Hi, yesterday my fiesta was working fine however today the temp gauge went on red after less than 5 mins driving time and by the time i got back home the engine was making pretty bad smells( i kept driving assumed the gauge was faulty since it was cold and rainy outside).

The engine started to knock and work roughly when strained a bit and had to constantly drop gears where normally it would just keep going (it doesn't feel like its lost power. it just doesn't hold the gear).

When i got out of the car the smell was too much so i opened the bonnet and found oil all over the gearbox side appeared to come out of the power brake pump (or whatever it is)however i m not sure as the whole side including the air filter turbo and inter-cooler are covered in black goo. also the engine was making a hissing sound and it came from the head like something is leaking.

Even if the later problems where caused by the overheating, what could have caused it to overheat that fast?

BTW. it had water when i left home and the oil lamp never came on and it kept on soldiering on, got where i wanted to go and back. now there is not a drop of water and the oil level is very very low

any ideas what the problem might be? the engine is an 1.8l turbo inter-cooler diesel engine (one with the tourqx head bolts)

 

forgot to mention the engine does not have thermostat and the fan is turned on from inside. I turned it on when gauge went up however it didn t go down where usually even in summer at highest temps it goes back to low in under 5 mins with fan on

 

You've well and truly cooked it. Sounds like a possible water pump failure which then lead to engine failure. I think a rebuild or replacement is on the cards.

 

Sounds like a water pump failure, temps gone up, done the head gasket, let all the coolant into the cylinders and had a good time

 

damn sounds like engine change then :S is it possible that by some miracle the gasket didn t blow and the oil came from somewhere else?

 

I doubt it mate.

 

so today i i checked the the cooling system and found out that my radiator went to war and came back full of holes, so i replaced it filled the car with water and tried the started went for a drive and the engine didn t overheat in fact it worked much better then yesterday.

The thing is that it kept on knocking and couldn't hold gears had to constantly downshift which is annoying, also on idle it vibrates alot and somehow the ammont of oil i have in the engine increased after half the engine got covered in oil.....

i'm guessing this could be an effect of water leaking through the head and mixing with oil ?

 

That engine is knackered. The knocking noise is more then likely coming from the big ends which means it needs at least new big ends and main bearings. Personally I think you're best of putting a good second hand engine in.

 

well tomorrow i ll give it a last shot try new oil and filter and see if it imporves if not i ll get a new engine, if i go for a zetec s will the gearbox and mounts fit? or atleast is there a gearbox that is a straight fit to both car and engine? the engine should be straight fit right?

 

oh i nearly forgot is there a way to check the big ends without opening the engine? XD

 

The zetec-s engine should bolt up to your current gearbox. The engine will go straight in but you'll need the zetec engine mount not the diesel one. You'll need the engine wiring loom, ecu, fuel tank and pump (because you're changing it from diesel to petrol) etc.

 

No, just the noise they make when they're fucked.

 

for the tank will a 1.3 or any anther lower spec engine tank work or do i need one with the pump?

 

You're best off getting the correct tank with pump.