Running rough as, running hot..Ideas?
Hey Guys,
Lately my car has started to run very roughly, mainly on idle, missing every few seconds and while accellerating.. It has also started to run very hot, even whilst driving along with cool air coming in..
I've looked at the oil and coolant and it doesnt appear to be mixing, however I still have a suspicion it could be a head gasket?
Can anyone shed some light? Cheers.
Check your thermostat, it must have shit itself its probably not opening up. Take it out and put it in a something see thru and pour boiling hot water in it and it should open. If not then its that! As far as running rough I had a problem with my VR and it just happened that the Coil Pack shyt itself and when I changed it, It fixed the idle but im not 100% yours might be different. Mine almost felt like it was going to die when on idle and sometimes did!
Ok mate I'll try that. It does mainly start running rough when it warms up.. And when it's hot, changing between drive and reverse, it almost stalls, but not quite.. :S
Blues Brother # 1
Same issue here Mate. Does not run so much hot just between the gears, reverse to drive when hot almost stalls.Originally Posted by Maxxiz
I Have done this and its made it alot better, but some times still close to stalling when hot.
Throttle body from a perfect running VR, New inlet gaskets, plugs, leads, fuel filter, air filter, thinner oil, least it does not stall but comes close sometimes, someone mentioned its the fuel regulator, but yet to get one. So let us know what works for you when its sorted.
Well, just tested the thermo, chucked it in a cup of boiling water and didn't open. Will replace and hopefully that will solve it
Donating Member
If you are losing coolant - even 500ml a week - I'd suggest you may have either an bad inlet manifold gasket or a head gasket gone. Either will cause your problem. Running hot due to a bad thermostat should not make the engine miss. The simplest test is whether the car is using coolant.
"If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also to deny under oath that I ever said it." --T. Lehrer
"The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made." -- Jean Giraudoux
Nah mate last time I took off the radiator cap the radiator was still full.
Donating Member
You won't notice it if you're losing coolant that way as the header tank keeps topping the radiator up - you need to check if your are losing coolant from the overflow/header tank.
"If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also to deny under oath that I ever said it." --T. Lehrer
"The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made." -- Jean Giraudoux
Real cars are steel cars.
This is not the way to test a thermostat. Even a new one wont open using this method.
You need to heat the water with the thermostat in it and check the opening temp with a thermometer.
Either way, replacment is still the best option.
If I told you I was a compulsive liar, would you believe me?
Hako- oh k cheers mate I'll check it out once i get a new thermo.
Rx- I know, I've tested it both ways and it does not open.Anyone know what temp they're supposed to open at on these?
on holiday
depends what thermo you have if its 92 will start to open just before 92 degrees
I tune the oldschool way fear on the passengers face and knuckle colour cant go wrong
tabbacco is still my favorite vegetable
Replaced the thermostat and nothing changed, still running like a pig
Donating Member
You can pay to get a mechanic to do a gas test on the coolant to confirm a head gasket failure, or pull and inspect the plugs yourself - if the gasket is gone you will notice this by the appearance of the plug(s). This will have to be done anyway to identify which bank. There is also the probability of it being the inlet manifold gasket which is a lot easier and cheaper to replace - the failure rate of these gaskets is far higher than head gaskets which will usually only fail if the engine is overheated (usually thru lack of coolant) - inlet manifold gasket can/will fail due to not using correct coolant which corrodes the manifold at the gasket face.Replaced the thermostat and nothing changed, still running like a pig
There are other 'long shot' possibilities including sticking valves due to oil/carbon buildup on stems with high mileage, lifters pumping up etc. A faulty coil(s) or DFI module which causes missing can also cause the engine to overheat. But prime suspect would be either head or manifold gasket. Cars can be frustrating critters at times!
"If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also to deny under oath that I ever said it." --T. Lehrer
"The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made." -- Jean Giraudoux
Just some p-plater
try running a higher octane fuel and see if it makes a difference? Don't think it would, but try anyways. other than that try replacing the fuel filter, sometimes it gets clogged and stops the flow of fuel.
Just my 2 cents, hope all is fixed soon
Can't Fight Fate!
My VS did the exact same thing with the over heating, it had a hairline crack in the radiator, which eventually became bigger and I didnt even notice it was loosing coolant.. As for the sounding like its going to die between changing gears.. Try replacing body throttle, and plugs the performance changes considerably!
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