Daihatsu Disaster - Operation OMGHGF successfully completed

[Junkman]

Today, our Charade with the loft conversion

 

 

did a genuine FTP.

 

No warning lights or anything untoward was noticeable, when it suddenly lost most of what little power it has to begin with,

and started to smoke severely. It then stalled and fails to start ever since.

It turns suspiciously quickly over on the starter, which leads me to believe that it lost compression.

There is no indication of OMGHGF and the fluids all look OK. There is a spark, and the spark plugs look very good.

However, they are bone dry despite numerous attempts to start it, even after pouring a bit of petrol down the throat.

This makes me believe that there is a problem with the intake valves, which can't be seen through the oil filler.

The exhaust valves can be seen, and they move when turning the engine over, so it's not a busted cambelt.

 

It's too early to tell for certain whether this is fatal or not, but it could well be.

[trigger]

Oh FFS! That didn't last long, what a shame. I wonder if the long drive up north was too much for it?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Can you do a compression test on it??

[twosmoke300]

Oh bugger , sounded sweet when I saw dugong in it .

[skattrd]

Don't give up on it yet JM. I'm sure parts for this could be found somewhere.

[Andrew353w]

Turning over suspiciously quickly suggests a lack of compression so a test might show up a lack thereof. Could it be that the belt has jumped a tooth or 2? This might mean that either inlet or exhaust valves (or both) are open when they ought to be closed, thus reducing the compression. Of course, when you look at them they'll still be moving, but not at the right time.

 

Could the valves be sticking in the open position? 

 

Just a thought! It's a lovely little car!

[Sigmund Fraud]

I'd take the cambelt cover off and check the timing marks first. Though it sounds as if you will end up having to take the head off either way...

[Junkman]

My tame master mechanic is going to recover it now.

Will report once diagnostic results are in.

[Junkman]

Right.

OMGHGF.

 

If I let the garage do the repair, it'll be two-and-a-half, plus spares.

 

Three possibilities:

 

1. Bridge of doom.

2. A member of the Autoshite community buys it and fixes it.

3. I fix it myself.

 

Options 1. and 2. would yield a monetary contribution toward a replacement, say, a kettle series Rover.

Option 3. is the least favoured by me. I'm such a phlegmatic, words fail me to describe to which extent.

[Skizzer]

If I let the garage do the repair, it'll be two-and-a-half, plus spares.

 

Hundreds, right?  Not thousands?

[Junkman]

Yes.

[oldcars]

Is £250 if your mechanic fixes it?

 

If yes i would go for it, looks a clean little motor. Those wheel trims are the best ever!

[Junkman]

We are unsure whether we like the car enough to throw that sort of money at it.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Options 1. and 2. would yield a monetary contribution toward a replacement, say, a kettle series Rover.

 

Why exchange a definitive HGF for a prospective one ?

 

ALL HIGH TOP CHARADES MUST BE SAVED !

[Skizzer]

We are unsure whether we like the car enough to throw that sort of money at it.

 

Of course you do, it's a lovely little thing.  You were only joking about bridging it, right?

 

I'm not about to buy it off you, but if we're having a fighting fund to save it, I don't mind chipping in.

[theorganist]

Surely for £250 it's worth doing? It looks too clean (and I imagine rare) to scrap it. £250 doesn't sound a lot to me for a HGF repair. I remember being quoted £400 once and that was 20 years ago!

 

I don't know how much these are worth but I imagine it would sell for more than £250 in working order!

[dugong]

Charades are worth sod-all, even clean ones. They're rare enough not to have been seen for ages, but if you look closer there's quite a few squirreled away.

 

I would say get it fixed and flog. And possibly spend more than £300 on a car JUNKMAN_WIFE likes and actually wants to drive.

 

Then again, I was slated for making the suggestion of trying before buying. 'I've never seen this car before but now I've paid for it I don't like it'. Eeerrr, what?

[Junkman]

Trying before buying is for people who use mobile phones, talk a lot about tyres and brakes,

enter a pool at the shallow end, and use a pencil for their Sudoku.

 

The car will be dropped in the Junkdriveway this afternoon and I'll fix it.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

‘I’ve never seen this car before but now I’ve got it I don’t like it’ is a fairly routine occurrence at my end

[Junkman]

Yeah, it's the only constant thing in my life.

Besides, how bloody boring must buying cars one likes be?

[mercrocker]

It has proper windows and a Dorset number plate.   Fulfils two of the very few criteria that I apply to buying a car.

[Sigmund Fraud]

The car will be dropped in the Junkdriveway this afternoon and I'll fix it.

 

RESPECT !

 

On a different note, this topic made me realise that I've bought every single car in my current fleet unseen ! Fortunately, my standards are particularly low, so I like them all*.

 

*apart from my yellow DAF, which is why it's for sale.

[skattrd]

Yep, I'm often quite underwhelmed with new acquisitions. I can't say I've ever been displeased with a Daihatsu though.

 

Nice one on the decision to fix it JM.

[Junkman]

To demonstrate the seriousness of the decision, I just ordered a gasket set and a cambelt.

[Junkman]

Oh, and should I rate it as a bad omen, that it puked its head gasket under a full moon?

The last thing I need is another haunted car.

[Ghosty]

It's a... Diehatesyou.

[Junkman]

EEEK!

[Sigmund Fraud]

Exaggerations... Just make sure that, after the HG repair, you refill the cooling system with 50% ethylene glycol antifreeze and 50% holy water.

[Junkman]

Thou shalt use holy water in holy radiators?

[Sloth in a bowl]

Thou shalt use holy water in holy radiators?

 

and an egg (if it's Easter)