Head gasket skimmed

[Elaineoc]

Hi I recently bought a diesal yaris I've only had it 3 months and already the heater radiator had to be changed and then the head gasket was blown so I got it skimmed my question is can it happen again? Should I just trade it in? 

[MikeSh]

You don't give us a full history but if we assume that the heater was leaking then it is likely that at some point the water level fell to a critical level which has resulted in the head/gasket being damaged.

On that basis then, provided whoever has done the repairs has acted competently, there is no reason to expect it to fail again. These D4Ds are pretty bullet-proof on the whole and having presumably thrown a lot of dosh at it you might as well get something back rather than trading it and starting the process of discovery all over again  (unless you are trading to a new car) (and even then ... )

[Madasafish]

If the cylinder head warped due to overheating, then it should be skimmed by machining. If too much metal is removed the compression ratio will rise and a thicker head gasket fitted to reduce it.

 

The fact that the gasket has failed so quickly suggests : the head was not machined properly, or the assembly was poor.  Either way, whoever did the job is likely to have skimped on doing it properly or not be competent.

 

Personally I would fix and sell...

 

 

[Elaineoc]

Hi sorry  I wasn't told whether it was leaking or not just the internal heaters weren't heating up and then the water coolant level had to be topped up every couple of miles I was going to trade for a 2011 diesal fiesta but I don't want to be jumping from one problem to another 😢 I have gotten so many mixed reactions its hard to make my mind up

[MikeSh]

13 hours ago, Madasafish said:

The fact that the gasket has failed so quickly suggests : the head was not machined properly, or the assembly was poor.  Either way, whoever did the job is likely to have skimped on doing it properly or not be competent.

I think she is saying that there was a problem with the head/gasket and she has had it skimmed to sort it out. I don't think it has failed a second time soon after, but perhaps the OP would confirm the exact course of events to clarify.

[Elaineoc]

14 hours ago, MikeSh said:

I think she is saying that there was a problem with the head/gasket and she has had it skimmed to sort it out. I don't think it has failed a second time soon after, but perhaps the OP would confirm the exact course of events to clarify

Yes the year gasket failed and I got it skimmed but it hasn't failed a second time it was done correctly when it was skimmed I just wanted to know is it common to fail again?

[unclepoo]

I had a similar problem years ago, on a Citroen diesel...after the head was lightly skimmed and new gaskets and head bolts, it was fine. If I was to be really picky, I could say the engine was not quite as sweet as before, but like I say...very little difference, except all the coolant stayed where it should.