 2010, 12:45
Hi Liza, In your situation I would break the car for parts on e-bay and on the forum to finance a ultra reliable cdt 75, cheap to run and the engine is good for 200k+. Im sure the club would help you find a cheap cdti 75.

reagrds
nick

Roverowner
26th March 2010, 12:48
Hi Liza, In your situation I would break the car for parts on e-bay and on the forum to finance a ultra reliable cdt 75, cheap to run and the engine is good for 200k+. Im sure the club would help you find a cheap cdti 75.

reagrds
nick

Says it all really doesn“t it;)

SD1too
27th March 2010, 00:07
How do you mean Simon? Is it etiquette to upload a photo?!
No, photos are entirely up to the individual. I was trying to hint that mentioning the colour and engine size would be more interesting than the generic "Rover 75 saloon", that's all.

... and the electrics have been playing up etc. I do love the car but I have a young child, I need reliability and I can't keep spending money on something that may keep needing more and more spent on it.
The electrics? :eek: I don't think you've mentioned that before (unless you mean the key fob).
We all seek reliability don't we, but there's no such thing. Feel relieved that you don't own a newish VW Group car which suffers from an ABS modulator fault costing £1,000 to put right.

Simon.

Lisa
27th March 2010, 11:38
No, photos are entirely up to the individual. I was trying to hint that mentioning the colour and engine size would be more interesting than the generic "Rover 75 saloon", that's all.

There you go..I've changed it! I never did know what the colour was called until you said, it doesn't say on the logbook


The electrics? :eek: I don't think you've mentioned that before (unless you mean the key fob).
We all seek reliability don't we, but there's no such thing. Feel relieved that you don't own a newish VW Group car which suffers from an ABS modulator fault costing £1,000 to put right.

Simon.

No I mean the key fob and the electrics...the airbag light was on most of the time although there was nothing wrong with it, ABS warning light intermittently, the key fob fell apart and apparently it's about £180 for a new one. I know any car can fail at any time and be really expensive but it has happened a few times now and this time it's a lot more serious.

Departed 32016
27th March 2010, 11:40
No I mean the key fob and the electrics...the airbag light was on most of the time although there was nothing wrong with it, ABS warning light intermittently, the key fob fell apart and apparently it's about £180 for a new one. I know any car can fail at any time and be really expensive but it has happened a few times now and this time it's a lot more serious.

airbag light- most probably wire under front seat, turn engine off and unplug the plug in, normally works

abs sensor- could be wire again a bit lose

key- get a replacement body on ebay for £20

Lisa
27th March 2010, 11:59
airbag light- most probably wire under front seat, turn engine off and unplug the plug in, normally works

abs sensor- could be wire again a bit lose

key- get a replacement body on ebay for £20

...if only it was only that..wish i'd joined this forum before - all the advice is very useful...just the little problem of the engine replacement

chrissyboy
28th March 2010, 17:35
...if only it was only that..wish i'd joined this forum before - all the advice is very useful...just the little problem of the engine replacement

i dont see it needs an engine replacement . from what i understand is that the head gasket has blow ,or that is what you have been told .has the car still got alot of power ,is there white smoke (steam ) coming from the exhaust ? ireckon that the most you will need to spent to sort it out once and for all is £800.you need to have someone with alot of rover 75 expiriance to sort the car . please keep us all up to date on what you are having cdone to car ...

Lisa
29th March 2010, 10:18
i dont see it needs an engine replacement . from what i understand is that the head gasket has blow ,or that is what you have been told .has the car still got alot of power ,is there white smoke (steam ) coming from the exhaust ? ireckon that the most you will need to spent to sort it out once and for all is £800.you need to have someone with alot of rover 75 expiriance to sort the car . please keep us all up to date on what you are having cdone to car ...

We were on a motorway and drove it to the nearest exit..there was black smoke coming from engine and exhaust. The tappits ? were making knocking noises and there was an air lock. Pulled off the motorway and the car had no power and the engine was dead. I don't know much about cars but I could see that the damage had gone way beyond the head gasket and the mechanic confirmed this

SD1too
29th March 2010, 10:38
I don't know much about cars but I could see that the damage had gone way beyond the head gasket and the mechanic confirmed this
Hi Lisa,

We all need your mechanic to be more specific about what he believes is wrong with your engine. Isn't it possible that he simply doesn't want to get involved with your head gasket again after his previous work failed so many times? Sorry to bang the same drum again Lisa, but I strongly recommend that you get a second opinion.

With your self-confessed limited knowledge of cars, what makes you so sure that "the damage has gone way beyond the head gasket"?

Simon.

chrissyboy
29th March 2010, 17:32
We were on a motorway and drove it to the nearest exit..there was black smoke coming from engine and exhaust. The tappits ? were making knocking noises and there was an air lock. Pulled off the motorway and the car had no power and the engine was dead. I don't know much about cars but I could see that the damage had gone way beyond the head gasket and the mechanic confirmed this


airlock ? sounds to me that your mechanic is responcable for you damaged engine .. i take it no one else touched the cooling system did they , i would tell him to sort it out .,like what has been already said your mechenic might be saying alsorts cos he knows he cant sort the car anddont want anything to do with it .. as you said earlier £250 for the head gasket.too cheap no way it can be done for that unless you did it yourself ... dont be scared to tell him that 3 headgaskets in 4 years smells of someone not doing the job right .... end of the day its up to you to decide what your going to do .maybe put it on ebay as a spares or repair or if you know someone that can break it then do that ,,more money that way .. ps has it power fold mirros ,,if it has you got your first customer ................ me :D

Lisa
3rd April 2010, 19:33
Have got a fantastic deal (i hope) on a Rover 75 diesel 2001....no more head gaskets to blow..it's white gold, club..pretty much exactly the same as my petrol one. Don't have electric folding mirrors on my W reg...sorry. would be good to keep it for parts and recycle it

Rovernut
3rd April 2010, 19:58
Lisa

Trade it in for a nice diesel. Even if you repair your engine again you'll never trust it. Its been opened up too many times already.

If you love Rovers as we all do.....get shut and buy a nicer specced diesel or V6. There's plenty for sale at very low prices.

Chris (1.8T)

Chris

Well done Lisa hope you are delighted with it. :D

Chris

Lisa
3rd April 2010, 21:08
Well done Lisa hope you are delighted with it. :D

Chris
Thank you Chris...I'm a bit nervous because I haven't seen it, I bid for it on ebay, it's 155 miles away but I've asked loads of questions and it sounds fantastic, fsh, new clutch, alternator, brake pads, years mot, only 92k... diesels are good for 200k apparently..looking forward to seeing it next week!

kevin
3rd April 2010, 23:04
Thank you Chris...I'm a bit nervous because I haven't seen it, I bid for it on ebay, it's 155 miles away but I've asked loads of questions and it sounds fantastic, fsh, new clutch, alternator, brake pads, years mot, only 92k... diesels are good for 200k apparently..looking forward to seeing it next week!
well done with your new car. hope your happy with it.
have you got a link to your new car or the ebay number,
so we can all look.:)

stonesfan
3rd April 2010, 23:07
Congratulations Lisa.

Hopefully you will now get the 'service and forget' type motoring that quite a few of us desire!

Ragman
3rd April 2010, 23:29
Well done Lisa - hopefully you'll now get to enjoy the Rover experience

chrissyboy
4th April 2010, 15:53
well done on your new car lisa .hope you having just enjoyable motoring from now on . im glad you stuck with the 75s after all you went through with your car .sounds like you got a car the same as the one you got already ,so the only diffrence will be is to be able to drive it to the coast instead of always driving it to the garage ..good luck with it ..dont forget .if anything needs doing to it try anotrher mechanic that knows these cars ..

SD1too
5th April 2010, 08:05
... would be good to keep it for parts and recycle it
Yes, or you never know, an enterprising club member might be interested in repairing it if your asking price was low. It would be terrible if it ended up in the scrapyard. :(

Simon.

kevin
5th April 2010, 09:01
Yes, or you never know, an enterprising club member might be interested in repairing it if your asking price was low. It would be terrible if it ended up in the scrapyard. :(

Simon.

now where could I park it.:shrug:

Lisa
5th April 2010, 20:10
now where could I park it.:shrug:
Kevin..i would be very pleased for it to go to a good home

topman
6th April 2010, 07:01
I am personally fed up of people maligning this engine and therefore the whole range by ignorance. This engine MUST be warmed up!



And therein lies a problem, people are used to mass produced cars being drive and forget. That may be ok for a racing/enthusiasts engine, but for a mass produced car used by people who don't what a dipstick is, it's not really fit for purpose.

Zeb
6th April 2010, 07:43
Having just become a zt owner and subsequently joining this site I am amazed at the number of posts re k series 'HG'.

I owned an 05 elise 111s and never had a problem, as do most lotus owners, why?

Because if you log onto any forum for the marque, pistonheads was my choice, there is an overwhelming understanding that this engine MUST be warmed up before 'attack'.

The chap who travelled on public transport, insurance note in hand over 400 miles and ten hours later would not have paid 18k had I been the kind of fool to hit the throttle from cold, I drove five miles or so in driving test mode then handed him the primed weapon to test.

I am personally fed up of people maligning this engine and therefore the whole range by ignorance. This engine MUST be warmed up!

Anyway there's my first (and hopefully only) rant.

Sorry, but any engine that requires daily coolant checks and to be warmed up for 5 miles prior to the driver daring to open the throttle and even then may still fail due to coolant leaks and an inadequate coolant reserve is not going to suit the majority of drivers...not sure that the comments on this engine tar all the other K series engines with the same brush....not least because they do not exhibit the same issues or requirements for wearing kid gloves in use. Granted, for those willing to stick to a strict regime of checking and pampering it can be a great engine and granted it may also have been ahead of its time and a technical marvel but sadly that is simply not sufficient.

Welcome to the club btw. :)

Lisa, good luck with the new motor...I am sure she / he (?) will serve you well! :)

Tim_Burgess
6th April 2010, 11:23
And therein lies a problem, people are used to mass produced cars being drive and forget. That may be ok for a racing/enthusiasts engine, but for a mass produced car used by people who don't what a dipstick is, it's not really fit for purpose.

As I've said before, having had my fair share of K-Series, I've found them no worse than any other engine, in some ways better.
However, I would say that most of the issues, as I understand it, stem from cost cutting measures imposed upon Rover Group engineers by British Aerospace Bean-Counters. I'm sure someone more in the know will shoot me down if I'm wrong but.....

1. The original K Series had an aluminium inlet manifold, cost cutting led to this being replaced with a plastic item - thats when the inlet manifold leak problems started.
2. Cost cutting revisions to the original head gasket design and the deletion of the steel dowels locating head to block.
3. The decision to enlarge the capacity of the engine to 1.6 and 1.8 litres when it was originally only intended to go up to 1.4.

Considering all of this the Rover engineers did a darn good job of producing an engine that, for it's time, punched well above its weight.

It's also worth noting that Rover Metros, 100s and R8 200 / 400 pre 1995 with steel dowels and aluminium manifolds don't seem to have suffered HGF to the same extent. While Freelander, 618, MG-F, HH-R 400 / 45, R3 200 / 25 and 75 / ZT have most of the HGF problems.

Post BMW, MGR did actually start to implement a lot of the fixes that engineers originally wanted incorporated in the K Series and towards the end reliability was improved - this is backed up by stats from the MGOC regarding the incidents of HGF in MGF as opposed to TF - and Land-Rover, by this time part of Ford, introduced the MLS Gasket and uprated sump rail in Freelander.

You can argue that in these days where most owners treat their car as another domestic appliance to be ignored until it goes wrong, the K Series is "fragile" but having driven literally hundreds of thousands of miles in K Series cars and seen colleagues with Peugeots, Renaults, Fords, Vauxhalls and even Toyotas destroy their engines through lack of checks, missing services and plain arrant stupidity. I would contest that it's actually no worse than anything else.

Last I looked all user manuals supplied with any car advise fluid level checks weekly, it's all to easy to blame the machinery; it can't answer back.

topman
6th April 2010, 11:49
You can argue that in these days where most owners treat their car as another domestic appliance to be ignored until it goes wrong, the K Series is "fragile" but having driven literally hundreds of thousands of miles in K Series cars and seen colleagues with Peugeots, Renaults, Fords, Vauxhalls and even Toyotas destroy their engines through lack of checks, missing services and plain arrant stupidity. I would contest that it's actually no worse than anything else.

Last I looked all user manuals supplied with any car advise fluid level checks weekly, it's all to easy to blame the machinery; it can't answer back.

Across all the 100,000's of them made it can't have all been down to owners, there's no smoke without fire.

vincent48
6th April 2010, 11:50
As I've said before, having had my fair share of K-Series, I've found them no worse than any other engine, in some ways better.
However, I would say that most of the issues, as I understand it, stem from cost cutting measures imposed upon Rover Group engineers by British Aerospace Bean-Counters. I'm sure someone more in the know will shoot me down if I'm wrong but.....

1. The original K Series had an aluminium inlet manifold, cost cutting led to this being replaced with a plastic item - thats when the inlet manifold leak problems started.
2. Cost cutting revisions to the original head gasket design and the deletion of the steel dowels locating head to block.
3. The decision to enlarge the capacity of the engine to 1.6 and 1.8 litres when it was originally only intended to go up to 1.4.

Considering all of this the Rover engineers did a darn good job of producing an engine that, for it's time, punched well above its weight.

It's also worth noting that Rover Metros, 100s and R8 200 / 400 pre 1995 with steel dowels and aluminium manifolds don't seem to have suffered HGF to the same extent. While Freelander, 618, MG-F, HH-R 400 / 45, R3 200 / 25 and 75 / ZT have most of the HGF problems.

Post BMW, MGR did actually start to implement a lot of the fixes that engineers originally wanted incorporated in the K Series and towards the end reliability was improved - this is backed up by stats from the MGOC regarding the incidents of HGF in MGF as opposed to TF - and Land-Rover, by this time part of Ford, introduced the MLS Gasket and uprated sump rail in Freelander.

You can argue that in these days where most owners treat their car as another domestic appliance to be ignored until it goes wrong, the K Series is "fragile" but having driven literally hundreds of thousands of miles in K Series cars and seen colleagues with Peugeots, Renaults, Fords, Vauxhalls and even Toyotas destroy their engines through lack of checks, missing services and plain arrant stupidity. I would contest that it's actually no worse than anything else.

Last I looked all user manuals supplied with any car advise fluid level checks weekly, it's all to easy to blame the machinery; it can't answer back.
:wot:Prevention is better than cure,and if it does break(as they all will)don't go for the cheap fix.It's nuts and bolts not quantum physics.How long does it take to check a couple of levels?

topman
6th April 2010, 12:03
:wot:Prevention is better than cure,and if it does break(as they all will)don't go for the cheap fix.It's nuts and bolts not quantum physics.How long does it take to check a couple of levels?

You'd be surprised at some people that own cars, 'The oil light is on what should I do?' etc etc.

Jules
6th April 2010, 13:09
Well said Tim
The biggest downfall though as said many times before is the lack of Water level sensor. (which some members are working on right now)

vincent48
6th April 2010, 13:34
Found one...http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/54/151851657_5e1e63f625_o.jpg&imgrefurl=http://flickr.com/photos/nate_kate/151851657/&usg=__jTGPn7cKcJ0l7QaJ04j7dEKerRA=&h=1066&w=1600&sz=208&hl=en&start=19&sig2=jKu2sRnw_EsqRoR78h4nPQ&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=fSM8roAY_zY_sM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvintage%2Bradiator%2Bcaps%26um%3D1%26 hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=fje7S8CkEZDw-QaNr_3cBQ

Borg Warner
6th April 2010, 19:16
A few years ago a colleague's husband had to scrap his Audi TT because it had run low on oil. Despite their protestations to the garage that the car was still in warranty and had only a few miles on it, they wouldn't budge, quoting driver weekly checks. They admitted they never looked ufnder the bonnet, why should they it was an Audi.

Following the experiences of Lisa and others I check under the bonnet of my 1.8T 3-4 times a week, especially after having the T-piece go a couple of weeks back and after only two weeks of ownership. I must admit I thought the main problem was the poor quality of the HG and was something I was prepared to live with, however, despite everything I wouldn't swap it for anything - a great car.

Soon to have a Gerry Tee fitted I'll sleep a little easier at night but will not neglect the checks too much:).

Tim_Burgess
6th April 2010, 19:30
You'd be surprised at some people that own cars, 'The oil light is on what should I do?' etc etc.

Artificial intelligence is no substitute for human stupidity:shrug:

Lisa
6th April 2010, 20:35
Oh come on!!! Despite what some of you may think..i do know where the dipstick is & where to put the water...the problem is not so much the head gasket..it's that the tank doesn't hold much water (a bit like opinions!!!!) and if there is a leak the hg blows...yes all cars are capable of it..i'm not slating the k series engine...i'm just saying it's too high maintenance for me...but that doesn't mean i'm some air head who hasn't worked out how to open the bonnet

Lisa
6th April 2010, 20:43
Sorry, but any engine that requires daily coolant checks and to be warmed up for 5 miles prior to the driver daring to open the throttle and even then may still fail due to coolant leaks and an inadequate coolant reserve is not going to suit the majority of drivers...not sure that the comments on this engine tar all the other K series engines with the same brush....not least because they do not exhibit the same issues or requirements for wearing kid gloves in use. Granted, for those willing to stick to a strict regime of checking and pampering it can be a great engine and granted it may also have been ahead of its time and a technical marvel but sadly that is simply not sufficient.


so true Zeb

Ragman
6th April 2010, 20:51
Oh come on!!! Despite what some of you may think..i do know where the dipstick is & where to put the water...the problem is not so much the head gasket..it's that the tank doesn't hold much water (a bit like opinions!!!!) and if there is a leak the hg blows...yes all cars are capable of it..i'm not slating the k series engine...i'm just saying it's too high maintenance for me...but that doesn't mean i'm some air head who hasn't worked out how to open the bonnet


Well said - you tell 'em!!!!

1gp
6th April 2010, 21:12
The thing is with this engine that i dont get is ,that lotus took it on and put it in a sports car that gets thrashed all day , on the road and more on a track , and they had know problems with it . they had a better cooling system fitted . yes the lotus was pulling no weight 780 kg , but look at the thrash they get. i owned a 51 plate 3 years ago , which had done 25,000 mls when i got it, i thrashed it on the road all summer , and thrashed it around donnington park on a few track days. and not one problem. i spoke to someone at lotus and they said they had not had any major problems with the engine , the odd one , but nothing like rover . is this down to just a better cooling system , with big air intakes , and a larger rad , oh and a oil cooler ?.:D

Jules
6th April 2010, 21:48
Lease companies are very strict now, .....................fail to do weekly checks and if the Car runs out of Oil or Water, the Driver is liable.

We engineers can tell if it's down to neglect.
ie seized up bonnet catches
Cobwebs in engine bay
Seized in dipsticks & header tank caps etc etc :o

topman
7th April 2010, 07:07
Oh come on!!! Despite what some of you may think..i do know where the dipstick is & where to put the water...the problem is not so much the head gasket..it's that the tank doesn't hold much water (a bit like opinions!!!!) and if there is a leak the hg blows...yes all cars are capable of it..i'm not slating the k series engine...i'm just saying it's too high maintenance for me...but that doesn't mean i'm some air head who hasn't worked out how to open the bonnet

My comment wasn't aimed at you. :)

Tim_Burgess
7th April 2010, 12:43
The thing is with this engine that i dont get is ,that lotus took it on and put it in a sports car that gets thrashed all day , on the road and more on a track , and they had know problems with it . they had a better cooling system fitted . yes the lotus was pulling no weight 780 kg , but look at the thrash they get. i owned a 51 plate 3 years ago , which had done 25,000 mls when i got it, i thrashed it on the road all summer , and thrashed it around donnington park on a few track days. and not one problem. i spoke to someone at lotus and they said they had not had any major problems with the engine , the odd one , but nothing like rover . is this down to just a better cooling system , with big air intakes , and a larger rad , oh and a oil cooler ?.:D

I treated my 400 Tourer (1.6 K Series) like that and it did 198000 miles with just the inlet manifold gasket letting go at 60k.

SWMBO's MG-F (1.8 K Series) suffered HGF at 78k - due to me cracking the radiator on a high kerb and deploying the coolant in the nearest gutter. Prior to that the coolant level never moved and hasn't since it was fixed with all the latest goodies.

With my 75 (1.8 K Series) I can claim some parity with Lisa as it had the head gasket done by the dealer I bought it from with 38k on it. Obviously he had the job done by a gorilla as it let go again at 40k. I had it fixed by a Rover specialist using MLS gasket, new sump rail etc. and it has now done approaching 81k with no further drama.

My 200 Coupe (1.6 K Series) was driven hard and that had 88k on it when I sold it, that did start to use a drop of coolant - fixed by installing a new water pump when I had the cambelt done. It's still being thrashed now with no issues as far as I know.

My R8 214SEi (1.4 K Series) Inherited from my parents did 50k with no problems. Again, I still saw the car around until I left Bristol in September.

So my views are based on solid experience, not myth, legend and public house expert opinion. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I don't think so.

For the record, I had a Toyota Celica that ran its main bearings at 88k, that was after the valve seals and A/C pump had died. I also had an Accord Coupe that the auto box expired on at 38k. Moral of the story; buying any used car is a gamble.

BTW, Lisa, my comments weren't aimed at you either. Like I said earlier, if someone asks me about a K series car I always ask if they check their levels regularly and point them somewhere else if they say no.

I think it's also worth pointing out the the dealer you bought it from said it had a Honda engine. Apart from showing he either knows very little or is a liar, it also plants that seed in your mind of Honda = reliability; a bit like the guy with the Audi that someone has mentioned above.

Before buying any car, I would always advise talking to people who already own one, doing some internet research and joining an owner's club forum. That way you'll find out if the car really is for you. Now you have a diesel I'm sure you'll be a lot happier with it

1gp
7th April 2010, 16:45
I treated my 400 Tourer (1.6 K Series) like that and it did 198000 miles with just the inlet manifold gasket letting go at 60k.

SWMBO's MG-F (1.8 K Series) suffered HGF at 78k - due to me cracking the radiator on a high kerb and deploying the coolant in the nearest gutter. Prior to that the coolant level never moved and hasn't since it was fixed with all the latest goodies.

With my 75 (1.8 K Series) I can claim some parity with Lisa as it had the head gasket done by the dealer I bought it from with 38k on it. Obviously he had the job done by a gorilla as it let go again at 40k. I had it fixed by a Rover specialist using MLS gasket, new sump rail etc. and it has now done approaching 81k with no further drama.

My 200 Coupe (1.6 K Series) was driven hard and that had 88k on it when I sold it, that did start to use a drop of coolant - fixed by installing a new water pump when I had the cambelt done. It's still being thrashed now with no issues as far as I know.

My R8 214SEi (1.4 K Series) Inherited from my parents did 50k with no problems. Again, I still saw the car around until I left Bristol in September.

So my views are based on solid experience, not myth, legend and public house expert opinion. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I don't think so.

For the record, I had a Toyota Celica that ran its main bearings at 88k, that was after the valve seals and A/C pump had died. I also had an Accord Coupe that the auto box expired on at 38k. Moral of the story; buying any used car is a gamble.

BTW, Lisa, my comments weren't aimed at you either. Like I said earlier, if someone asks me about a K series car I always ask if they check their levels regularly and point them somewhere else if they say no.

I think it's also worth pointing out the the dealer you bought it from said it had a Honda engine. Apart from showing he either knows very little or is a liar, it also plants that seed in your mind of Honda = reliability; a bit like the guy with the Audi that someone has mentioned above.

Before buying any car, I would always advise talking to people who already own one, doing some internet research and joining an owner's club forum. That way you'll find out if the car really is for you. Now you have a diesel I'm sure you'll be a lot happier with it
people have said all this b4 , which is very fair , but its all been said time and time again..... know one has said why lotus have had less problems , is it the fact they sorted a decent cooling system and a oil cooler , which in turn the engine runs cooler underload. mine used to get red lined to 7000 rpm for 10 laps of donnington till i had to come in because the brakes were cooked, and still the engine would stay cool !!!.

Tim_Burgess
7th April 2010, 17:38
people have said all this b4 , which is very fair , but its all been said time and time again..... know one has said why lotus have had less problems , is it the fact they sorted a decent cooling system and a oil cooler , which in turn the engine runs cooler underload. mine used to get red lined to 7000 rpm for 10 laps of donnington till i had to come in because the brakes were cooked, and still the engine would stay cool !!!.

Just a thought, but what service intervals did Lotus put on the Elise? I'm willing to bet it's not the 15,000 miles / 12 months that Rover recommended. Also it's quite unusual to find an Elise doing service as a daily driver, therefore the driving patterns are different, probably with more long trips bringing the engine up to full operating temperature, leading to less issues with movement between head and block.

It's also quite unusual to find an Elise that isn't owned by an enthusiast so perhaps greater care is taken when checking levels and nipping issues in the bud. BTW, Trophy 160 versions of the MG-F had an oil cooler, I wonder if HGF incidents are less with them than the standard car.

1gp
7th April 2010, 18:28
Just a thought, but what service intervals did Lotus put on the Elise? I'm willing to bet it's not the 15,000 miles / 12 months that Rover recommended. Also it's quite unusual to find an Elise doing service as a daily driver, therefore the driving patterns are different, probably with more long trips bringing the engine up to full operating temperature, leading to less issues with movement between head and block.

It's also quite unusual to find an Elise that isn't owned by an enthusiast so perhaps greater care is taken when checking levels and nipping issues in the bud. BTW, Trophy 160 versions of the MG-F had an oil cooler, I wonder if HGF incidents are less with them than the standard car.
this is what i would like to know , the elise had a bigger rad, a massive oil cooler , and plenty of air intakes . 80 % of people i new that had them used them as track day cars, and wkd cars. but the thrash on track days is twice the abuse, one would get as a road car , yet the engine took it. could rover of learned something from lotus i wonder ? but saying that lotus binned the engine buy 2003 for the toyota lump.

Lisa
7th April 2010, 21:28
Tim..and Topman..no offence taken to any one comment..just generally getting the feeling that there are many defenders of the k series engine to the extent that the owners are getting all the blame, and as you said Topman...we can't all be to blame for blowing our cars up, it's something I know I would've wanted to avoid! I can't remember who told me the k series was a honda engine but it wasn't the mechanic...I seem to know so much more about it now a little too late. However, I am very glad I joined this forum because I will be asking your advice if I come across any problems with my new car.
Check this out...picked up my diesel today...350 mile round trip and 10 hours later...needs a good wash and polish but am SO happy with it....got an amazing deal!! :}
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290418724008&si=wtb95d85Ca74Fzg6XUFidHmOYVI%3D&print=all&category=18262

1gp
7th April 2010, 21:42
Tim..and Topman..no offence taken to any one comment..just generally getting the feeling that there are many defenders of the k series engine to the extent that the owners are getting all the blame, and as you said Topman...we can't all be to blame for blowing our cars up, it's something I know I would've wanted to avoid! I can't remember who told me the k series was a honda engine but it wasn't the mechanic...I seem to know so much more about it now a little too late. However, I am very glad I joined this forum because I will be asking your advice if I come across any problems with my new car.
Check this out...picked up my diesel today...350 mile round trip and 10 hours later...needs a good wash and polish but am SO happy with it....got an amazing deal!! :}
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290418724008&si=wtb95d85Ca74Fzg6XUFidHmOYVI%3D&print=all&category=18262
well done, hope you did your research and fan , maf , fuel pumps, clutch all ok ?:}

Lisa
7th April 2010, 21:59
well done, hope you did your research and fan , maf , fuel pumps, clutch all ok ?:}
Thank you Jim..yes I did a lot of research before I bid on it. It has a brand new clutch, alternator, brake pads, cv joints, fsh, year's mot, the fan and fuel pumps not renewed but in good working order...not sure about maf? It drives beautifully as it's a 2 litre turbo & has the extra kick...great fun on the motorway (if a little noisier than a petrol engine). It's always a gamble with ebay and scary bidding on something that's so far away you can't test drive it or see it, but I didn't pay for it until I saw it so still could've walked away. Damn good gamble though it seems! Also it's in fantastic condition. Couldn't ask for more for the price.

1gp
7th April 2010, 22:06
good girl , spot on ;)

Lisa
8th April 2010, 14:59
...but what do i do with my W reg one?:(

Roverowner
8th April 2010, 15:07
...but what do i do with my W reg one?:(


Put it up for sale on here or sell it for parts;)

sikelsh
8th April 2010, 15:24
Engines can make nice planters? :D

kevineds
8th April 2010, 15:25
Tim..and Topman..no offence taken to any one comment..just generally getting the feeling that there are many defenders of the k series engine to the extent that the owners are getting all the blame, and as you said Topman...we can't all be to blame for blowing our cars up, it's something I know I would've wanted to avoid! I can't remember who told me the k series was a honda engine but it wasn't the mechanic...I seem to know so much more about it now a little too late. However, I am very glad I joined this forum because I will be asking your advice if I come across any problems with my new car.
Check this out...picked up my diesel today...350 mile round trip and 10 hours later...needs a good wash and polish but am SO happy with it....got an amazing deal!! :}
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290418724008&si=wtb95d85Ca74Fzg6XUFidHmOYVI%3D&print=all&category=18262
Nice car! :) :)