1988 1.2 Corsa

[caskat]

I was on my way back home from picking my daughter up when all of a sudden i heard a banging noise from the engine and i lost power going slightly up hill, only way i could drive was in first gear when back on flat road was fine, when i pulled into the near petrol station to have a look there was a lot of water coming out of the water tank the engine was very hot, short story to it all i thought it had something to do with the spark plugs so the very next day i replaced the spark plugs went to start the engine it would not start and my electrics started burning and a lot of smoke, Can anyone suggest anything.

[gingejbee]

So...there was a lot of water coming out of the water tank...and you thought that the spark plugs needed replacing?
Since the electrics have started burning and there's lots of smoke... I really think a "car technician" at a garage may be required.

[caskat]

Yes i know what your saying regarding the water tank seen as its over 40c here and i was driving in first gear trying to get the car moving that could be a reason it over heated, i did test the plugs and it seemed it was only running on 2 hense why i thought thats where the problem was until i changed them and tried to restart, ive had a mechanic look at it he seems pretty lost stood and scratched his head.

[ToraToraTora]

Car's do not have a water tank, I assume you mean the radiator. So did you drive it after the water was comming out? If so you probably cooked the engine.

[gingejbee]

Water tank? I knew to what OP was referring!

[caskat]

no did not carry on driving it started as i stopped, its the water tank what feeds the radiator.

[Hopkirk]

1988 car? Well that's the death of it, I'm afraid.

[jake-the-peg]

Expansion tank.

Sounds to me like a catastrophic head gasket failure.

Large influx of coolant into the cylinders which failed to compress (water is like that) which then did a ton of damage to the valves and possibly connecting rods and crankshaft.

Electrics burning possibly water in the systems.

When you say it wouldn't start - I presume it wouldn't even try, it fails to turn over

If that's the case it sounds way beyond economic repair I'm afraid



You'll have to have someone confirm that

[caskat]

I was afraid that may be the case, thanks for the help

[Iggle Piggle]

If the engine was struggling up a small hill in the heat and water coming out and hot engine, I'm thinking check the oil level, maybe it ran low and the engine has started to seize up. If caught in time, fresh water and oil fill 'might' get it running again, otherwise it's toast.

[caskat]

I do check the oil every week due to it being an old car it does use a lot of oil but the level was fine.