What to do??

Misticles

i recently bought a Rover 216SI, 1.6 injection at an auction.
to my surprise, after i got it, it would stall and it would be hard to start usually having to kick start it. anyways, got it pt on the diagnostic machine, and what do ya know, the head gasket is gone, typical Rover problem ive heard. i was driving the car for about two weeks untill i found out what was wrong with it. i have a mechanic checking it out at the min. i dunno what to do, put it back thru auction or keep it and fix it. ive searched the motors forum and found nothing but bad words to be said on Rovers. the cons definitely outweigh the pros.
any opinions??

franksm

A bad head-gasket isn't the end of the world if the rest of the is alright.

Especially if you're being quoted "only" €150 all in to replace the gasket as you mention on the Corsa thread. I would have expected that to be a €250 job, although I don't know how difficult or easythe Rover engine might be.

Possibly it's a common piece of work for mechanics hence the price :rolleyes:

gobby

If you have to put money into the car then you may as well get your moneys worth and drive it for a while before you try to sell it.

Eoin

Were you honestly surprised to find problems with a car you bought at an auction though?

Misticles

i was because this auction has a very good reputation. i was surprised that i didnt get a while after i got it to look under the bonnet and stuff. i was conned by a vicar lol. he was the previous owner. if it ends up that it needs a whole lotta stuff doing to it for the nct etc, im gonna put it back through the auction and get another car.....hopefully

colm_mcm

it doesn't matter how a good a reputation the auction house is. if you buy a bag of dirt it's your problem. one of the first things to look for when buying a Rover is that the head gasket isn't knackered.

you have my sympathies,

Misticles

i didnt know Rover had such a bad rep with head gaskets, but i do now. i never got a chance to look under the bonnet. i had to pay there and then or it would be put back thru. in hindsight, i wish i had let them but it back thru.

colm_mcm

oh well, you live and learn!

lomb

consider sticking it back thru, most auction sold cars are virtual scrap. thetrade buys the best ones from source tbh.

IrishRover

I think an ironic consequence of you sticking it back in the auction as is, is that the subsequent buyer will be yet another person with a "Rover headgasket story" to tell...

The price you were quoted seems very good, especially considering this is Rip Off Ireland. What year is your car and is it a manual or automatic btw?

If you do get the headgasket replaced make sure you get them to look for a simple root cause as to why the HG went (eg: blocked coolant pipe or borked radiator) otherwise whatever caused it to go in the first place will cause it to happen again.

Misticles

been informed of the full price... 250 + aprx 150 or mechanic

BrianD3

Doesn't the 216 use a Honda engine i.e. a different unit to the Rover K-series which is infamous for blowing its head gasket.

franksm

Where's that, misticles ? If you mean approx 400 all in, it doesn't sound too far off the mark. Still, ye need to get three quotes at least when it comes to mechanix.

I reckon it's a three-hour job - 3 x 60 = 180 plus the parts, plus skimming the head to take out any warpage --> 250 to 350 euros

Oh - and that original quote you had of €150... check that out for sure, sounds good if you know that the mechanic has happy customers and isn't just going to put a new gasket in without skimming the head, and hoping for the best etc

Misticles

i dunno if it has a honda engine. 250 for skimming and checkig the gasket for pressure etc. mechancic is the cheapest.

IrishRover

BrianD3 wrote:

Doesn't the 216 use a Honda engine i.e. a different unit to the Rover K-series which is infamous for blowing its head gasket.

That's why I asked what year it was!
Pre '96 it would have been one of a few Honda D16 types or from '96 it would have been a Rover K series unless it was an auto in which case it would almost certainly be a Honda.

Another pretty easy way to tell is if it doesn't say Rover on the cam cover somewhere you can be pretty sure it is a Honda engine (unless someone has changed the cover).

Misticles

sorry, didnt see that bit. its a 99. it has an injection engine. ill tell ya it will be a relief to get it back. im so used to doing my own thing.

IrishRover

Well unless it's an auto it's a Rover K series so... damn, damn, damn!!
So does that mean you are getting it fixed then?