So we thought that the coolant may need flushing and did that. But afterwards the car began to overheat seriously!
We drove it 30km to the next town and temp guage fine, goes well up hills, then when we slowed down to 60km at the town, the temp goes into red. speed up and it goes down. But we stopped car to get drinks from shop. Came out after 5 minutes and there was a river of new coolant leaking from car. It was bubbling in overflow tank and the tank was full now car stopped. The coolant was being forced out through the overflow hose to the roadway.
Had to wait ages to put more coolant in and started car and drove home --temp good on highway, but when we got to 60km zone up it went again, front fan was on.
Parked car in carport and lost all coolant again through tank. This was back in August.
September 2018 --took the plunge and removed cylinder head. The gasket was an absolute mess. There were build ups of some kind of gasket stuff --guys at work said it is chemiweld when they saw it. Took head to justheadworx in Bunbury and paid $900 to have heaps of welding done, pressure test, honing and new valve guides from Pelican parts put in. MB in Bunbury wanted $99 +GST for 1 valve guide!! I got 12 inc postage for $224AUD and that because I paid $81 USD for express Fedex freight.
While head was off, I took heater valve apart. It is a Sitronic duo valve even though I think this model w124.050, m103.983 is meant to be a single valve? Anyway the rubber seals inside are torn and perished. The cylinders scored, just a mess. I put it back together and didnt do anything about it.
When we got the head back to put on block the mechanic had put cam in wrong TDC position not based upon the right timing mark on the flange on the cam.--the 21&22 marks.
So that meant we had to loosen off the rocker bearing assay bolts to move cam shaft about 90degrees to be at TDC....gotta realise that I had no experience prior to this....just following threads and manual etc. scarey, anxious, effected my sleep and mental health!!Dinkum! My take home pay is only 630 a week...and this car is a nightmare so far of which I was not aware.
Anyway---when we went to tighten the rocker bearing cap bolts down to 15nM 6 of them stripped the aluminium out of their holes in the head. So I had to helicoil them which I had never done either....and in the end we helicoiled 10 bolt holes.
So head back on, then new Idle control valve fitted and new breather pipe to the cold start injector....new voltage regulator...new EHA fuel regulator as it was leaking fuel onto intake manifold! New coolant again....new rotor and plugs and leads....fired it up and it purs fine....
Then the exact same ting happened yesterday Oct 3....drive around town in 50/60km zones and get home and it pshes all coolant out coolant tank overflow hose. aaaaaagggghhhhhhh!!!!!!


It cant be the head causing exhaust gases to get into cooling systemmmand besides it happens when car slows AND STOPS.
Do you think it is the coolant pump, heater control valve, heater core or what???
Going mad here! No doubt the previous owner was on this same forum with this bucket of bolts until he gave up and sold this lemon to us.
Dennis