Overheating on Emissions Test

Hi

I took my Freelander for MOT today and within an hour of my getting into the office the garage emailed me and said that they had a slight problem in that the vehicle had Overheated and boiled over during the emissions test

Having been told by them that they will not be able to investigate the problem today as they are fully booked (the MOT was due for 8am this morning) they suggested that I take it away and get it looked at elsewhere then take it back. (they also told me this would be cheapest option as they charge £32.50 per hour).

I have not noticed any sign of overheating when I have been a) driving and b) sitting idle in traffic queues. Could it be that the thermostat is sticking?

Anyone got any suggestions.

Should only be revving the engine for a very short space of time.

Whats the engine?

1.8 petrol - yes I know the bad one lololol Had the HG done last year so dont want to be going down that root again if possible.

It could be a faulty thermostat, or you may have too little coolant in the system due to a leak. The radiator could be blocked.
If it was fine when it went in are they trying to pass the buck to another garage, once you remove it from their garage they can wash their hands of it. I don't trust garages at all. £30 an hour is about average for most garages.

I think they must have read your signiture....

It has to be hot for the emissions test, they may have left it running for a while which may have shown up an engine fault that was already there. It's the owners responsibility to ensure it is maintained to a standard that will allow it to be tested. I suspect a faulty thermostat is wishful thinking but who knows.

emissions test yesterday and the mot today?

howardo said:

It could be a faulty thermostat, or you may have too little coolant in the system due to a leak. The radiator could be blocked.
If it was fine when it went in are they trying to pass the buck to another garage, once you remove it from their garage they can wash their hands of it. I don't trust garages at all. £30 an hour is about average for most garages.

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It is very common,esp in cold weather to leave an engine idling to get it to a temp that it will pass an emissions test.Lucky that the fault showed up while it was at the garage rather than in a traffic jam on the motorway.There must be something wrong if it boiled that easily,you cant really blame the garage for not wanting to get involved.To most garages the K series is just a pain in the backside that they can do without.
It pi--es me off when people slag off garages for no reason - £30/hr is nothing today,how much do you pay your washing machine repair man ?
You have to trust someone if you cant fix it yourself,some of us on here run garages and have no interest in ripping people off,just doing a good job and earning a living.Of the 50 odd garages that I do diagnostic work for only a very few individuals dont show much care - I guess you would get that in any trade.

To be fair I don't think there has been any slagging off, the poster just asked if it could be the thermostat sticking...

Chaser said:

To be fair I don't think there has been any slagging off, the poster just asked if it could be the thermostat sticking...

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No,not the original poster,I was refering to Howardo's comments.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

eightinavee - I wasnt slagging the garage off at all as I work for the local Council here and they are our Central Transport Workshop They were brilliant in that they suggested that I get it checked elsewhere ie hubby look at it as they didnt want me to have a large bill. Very civil of them indeed.

Anyhow, when I collected the vehicle they kindly put water in the expansion tank so I could get home. I had to fill it again 10 miles later and then again 4 miles after that. However, hubby and I have since been out (when engine cooled) and filled it again, run the engine and the water stayed put!!!! So am totally confused.com as when they tested it today they said the water literally poured out. Anyhow, hoping to let hubby look at it again tomorrow.

Head gasket failure

head gasket was sorted last year - valves all rebored etc etc

check radiator and fan, hg last year-that means nothing- get garage to put gas analyser under bonnet, then open expanision cap and place over opening. if hydro carbons go up it's head gasket

What have you done to it this time Sue?


Firstly when they said overheating, are they referring to the temp gauge or has coolant been spent from somehere in the system.

If so where abouts?

eightinavee said:

No,not the original poster,I was refering to Howardo's comments.

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I wasn't slagging the garage off, I was merely stating that I don't trust garages, and from my experience I am right not to.

Hi Northern Irelander

Lolol I haven't done anything to it this time, honest. She's been running really well since the last scenario of the timing etc. The problem only occured this time when I took it for MOT. According to what our CTO (Central Transport Office) told me, when they revved it to run the emission test there was water pouring out of the left side (driver's side) at the front.

I topped up the expansion tank prior to leaving the garage and travelled 10 miles (had to feed horses) then had to top it up again to get the 4 miles home.

By the time I got home it was empty again. Left it to cool right down and topped up again and sat with engine running whilst hubby stuck head under bonnet to watch what happened, if anything. Water level stayed the same so we left it over night. I checked at 6am this morning before going off to do horses again, then when I came back and it had only dropped about 1cm from when I started out.

Have left car at home with hubby to investigate further. He has removed the sump and crawled underneath to investigate. Having dried off the cill below the radiator and run the engine, he has noticed that water is coming out from somewhere on the right side (as you look at car) and travelling along the cill to the left, then falling ont eh ground. This is why it looked as if the leak was on the left.

All the hoses and connections are dry as a boot!!! Hubby thinks it may either be that the housing around the thermostat is cracked or I have a split in the radiator.

Bearing in mind that the temperature guage does not budge from halfway, I am now at a complete loss!!

Reluctant to put radweld or equivalent in as the garage will be revving it hard again to undertake the emission test when I take it back next week for re-MOT.

Well done to him indoors.

It sounds like the gasket which the outlet elbow sits on, cheap as chips, or even use some silicone (red stuff).

Just make sure it's not coming from the periphery of the head gasket in that area or beneath the exhaust manifold.

Thank NI

I am so so crossing my fingers it isn't the HG as would drive the thing off a cliff I think lolol - no not really as I do love the car really despite everything she has thrown at me. She's one of the family now and have done so much under the bonnet last year it wouldn't be worthwhile getting rid