My V6I ES Auto is dead!

I hope its ok posting this here - I have used this forum before and don't want to break any rules...

Well that's it, my Freelander has finally told me that it doesn't want to be my car any more - I think the head gasket has gone and I can't afford the repairs (wife's Rav4 needs a new engine!)

I have put it on eBay, very low reserve, as a non runner. Full description and loads of photos here - Landrover Freelander V6I ES Auto, 2002/51, MOT Jan 2011 on eBay (end time 16-May-10 22:33:40 BST)

2002/51 plate, MOT Jan 2011

Mike

there seems to be a lot of it about at the mo .

commiserations

could it be something more simple and much cheaper like the thermostat housing- these can give trouble on the KV6 in a ZT and leak water onto the hot engine - or are there other symptons pointing to a gasket going?

Just read your description for the vehicle on ebay. The bit about lots of steam and water on the road.... have you checked the hoses for splits or loose connections?

got to be honest with you, it really doesn't sound like HGF. Normally, HGF would be internally between cylinders and water galleries, so you wouldn't see anything like steam or water dripping onto the road.

Fill the header tank up again, run the engine up to temp, you should be able to see where it's leaking from.

good luck

Still don't like the lots of smoke from the exhaust bit though guys, assuming it was definitely coming from the exhaust.

Do think £3,900 value quoted for a good 51 plate in perfect condition with over 100k on the clock might be a tad misleading to potential buyers though.

You should get a lot of smoke from the exhaust, thats if the coolant hit it, you will initially get a large plume of smoke to begin then will die down when the exhaust is cooled to the same temp as the coolant (exhaust gets pretty hot). At least that's what happened to a previous vehicle i had many moons ago and had a coolant leak spraying the exhaust and engine.

I'm a still a bit miffed with this though, why just give up without diagnosing the problem properly first? it could be something very simple to repair. :5bbeatdeadhorse5:

By the way, if you don't make the reserve, then i will have it for free

You had all got me thinking and, Frazzles - I don't believe it... 3 minutes before you posted your second reply (thank you very much) I updated my ebay listing...

AA Homestart have just left after looking at the car for me and he more or less said what you said!

Quoting myself, quoting the AA bloke:-

Update - I have just had the AA (homestart) come and look at the car. He showed me that there is no oil in the water, and, no water in the oil. He also showed me that the radiator has spilt, down one side, and water was leaking out almost as fast as he was filling it. He said that with such a big and sudden split in the radiator - the "smoke" I saw coming out of the back of the car could actually have been steam coming from the radiator/water hitting the exhaust and as we were moving it appeared to come from the back of the car... It is certainly not smoking when ticking over now...
The AA bloke said that a new radiator might fix it completely... or that there may be something else - ranging from: a faulty £5 radiator expansion bottle seal, to: the head gasket.
In any event I have got to sell this car so this listing will stay - for once, the wife's car has to come first!

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I just can't take the chance, throwing money at it, I am skint, I am a poncey office worker and I know f*** all about motors. If I don't get the money to get wife's car fixed - I will be a dead, poncey office worker!

So the listing stays... I just hope to get a bit more.

chromiumuk - Value of £3900? That's what valuation the AA website came up with....?

Glad its sorted. Pity you got to sell it, hope you get as much as possible for it on ebay.

mike_h said:

You had all got me thinking and, Frazzles - I don't believe it... 3 minutes before you posted your second reply (thank you very much) I updated my ebay listing...

AA Homestart have just left after looking at the car for me and he more or less said what you said!

Quoting myself, quoting the AA bloke:-


I just can't take the chance, throwing money at it, I am skint, I am a poncey office worker and I know f*** all about motors. If I don't get the money to get wife's car fixed - I will be a dead, poncey office worker!

So the listing stays... I just hope to get a bit more.

chromiumuk - Value of £3900? That's what valuation the AA website came up with....?

Click to expand...

And yet Parkers (see below) are quoting a shade over £2,900 for your exact model & year car sold privately in good condition with 80,000 miles. You can see why I think you might be unintentionally misleading people.

2002/51 Land Rover Freelander Station Wagon 2.5 V6i ES 5d Auto Valuation - Parker's