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Bad idle, exhaust smell, car shakes and empty coolant

Tiny
FIETCH2002
  • MEMBER
  • 2008 VAUXHALL VECTRA
  • 2.2L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 42,000 MILES
Recently my car has been having a rough idle, it has been shaking because of this. When revved up a little the exhaust starts to smell like gunpowder. I have owned the car since new and always changed the oil. The coolant reservoir did have some gunk in it, as well as the breather pipe and breather filter. Cleaning them out and topping it up did nothing and there is not any engine light or codes coming up.
I also cleaned out the throttle body and it did not do anything.
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Saturday, March 31st, 2018 AT 10:52 AM

5 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,363 POSTS
Hello,

This sounds like you have a blown head gasket which will cause all the problems you have described. Here is a guide to help us confirm the failure:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

Please let us know what happens.

Cheers, Ken

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Monday, April 2nd, 2018 AT 11:06 AM
Tiny
FIETCH2002
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Thanks Ken, I am on holiday at the moment, but I will let you know about the car when I get back.
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Tuesday, April 3rd, 2018 AT 7:15 AM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,363 POSTS
Okay sounds good. :)
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Tuesday, April 3rd, 2018 AT 10:56 AM
Tiny
FIETCH2002
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Ken - it was the belt tensioner that was bad, I took the car to a garage and they found the source of the noise and fixed it.
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Thursday, April 5th, 2018 AT 3:02 AM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,363 POSTS
How can the belt tensioner cause the car to loose coolant and idle bad? Glad you got it fixed though. How much did they charge you if I can ask?
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Thursday, April 5th, 2018 AT 11:11 AM

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