L322 LPG 4.4 petrol head gasket issue

Hello all

I purchased a 2003 L322 LPG 4.4 petrol assuming that I would spend some on repairs and the car would run okay for a few years.

I have spent a couple of thousands on it. I now have a potential head gasket issue.

A 200 mile journey and white smoke came out of the exhaust, oil almost finished, and coolant was lower than usual.

The AA mechanic did a test that showed the coolant as green which he said that is a head gasket issue.

He advised I use a sealant which might help things, I will purchase this tomorrow, along with new oil since it has gone to minimum after putting in 4 litres and driving 200 miles.

Any advice is welcome. I now want to move on from this vehicle. It has money spent on it, interior is pristine. It’s a vogue. It has a Prins LPG which has been serviced.

I am willing to accept the loss, I want to sell it or sell the parts.

Is there any help on this forum with regards to this?

Apologies of this is in the wrong forum, my name is Haider and I am based in West Yorkshire.

Look forward to the replies.

Try the Steel Seal then report back.

Not a favourable position to be in but the law of sod awaits ( and revisits ) each and every one of us.

myfirstl322 said:

Try the Steel Seal then report back.

Not a favourable position to be in but the law of sod awaits ( and revisits ) each and every one of us.

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Thanks for the reply. Got it, yes understand that law very well. Will report back tomorrow.

Don't put that crap in your engine just get the hg fixed iv just had mine redone after a full engine rebuild last year for timing chain guides and while we were in there did the hg. Unfortunately 1 of my new hg failed with in 6 months so they have been done again with uprated hg a full skim and pressure test.

Just did a 1st engine start today infect

https://youtube.com/shorts/8T8APyEcKAE?feature=share

And your running lpg it could just as easily be a failure of the lpg vapouriser.

biketeacherdave said:

Don't put that crap in your engine just get the hg fixed iv just had mine redone after a full engine rebuild last year for timing chain guides and while we were in there did the hg. Unfortunately 1 of my new hg failed with in 6 months so they have been done again with uprated hg a full skim and pressure test.

Just did a 1st engine start today infect

https://youtube.com/shorts/8T8APyEcKAE?feature=share

And your running lpg it could just as easily be a failure of the lpg vapouriser.

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I appreciate what you are saying. The thing is I am not interested in spending anymore money. I really want to sell it on.

I appreciate what you are saying. The thing is I am not interested in spending anymore money. I really want to sell it on.

Defender_I_wish said:

I appreciate what you are saying. The thing is I am not interested in spending anymore money. I really want to sell it on.

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So what your saying is
You want to bodge it up and sell on a moody car with a possible fecked engine ?

biketeacherdave said:

So what your saying is
You want to bodge it up and sell on a moody car with a possible fecked engine ?

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Does the steel seal bodge it up further? I don’t have the money to fix it. I would like to sell it sold as seen. The LPG has just been serviced by Prins.

If it works your just hiding an issue for a short time as is its scrap value at most.

biketeacherdave said:

If it works your just hiding an issue for a short time as is its scrap value at most.

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what are the repair costs?

Update today some advice appreciated as I am getting conflicting advice:

Car starts, oil is at minimum after a 200 mile journey. Engine management light is flashing when I drive and the car shakes. Some white smoke. Coolant level is okay.

General advice is not to put the steel sealant in so not going to do that as yet.

Going into a garage tomorrow, the one mechanic I use for LPG said it cannot be the head gasket as the oil would not be at less than minimum, and I have not been able to drive the car (it is drivable) in 200 miles without breaking down completely.

The check engine light report from the AA is as below, he also stated that this is because of the issues being caused, so many conflicting opinions gets confusing. AS mentioned, would love to sell it and move on, if it's not the head gasket that's one relief:

Patrol found the following fault code/s:System : Engine control - 34B / Motronic ME 7.226 - Mixture adaptat.1 (multipl., bank 1). Error Message : Component/function on control stop.18 - Lambda sensor (bank 2, sensor 1). Error Message : Incorrect signal.27 - Mixture adaptat.1 (multipl., bank 2). Error Message : Component/function on control stop.29 - Mixture adaptat.2 (additive, bank 2). Error Message : Component/function on control stop.3 - O2 sensor (bank 1, sensor 1 and bank 2, sensor 1). Error Message : Interchanged.62 - Combustion failure, multiple cylinders. Error Message : detected.52 - Combustion failure cylinder 4. Error Message : detected.55 - Combustion failure cylinder 3. Error Message : detected.57 - Combustion failure cylinder 2. Error Message : detected.50 - Combustion failure cylinder 1. Error Message : detected.51 - Combustion failure cylinder 5. Error Message : detected.Members been topping water up and driving the vehicle saying white smoke from the exhaust I've done my checked pressure tested it and found the head gaskets gone

Any gunk that goes in the coolant won't fix stop exhausts gases getting in. The exhaust gas pressure is much higher than coolant pressure so will get blown out of any failure points.
Plus it can block smaller passageways in the coolant, eg radiator, bleed return pipes etc

Someone suggested the LPG vaporiser, have you checked that is OK?

Datatek said:

Someone suggested the LPG vaporiser, have you checked that is OK?

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LPG is fine but will get the once over tomorrow. The LPG is the best thing about the car, recently serviced, PRINS

Simple test for coolant leaking inside vaporiser to LPG, would be to bypass the coolant pipes, and run the car on petrol for a while.

Would be useful to see cylinder compression test values, plus coolant static pressure test as well.

Defender_I_wish said:

LPG is fine but will get the once over tomorrow. The LPG is the best thing about the car, recently serviced, PRINS

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because LPG is higher pressure than the coolant, it can run fine, but put LPG gas into the coolant and pressurise it, but you should smell that

There has been no gas smell. Just a burning smell when the white smoke comes out. I am running on petrol right now.
I will check the LPG tomorrow at a PRINS specialist.
I have it up for sale as spares and repairs.

Those codes are all old, reset them and read again the AA are complete tossers

biketeacherdave said:

Those codes are all old, reset them and read again the AA are complete tossers

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I will check them at the garage tomorrow.
Seems to be getting worse, might be the heat but it’s making a loud whirling noise from the engine.

Defender_I_wish said:

There has been no gas smell. Just a burning smell when the white smoke comes out. I am running on petrol right now.
I will check the LPG tomorrow at a PRINS specialist.
I have it up for sale as spares and repairs.

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Your best bet if you don't want to spend any money on it.
But be prepared for low offers as potential buyers will assume it needs a replacement engine.