Repeated Head Gasket/Rad Coolant Problem

[306toa406]

Hi All,

I traded my beloved 1997 pug 306 for a 2002 406 Hdi in August 2010 with 99,000 miles on the clock. I Love the 406 but I'm worried about Head Gasket trouble.

When I first got the car the Engine Coolant light was on, I told the garage and they were to fix it under guarantee. I'm not sure what they did but it only worked short term. The light kept coming on, i would refil the coolant level but after 200 odd miles it would be back on. The temp gauge never rose and it drove fine so eventually I just ignored it. Finally after ten months and 20,000 miles of this my local Mechanic went to check it. He told me it was the head gasket that was gone forcing the coolant out of the resevoir. He changed the head gasket (and T Belt as it was due) but the gasket he took out looked almost new meaning it must have been just changed when I got it or shortly before.

All was fine for 3 months and about 6,000 miles but last Saturday the Coolant light came back on. I have topped it up again which kept it off for about 200 miles but now its back on. The car has 135,000 miles done now so i'm not sure how much money I should keep putting into it.

If I keep driving it as it is will I damage it? Does anyone know the reason? The only other strange thing is the car has always had a heavy vibration whilst idle, thought this may be normal for a diesel.

I love the car so if I could I would drive it for another 5 years!

Any help wold be great.

[Gary406]

if the head gasket was forcing water out it would have been mixing with the engine oil ...

have you actually checked the coolant system . ie the radiator. or thermostat housing ? the bottom pipe also rot and may leak ,,

if the temp gauge was fine then i think the head gasket was fine.. and it narrows down to a coolant leak from the above mentioned

[steve_earwig]

Or it could just be a weak spring in the expansion tank cap.

[306toa406]

Thanks guys,

No I havent checked those.

I assume the best way is fill it up, drive 5 miles, park it and wait to see where its coming out?

[Gary406]

yes thats a way of checking... check the above points. the thermostat has a rubber seal on it so if that goes it can leak from there.

what condition does the radiator look ?
check the bottom corners of it ..

[sna400]

I had the same issue - kept blowing head gaskets. every three months i'd get an issue with the water being pushed out of the expansion tank.

The only way to fix it, in my situation, was to buy a new rad, bottom hose (with the metal section to keep it away from the engine) and thermostat - along with another head gasket!

That was 9 months ago and no problem since......

[Gary406]

every three months i'd get an issue with the water being pushed out of the expansion tank.......

a thermostat not opening can also cause that