orbitsled
New Member
Just joined here yesterday and so this is my first attempt at a posting a tech problem question. Apologies if it is too much info.
Overview; This has been an overheat saga going on for better or worse for over 2 (!) years. Despite administering quick fixes like Bar'Leaks sealant (mixed results), car now overheats regularly with excessive pressure (bubbling) present in cooling system filler tank and on the hoses, but no oil/froth. Now, even in super limp it home mode easy driving, it boils 50%+ of the water out of itself in about 10 minutes or so.
Background; Car is a standard 1999 grand(stretched)Espace lll 2.2td. First sign of problem was couple years ago difficult starting and "white" smoke coming out with the electronic fault light coming on(after the airbag fault light etc[get in the queue]) . So go to "recommended"(not renault) garage who says "Glow Plugs..." although they had been changed couple years beforehand. The 4 (?) new glow plugs now fitted and 300 euros later, problem still there. Garage now says take car to Renault for them to "simply clear the display fault with their diagnostic computer". Renault gets car couple days later, Renault mech calls me next day with news that Headgasket is gone AND that the #3 glow plug is snapped off in head and they were unable to get it out (additional 200 euros). This Renault garage then made such an impossibly high quote for doing the head gasket (they planned to replace the whole head as well cause of the snapped glow plug):cry: that I had to crawl back to the rogues who also now did not want to know:roll: - nor were they going to accept any responsibility at all for that old glow plug they erm... muggered - despite Renault supporting me . I had to prove it... :evil:
So wtf, car did start/run even on 3 glow plugs and all was not too bad despite all the fault lights and warning beeps. [Was a bit of another bodge on my part getting it through the rather strict German TuV (MOT) cause I had to disconnect the respective warning bulbs in the central display and cough loudly on time (twice) so they did not notice
] Then finally on one fine hot day with aircon on in city traffic - it happened. The whole panel suddenly lit up like an xmas tree with master warning "STOP" and beeping like mad. Temperature guage bars max'd out. It recovered and using some preventative overheat driving techniques since then (ex. not driving up a mountain fully loaded in 5th towing a trailer on a 40C summer day), the problem goes away for weeks at a time into remission only to flare up again scaring the wife etc.
That was summer before last. Since then all the garages I have talked to do not seem very interested in doing that job (some of em look at the engine and tell me how complicated the job is as if it were rocket science) and say to get rid of it (would mean breakers) or ask silly money with no guarantee to put me off.. Maybe good advice, but problem is I just like this car and want to explore every reasonable avenue to save it without being completely financially stupid about it. I am at the stage where wouldn't mind attempting this job (change the head gasket) myself. I have a big enough garage plus a reasonably good tool selection and basic mechanical knowledge.
Perhaps some Espace nutter (erm... enthusiast like me) from the forum here has an easy to follow step by step guide. If so somebody tell me where the link is.
Thanks for reading.
Miles
ps. just ordered some stuff recommended by a friend off Ebay from UK (not available in Germany yet) called K Seal "Permanent" cooling system Leak Repair. Not so expensive so why not try it ? See what happens.
Overview; This has been an overheat saga going on for better or worse for over 2 (!) years. Despite administering quick fixes like Bar'Leaks sealant (mixed results), car now overheats regularly with excessive pressure (bubbling) present in cooling system filler tank and on the hoses, but no oil/froth. Now, even in super limp it home mode easy driving, it boils 50%+ of the water out of itself in about 10 minutes or so.
Background; Car is a standard 1999 grand(stretched)Espace lll 2.2td. First sign of problem was couple years ago difficult starting and "white" smoke coming out with the electronic fault light coming on(after the airbag fault light etc[get in the queue]) . So go to "recommended"(not renault) garage who says "Glow Plugs..." although they had been changed couple years beforehand. The 4 (?) new glow plugs now fitted and 300 euros later, problem still there. Garage now says take car to Renault for them to "simply clear the display fault with their diagnostic computer". Renault gets car couple days later, Renault mech calls me next day with news that Headgasket is gone AND that the #3 glow plug is snapped off in head and they were unable to get it out (additional 200 euros). This Renault garage then made such an impossibly high quote for doing the head gasket (they planned to replace the whole head as well cause of the snapped glow plug):cry: that I had to crawl back to the rogues who also now did not want to know:roll: - nor were they going to accept any responsibility at all for that old glow plug they erm... muggered - despite Renault supporting me . I had to prove it... :evil:
So wtf, car did start/run even on 3 glow plugs and all was not too bad despite all the fault lights and warning beeps. [Was a bit of another bodge on my part getting it through the rather strict German TuV (MOT) cause I had to disconnect the respective warning bulbs in the central display and cough loudly on time (twice) so they did not notice
] Then finally on one fine hot day with aircon on in city traffic - it happened. The whole panel suddenly lit up like an xmas tree with master warning "STOP" and beeping like mad. Temperature guage bars max'd out. It recovered and using some preventative overheat driving techniques since then (ex. not driving up a mountain fully loaded in 5th towing a trailer on a 40C summer day), the problem goes away for weeks at a time into remission only to flare up again scaring the wife etc.That was summer before last. Since then all the garages I have talked to do not seem very interested in doing that job (some of em look at the engine and tell me how complicated the job is as if it were rocket science) and say to get rid of it (would mean breakers) or ask silly money with no guarantee to put me off.. Maybe good advice, but problem is I just like this car and want to explore every reasonable avenue to save it without being completely financially stupid about it. I am at the stage where wouldn't mind attempting this job (change the head gasket) myself. I have a big enough garage plus a reasonably good tool selection and basic mechanical knowledge.
Perhaps some Espace nutter (erm... enthusiast like me) from the forum here has an easy to follow step by step guide. If so somebody tell me where the link is.
Thanks for reading.
Miles
ps. just ordered some stuff recommended by a friend off Ebay from UK (not available in Germany yet) called K Seal "Permanent" cooling system Leak Repair. Not so expensive so why not try it ? See what happens.
