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Overheating Problem


anthzm
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HELP!!! My car went into a garage because it was overheating and building up pressure in the water bottle. The garage said it was the head gasket, they replaced this, had the head skimmed, but it still has the same problem ie: overheating and building up pressure. The mechanic has told me a valve has broken and corroded in one of the hoses, which is causes the overheating. The garage say there is a one way valve in the hose going from the thermostat housing to the heater exchange and this is what has broken lose! This caused the overheating which caused the head gasket to break. Has anyone heard of a hose that has a valve in it? It all sounds a bit far fetched to me and the garage still have my car, are refusing to give it to me until I pay for the work they have done, fair enough, but they haven't yet fixed the problem. :(

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Ive not heard of that happening. Heater control valves do get stuck, but dont normally cause the engine to overheat.

I do know of garages changing head gaskets when the only problem was the expansion tank cap not holding the pressure. This includes my Father in Law who had a garage replace his only to find it was still over heating.

Garages often do a pressure test on the cooling system. When that comes up clear, they assume that it is a head gasket without testing the cap. If the cap is not holding pressure the coolant boils at a lower temperature, it doesnt circulate and you get the problems you are experiencing.

Other issues could be a thermostat that is stuck closed, blocked rad, collapsed hose on exit from rad to water pump or water pump siezed or broken.

I would just try changing the expansion tank cap just in case it is that.

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have changed the thermostat and cap. I was wondering if anyone has heard of there being a one way valve in the hose that goes from the thermostat housing to the heater exchange. The garage said this breaking away and getting jammed in the hose caused the damage to the head gasket.

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Sounds like a load of shoemakers to me. :)

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Petrol or diesel??

I have a haynes manual I could check for you.

When the engine is cold give the hose a squeeze with your fingers along it's entire length. If there is anything like a valve inside it you will be able to feel it.

I know many many years ago some manufacturers used thermostats that were located inside hoses, not sure if this practice still exists though.

You could also pop into ford and ask for a price on a spare part, give them the description the garage gave you of the item and see if it is stocked! They also have very good exploded diagrams of your engine which you could use to identify the parts existence (or not).

Other question is why would you need a one way valve anyway??

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Another relevant point.

I would not expect an overheating engine to be the cause of a failed head gasket unless you had reached critical temp and seizure of the engine had occured.

These gaskets operate continually at temperatures far exceeding those of an overheated engine. The inside edges of the gasket are in direct contact with the burning pressurised fuel at temperatures around 1200 deg C plus

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Thank you for the advice, my car is petrol 2001 ford focus estate zetec engine. I think I have found a garage full of cowboys :( I rang the ford dealers they said it doesn't say whether the hose I need has a valve in it, I did have my doubts because why would you need a one way valve when the water only gets pumped round one way!!! I am stuck now because they won't let me have my car until I pay them and I don't want to pay them because they haven't fixed the problem. :(

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If they haven't correctly diagnosed or fixed the problem they can't expect to be paid any more than for the time and parts already done, strange they only did work that can't be reversed or removed, if you weren't happy with an installed part you could make them take it back off again but obviously they can't stick metal back on the head and a gasket is nothing.

Send in the indians i say (trading standards)

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have contacted Trading Standards they have logged a report and taken the garages contact details, so if there have been any other complaints i'm sure it will get looked in to. :) The garage said to give them until Monday to fix the problem, so I guess I just have to wait. :(

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I would give AA or RAC a call to, are you a member of either?

I have flicked through haynes, no mention of anything like it in there either.

Keep us posted Anthea, be interesting to hear the result, also we all want to know if they are cowboys so we can avoid them.

I am pretty sure they cannot withhold a car worth thousands against a repair that is worth a few hundred.

Might be an idea for this site, a black list of dodgy garages..

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Sounds like the sort of place that tells you that the air in your tyres needs changing and your indicator fluid is low.

Robbing gets.

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will see what Monday brings!!! my car should be fixed... apparently!!!

I am a member of the RAC. Thats a good idea to ring them.

Once I get my car back and hopefully fixed, I will name and shame them.

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has they magically fixed the valve yet? I say ask them for a quote (as stoney said) to change the air in the tyres, see what they say... maybe, after you have got your car...

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well I eventually got my car back yesterday, they rang at 2.40pm to say it was ready, I finally drove away from there at 4.45pm.

The garage quoted me £530, but when I went to collect the car it had gone up another £100. Me and my husband refused to pay because when one of their mechanics took it for a test drive at our request because they hadn't actually taken it for a test drive,

The so called pipe that has the one way valve in it? looks like a new pipe and you can feel something solid about 3 inches long in the end nearest to the thermostat housing, so i'd hate to imagine what they have done!!!

The car was running worse than when it went in. They also said the clutch was slipping, there was nothing wrong with it when it went in.

Anyway the boss of the garage got quite verbally abusive and the police had to be involved as the situation was getting a bit heated.

We ended up having to pay, but only had to pay the original price of £530 and driving away with a car I can't rely on, as I don't know what they have done to it!!!

I have learnt my lesson and in future will pay the extra money and go to a proper Ford garage. :(

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ps, Thank you to everyone for all the advice. :)

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Time to name and shame!

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Bedfont MOT Centre

80 Bedfont Lane

Feltham

Middlesex

They used to be a really good garage, but have recently been taken over by new management, who aren't nice. The boss is manipulative, dishonest and a conman.

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Omg thats disgusting, I know the garage and they are shocking, intact I'm on my way to do my Cbt which is round the corner from there. Utterly disgusting that you had to call the police, I would not recommend going to Ford however I have a good mechanic in twickenham and a good mechanic.in staines if you want their details they Probs won't charge for having a look over it.

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Good Idea, get it checked over by someone mutually trusted so that you know what is happening. Sorry you had to get the police involved, its a crying shame when things like this happen.

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I wish I found this forum before I took my car to the garage, would have saved a lot of aggro :(

If you can recommend a mechanic I would be grateful, as recommended mechanics, builders etc is normally the best road to go down.

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I have done mechanics and do know the focus engine fairly well.(my brother still has ours) if you want I can take a look??? I pm'd u the two bloke I use for the work I can't do on mine so u can give them a ring ??

If you want me to have a look pm me

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  • 3 weeks later...

well I eventually got my car back yesterday, they rang at 2.40pm to say it was ready, I finally drove away from there at 4.45pm.

The garage quoted me £530, but when I went to collect the car it had gone up another £100. Me and my husband refused to pay because when one of their mechanics took it for a test drive at our request because they hadn't actually taken it for a test drive,

The so called pipe that has the one way valve in it? looks like a new pipe and you can feel something solid about 3 inches long in the end nearest to the thermostat housing, so i'd hate to imagine what they have done!!!

The car was running worse than when it went in. They also said the clutch was slipping, there was nothing wrong with it when it went in.

Anyway the boss of the garage got quite verbally abusive and the police had to be involved as the situation was getting a bit heated.

We ended up having to pay, but only had to pay the original price of £530 and driving away with a car I can't rely on, as I don't know what they have done to it!!!

I have learnt my lesson and in future will pay the extra money and go to a proper Ford garage. :(

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I thought I would post an update on my car situation. Since getting my car back it has been running really sluggish and when you go to pull away the car would hardly move, it would then kangaroo jump down the road before getting a sudden surge of power and suddenly it would go.

Yesterday I was driving it and the engine management light came on, so I decided it was time to take it to a proper recommended garage. They put it on a diagnostic machine and it turned out I had an old ignition coil on it, which was blue and from a car of the same model as mine, but a lot older. It looks like Bedfont MOT Centre took my one off and replaced it with a dud one. The one they took off was replaced by the same garage about a year ago!!!

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Very fishy if you ask me.

I'd confront them over it and threaten them with Trading Standards.

Take the old unit with you and advise them to insert it somewhere unpleasant.

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