E30 Zone

Hello All,

I have had one of the worse days of ownership of my car. The car has decided to pack it all in!

It started in the morning when I tried to start the car but it wouldn't even attempt to tick over, it seemed as if the starter was jammed. I put a new battery in and the same happened but I gave the car a little push and it started up! Drove it for a while all seemed well. I thought...

Until the next morning when the whole process started again! Then came the worst follow up of events...the bonnet catch broke, I'm now using my trusty screwdriver. I attempted to get the starter motor out and when I was removing some vacuum hose I noticed mayo like subtance. I opened the oil filler cap and sure enough mayo under the cap. Previous to these problems I have been loosing water, but assumed it was coming out of a cracked hose which had coolant crystallising on it. I'm assuming the head gasket has gone

All I'm really puzzled about is why the starter motor has played up at the same time the gasket is gone. Is there any sort of link between these events (apart from the bonnet catch braking)? I did have a low compression in one of the cylinders for these last couple of months.

I'm gutted as I just spent so much time and effort getting the car back on the road.

P.S. have a happier New year than me!

I guess from your symptoms your getting a hydraulic lock on the engine, this is where one or more of the cylinders fills with water, making the engine unable to turn over. Pull the spark plugs out and spin the engine over, see if a load of water is sprayed out of the plug hole. The M42's have a tendency to crack heads... although it may just be a head gasket if your lucky.

forgot to thank you mate, it is indeed hydrolock.

Ah Crap !

Been there done that, annoying isn't it!

Easier to source a complete engine and drop that in rather than remove the head and investigate.

E30Mark wrote:

Been there done that, annoying isn't it!

Easier to source a complete engine and drop that in rather than remove the head and investigate.

My thoughts exactly i'm going to have to buy a MK2 Golf gti to ease the pain while I sort it out, I did everything to that car to get it going gutted .

Yes, I agree, much cheaper and easier to drop another M42 in place

I have one if you get stuck for one.

Let me know if you need a head, or indeed a complete engine.

Cheers,
Chris

Bloody hell how many e30's do you need!

Thanks for the offers guys, will have to get funds sorted first , but let me know how much your looking for, mileage etc .

On a side note i'm feeling guilty, there can't be many m42 engines out there what should I do with the dud one.

Plenty of M42 engines out there. They weren't confined to E30s.
Maybe worth pulling the old head off to see what's happened. You may be lucky.

I think I'll do that Brian out of curiosity.

redrobbie wrote:Bloody hell how many e30's do you need!

Tell me about it, I am trying to rid of some too, but then I get offered one then I can't leave it alone... a new E30 that is

ShepsEvo3 wrote:

redrobbie wrote:Bloody hell how many e30's do you need!

Tell me about it, I am trying to rid of some too, but then I get offered one then I can't leave it alone... a new E30 that is

lol, you are one lucky fella, that's all I can say.