Newbie (but not asking for help...yet)

Hi all!!

I'm not only a newbie to your wonderful site, but a newbie Landy owner. An opportunity arose to pick up a 1998 1.8 5 door landy from a relative on a sort of finance basis to help me out, and although sure I've still got a great deal, I am finding little things I'm gonna need to get resolved.

It's an excellent motor, replacing my extremely reliable (bar the immobilizer) Rover 25. I now have a fantastic amount of space for my 4 year and 10 month old kids, pushchair, tools, the essentials etc and still room to spare! Life, traveling in particular, has become so much easier!

So onto its problems. Not really too bad, and hoping I don't uncover any more. But these are pretty much all of them:

*Exhaust tail pipe snapped from back box today
*drivers electric window regulator needs replacing
*drivers door doesn't unlock with central locking
*slight water leak but only occasionally (water bottle empties every few days)
*sunroof knackered (have removed fuse to avoid it getting stuck)

I think that's all! So all in all it's not too bad for a 14 year old car.

Wish me luck, and obviously any hints/tips etc will me greatly appreciated!

Oh it has MOT until Feb 13.

Hi, and welcome to Landyzone.

Only one of those faults would really concern me - the water leak.

I take it you mean coolant and not the windscreen wash!

Have a search on here for Head Gasket Failure - hgf.

1.8s have a sad history of hgf.

Good luck.

Singvogel.

Edit - Oh, and make sure the tyres with most tread are on the rear.

can you tell where it's leaking from?

Head gasket was first thing that sprang to mind, common in the rover 25 aswell. And yes coolant not windscreen.
A friend of the family (hgv mechanic) we've known for years will be gettin a
Quick call this week I feel.

If you can see it leaking, you're in luck...kind of. If you can't see any wet or leaks, it's most probs HGF.
Get it sorted ASAP! thats my two-pence-worth!

Have fun!!

Cheers Harper.

Dan,

Although HGF is a possibility, there are other much cheaper to fix things that it could be. I am combating the same problem and I think I have it sorted now. First, a few tests to see if it is HGF:

1: Is there mayo on the dipstick or in the coolant?
2: Do you get hot air through the cabin heater?

If no to 1 and yes to 2 I'd say HGF is unlikely. What is likely is that your cooling system is just getting old and has sprung a leak. They are pretty pants and have many weak points. Here are a few things it could be:

1. Intake manifold gasket. Easy to replace yourself.
2. Leaking hose, check the feeder and outlet hoses on the engine.
3. Leaking header tank, these can craze and crack after a few years.

Check for rust streams and antifreeze corrosion (like it's had icing sugar sprincled on it) around the coolant system, that way you can find any persistant leaks. But if you replace the tank, cap, gasket and any old looking hoses then your problem should go away .

Best of luck matey.

Will.

danielbox87 said:

*drivers door doesn't unlock with central locking

*sunroof knackered (have removed fuse to avoid it getting stuck)

Wish me luck, and obviously any hints/tips etc will me greatly appreciated!

Click to expand...

Hi Daniel

with regard to the above, I have the same issue, as do many of our fellow FL owners on this site.
The drivers door not unlocking, but in my case it locks, is to do with the drivers door solenoid. They are around the 80 quid mark new.
The sunroof is a different matter. Again, there is a comprehensive and extremely informative thread on this site on how to strip, replace and refit to get it all working, and this is something I may do at some stage, but it involves a ton of prep to gain access to, and replace the runners.

Good luck, and most of all, enjoy!!

Crockett

Hello Daniel and welcome, where in th UK are you?

WLJayne said:

Dan,

Although HGF is a possibility, there are other much cheaper to fix things that it could be. I am combating the same problem and I think I have it sorted now. First, a few tests to see if it is HGF:

1: Is there mayo on the dipstick or in the coolant?
2: Do you get hot air through the cabin heater?

If no to 1 and yes to 2 I'd say HGF is unlikely. What is likely is that your cooling system is just getting old and has sprung a leak. They are pretty pants and have many weak points. Here are a few things it could be:

1. Intake manifold gasket. Easy to replace yourself.
2. Leaking hose, check the feeder and outlet hoses on the engine.
3. Leaking header tank, these can craze and crack after a few years.

Check for rust streams and antifreeze corrosion (like it's had icing sugar sprincled on it) around the coolant system, that way you can find any persistant leaks. But if you replace the tank, cap, gasket and any old looking hoses then your problem should go away .

Best of luck matey.

Will.

Click to expand...

Excellent advise thank you very much!! I really appreciate this, and your assumption was correct, 1 was no and 2 was yes. Feel a bit more relieved that there are other avenues to explore other than HGF.

Thank you for your time to tell me this info.

crockett007 said:

Hi Daniel

with regard to the above, I have the same issue, as do many of our fellow FL owners on this site.
The drivers door not unlocking, but in my case it locks, is to do with the drivers door solenoid. They are around the 80 quid mark new.
The sunroof is a different matter. Again, there is a comprehensive and extremely informative thread on this site on how to strip, replace and refit to get it all working, and this is something I may do at some stage, but it involves a ton of prep to gain access to, and replace the runners.

Good luck, and most of all, enjoy!!

Crockett

Click to expand...

Hi, thanks for your reply. Sunroof I don't think I'll bother with, but eventually I shall look into the door problem, so will definitely bear your comments in mind.

Thanks very much =)

Barry6690 said:

Hello Daniel and welcome, where in th UK are you?

Click to expand...

Hi, thank you.

I am in Tamworth, near Birmingham.

I suggested HGF

It looks like its probably not.

Good advice from WLJ.

I'll be happy for you if I'm wrong, and you're lucky.

Check it out though.

S.

I hope it's not head gasket but I'll know sooner rather than later. Thank you all for your comments & assistance, it's greatly appreciated