Engine Banjaxed?

[jbgt2]

Hi,

Galaxy mk2 1.9 TDi 115bhp.
This piece of **** has been giving me grief for a while. One minute the heaters are blowing hot, next cold - after 30miles I would need to top the water up - maybe 0.5 litre or so  http://www.forum.fordmpv.com/smf2/Smileys/akyhne/angry.gif
Flushed the system and a large piece of brown build up came out (finger tip to wrist in length) see photo  http://www.forum.fordmpv.com/smf2/Smileys/akyhne/embarrassed.gif
Thought I'd solved the problem but no, it continued. Flushed the system out again this time with a rad flush and seemed to work great - for a day. Then yesterday when returning home the steam smell started in the cabin but no change in the instrument panel temp sensor - stayed at 90 degrees.  Luckily I wasnt to far from home 0.5miles
When i opened the bonnet the short (large) hose see photo had burst  http://www.forum.fordmpv.com/smf2/Smileys/akyhne/huh.gif
So after the thesis above what is the likelyhood that the head/engine is banjaxed?
What do I check?  http://www.forum.fordmpv.com/smf2/Smileys/akyhne/embarrassed.gif

How many thermostats are in this engine?

[BrianH]

Some varients and I don't know if yours is one of them without searching, have an issue with the water pump impeller (the fan shaped bit that pumps the water round the engine) becoming detached from the shaft of the pump, This under most circumstances can be tested by checking for a flow coming from the small pipe that goes into the expansion tank (should have a constant flow i think when the engine is running with the pump working).

 

Theres definitely been posts on here about it.

 

Check for the other signs of water leakage - if you can see white spots in the oil theres a fairly good chance the head/gasket has blown somewhere, you might be lucky enough to get away with it though if not. If the engine was running and not throwing out clouds of white smoke/steam you may be ok provided you find the cause.

[seatkid]

Dont drive the car without the correct coolant concentration or rapid corrosion will occur, the lump of poo you flushed looks as if someone has mixed coolant types. Look at the header tank, it should have the coolant type printed on it - either G12 (which is a green coolant) or G13 (red/pink coolant). Mixing G12 with other types leads to a gunky mess forming (as per your picture) which blocks the cooling sysem and is very difficult to remove (you could need  new raditor/heater matrixes). In any case, proper flushing of the entire system will be required (remember also there is lots of coolant in the front and rear heater circuits), and fill with a 30% to 50% concentration of genuine G13++ (The ++ bit is ver important - this version is compatible with other coolant types).

 

Check the water pump. These are very common failures - the plastic impeller becomes detatched from the shaft and so pumping more or less stops. Classic symptoms are heater not or intermittently working and overheating under load. There is one thermostat only, iirc if you remove it you can reach in with your finger and see if the impeller spins when you push on the impeller, if it does its gone. Unfortunately on the PD 115, the water pump is driven off the timing belt, so to change the pump you might as well change the timing belt as well, it may be due to be changed anyway, they do need changing every 4 years/40,000 miles - the design is weak and its not worth risking not changing on time.

 

Good luck!