Rover 200 - possible head gasket blow?

[Amelioratio]

The second fan starting coming on in my 1998 Rover 200 1.4 over the weekend while I was driving it around. It sounded like an air raid siren! It persisted so I asked my partner's dad earlier; he opened the water bottle and the water came spewing out. In the lid of the water bottle, it appeared that there was oil.

We kept the engine turning over and got as much air out as we could, and he told me just to make for home and that I might not make it.

I'm home now, and the fan hasn't come on at all in the 24 mile trip. Just to test, I opened the water bottle and although there was a small burst of air, the water remained in and was cool enough to dip my finger in!

Does this mean the head gasket has gone?

[Cockney_si]

If your water bottle had cold water in it then there may well be a blockage somewhere in the cooling system. Best get a garage to look at it as a build up of pressure may well cause your radiator to burst.

[TWR]

You radiator fan switch is faulty. That was a stupid thing to do, opening the expansion tank whilst the system was hot.

[hughjass]

usually the head gasket on a rover.

[Cockney_si]

This happened on a car of mine, eventually the pressure built up inside the cooling system so much the radiator burst and spewed out boiling water and coolant everywhere...Imagine the exorcist but from a car...lol