Used my car for business today and it broke down :(

I set off and the car was jumping up and down like I was in 4th gear, it had no power at all.

It then broke down 300 yards away and wouldn't start.

I pushed it back to mine and removed the oil filler cap and it started first time. Its not drank any water but the oil is still very sludgly despite it been able to drive 40 miles yesterday and the oil being changed only 150 miles ago.

The road tax runs out in a few days too.

I am thinking about giving up and driving and just sticking to public transport, tis cheaper and more reliable.

 

Sounds like no fuel.

 

Then you seem to have soem thing fairly major happening.....but proably quite simple.

Does this sound like blown head gasket ,guys, leaking oil into to the water/water into the oil?

Cars CAN be relaible, AT. (shouldn't have said that)

 

Its only cheaper and more reliable if you buy a duff car in the first place. Which, lets face it, looks like you have. Get shot and hopefully you'll get lucky with your next car.

 

Thats had thought at first and was going mad at my dad (he refilled it last) saying he had put diesel in it.

If it had no fuel why is it starting fine now? When I removed the oil gap an awful lot of steam was released, I am not sure if this is normal after 300 yards.

 

"Its not drank any water "

... maybe not then.

 

The fact it wasn't drinking water suggested to me the HG is fine, I have suspected HG problems before with this car, I have spoken to my mechanic who is doing compression test on it and he said the HG could still have gone and water levels could be fine.

He said its better to have a new engine put in rather than bother with a new HG as he reckons it will need an overhaul in the next 20k anyway [due to camshaft rattle] so it will be dead money.

 

You have remembered to put petrol in haven't you?
Are you in the AA, or similair, call them out. It sounds like a breathing problem. Has it got new filters in? Try replacing the oil filler cap, sometimes they have have a filter in the top.
Is it fuel injected, could be a bit of crud in the injectors. Try a fuel cleaning additive.
You would have been better looking at the Jap boxes that everyone suggested. They never break down.

 

When I removed the oil gap an awful lot of steam was released, I am not sure if this is normal after 300 yards.

if form cold, no!

 

doe ssoound a bit like diesel AT.

is that a possibility?

 

Lord for some reason small japeneese cars are very very expensive to insure, £1k minimum for young drivers.

And yes the steam was from cold. I guess there could be multiple problems with it.

1) Lack of air causing the break down
2) HG failure causing sludge

Not sure if HG will cause steam from the oil cap though. All air filter and oil filter have been replaced.

 

Nope checked the receipt, petrol was put in it .

The car works fine now, starts and runs perfectly, but I can't trust it until I know what causes this break down.

 

"And yes the steam was from cold. I guess there could be multiple problems with it. "

bl**dy hell!

....wish mine would do that after 3 miles, not 300 yards

 

i know you do't want to spend money on it....but a trip /chat to a friendly local garage, js to get it checked out might be worth doing

from pesonal experience you can be scratching you head for ages....i've give up, taken it to a mechanic...and its totally diffeent to what I've thought!

a machanic shoould be able to quote....so you at least know what yuor in for

alternatively, as some one said, save up a bit for somehting a bit newer which might (should)be a liitle more relaible

any way you say its running now..so maybe you are not too bothered

 

while it's working fine - try and sell it, learn from this

 

Italian Tune up?

 

Give it to the girlfriend as a belated valentines/birthday/Xmas gift!

 

.....maybe not!

 

does she have a (good) sense of humour AT?

 

This thread is awful.

....we are not told any of the (prior) circumstances, or the car model....why would anyone change the oil on a non-working car? How was it able to travel 300 yards? More importantly how did the driver push it back ...and why take the oil-filler (cap) off. Was that pure luck, or the point where this individual starts their "fault-finding".....?
What's this sludgy-oil and how did it go 30miles yesterday and none today? - putting diesel in will kill (a petrol-car) dead, once it gets though - but that doesn't invade the sump, so the engine oil should be reasonably clean.
Arrgh!
Really!