rover 200

[dunny27]

when does a head gasket need doing on a rover 200 thats done 36000

[TWR]

What makes you ask the same Question again Dunny? you had a few recent answers to your Q as advised by others, if the the fan is working, if the car is not using water, if it's not leaking water, if your fan belt is tight, you do not have a problem.

[jake-the-peg]

I think Dunny clearly didn't quite understand the answers he got before.

Although the head gasket does have a reputation for failing on these engines it is not normally replaced as preventative maintenance the way a timing belt would be.

With a car of this type the head gasket could fail tomorrow - although that would be slightly unusual - or it might do 100,000 miles

The reason a timing belt is replaced before it fails is that the damage is usually catastrophic and very costly sometimes having the effect of writing off a car.

Although this is not always the case a head gasket will normally fail slowly. There are signs like white deposit on the oil cap, white "smoke" from the exhaust, a loss of coolant a tendency to overheat.

[dunny27]

they reacon there bad for cam belts as well had it 6 weeks its an auto and rattles like a deisel engine till it gets warmed up what can that be

[TWR]

There is one big difference between the Head Gasket & the Cam belt Dunny, when the cam belt goes it's either a new engine, in some circumstance to a fresh head, when the head gasket goes to some degree you can still get to your destination depending on the distance, an easy option to your Q go to a family run garage & ask them to do a System pressure test, if there is a problem with the system ( Loss of pressure) this will be noted this is done via the coolant filler neck. back to your Cam Belt if the area surrounding the cam belt cover is dry, no traces of oil etc, depending on the cars mileage, all will be fine although Rover has a bad name a belt should be changed at 55000 --- 60000 at the most, never mind what the manufacture state it's not them that's paying the bill for the repair.