Pretty Spectacular Engine Failure :(

Hi, Was driving down the M40 in my 2001 996 Carrera Cab last night and the red flashing engine temp/low coolant light came on. Luckily was 2 miles from Cherwell Valley Services so put it in neutral and coasted into the services, although the temp / coolant light was flashing the temp never got into the red or even over normal operating temperature. Opening the boot I found the coolant resevoir seemed to have expanded and had shot mayo over itself. I Let it cool down and sensing its already got expensive left it aslone and got the car home on a low loader. The engine still sounds fine and it hasnt seized, Im thinking its expensive and a head gasket failure. Does anyone have an idea on what it is and roughly how much it would cost to get fixed? Thanks for reading and any answers are massively appreicated. Cheers

Could be head gasket but that doesn't necessarily mean it has casued loads of damage - it depends where the gasket split, and how much the water and oil have mixed. Get it looked at quick though, you don't want the 'mayo' to be sat in the block for any length of time...

Despite rebuilding engines numbering into three figures now - I have not yet seen a head gasket failure and if there was it wouldn't cause mayo because the oilways are not near the combustion sealing area. It sounds exactly like you have a cracked cylinder head - pictures on our web site - buyers guide section 4 site on - www.hartech.org Not too expensive although there are few used ones available now as so many crack. Getting rid of the mayo is a big problem though. For more information please phone Grant or Baz on 01204 302809 or E-mail on [email removed] . Baz

I don't think you can get better advice than that, and Hartech seem to have great feedback and admiration from the members. If they lived near me, they'd be holding a sleeping bag for me...!! :grin: (probably a good job they don't, thinking about it..!)

Thanks for the great advice! Hartech do seem to be the boys for this but im down in London miles away

Bugg*r Try GT-One in Chertsey. My car is in there tomorrow having a whole heap of stuff done...

As Baz says almost certainly a cracked cylider head rather than the gasket I'm afraid its (another) weakness on the 996. Or it could be a cracked liner. Either way no fun!

Cheers for the help guys Cant believe how quickly everyone responded, so a big thanks for that! Any one got an idea of roughly how much it should cost? Cheers

The heads usually crack between the oil gallery under pressure and the water jacket - so the oil under higher pressure than the coolant seeps into the coolant creating a mush. If a cylinder cracks there is no connection between the oil galleries and the coolant only a crack between the coolant and the inner cylinder - so then coolant seeps back into the bore and past the piston into the sump. So oil in coolant - cracked head and coolant in oil - cracked liner. Costs depend upon how much we do. Whole job usually round about £3500 + Vat - if the whole engine doesn't need stripping because of other damage or customer preference - new head supplied - both heads removed - other head decoked and valves ground in to balance with the new head on the other side, oil gaskets etc included. n.b. there is a considerable amount of time and material needed to de-gunk all the radiators and hoses - included. Liner - whole car supplied - one liner - complete job - from £3600 + Vat The word "from" is not some cleverly disguised automatic "extra" situation - just that we don't know what else may need doing or the customer wants doing at the same time so most customers request extras or need extras that lift that cost a little and I would not like to minimise what usually happens just to make it seem less expensive than it usually becomes and to make you aware of the probabilities. Collection form London - £250 + Vat. So either way it looks like around £3500 -£3600 + Vat + collection (if you cannot arrange delivery) Phone for more Baz or Grant 01204 302809. Good luck Baz