HELP...

[D87 SMW]

On running F170's engine this morning, I found it was splurting out quite a bit of water (a lot more than before) out of the exhaust! As well as this, I heard a strange knocking sound underneath too! Aaargh, what's happened? :confused: :banghead:

[JollyMG2]

The water may not be so bad, but the knocking mate, that sounds like bad news! :eek:

[D87 SMW]

Looks like there's not a lot to be worried about. Apparently, the knocking could just be the exhaust while it is still cold.

[H48HPE]

because you dont drive, are u just starting it up and leaving it to idle stood still?

if you do this often (especialy whilst choked) you will fill your exhasts silencers up with water, obviously this isnt good.

the knocking underneath sounds like the exhaust, it vibrates on mine and that hot air box below the exhaust manifold sumtimes rattles too

[D87 SMW]

During the past week, it has been standing running idle. The last time it was driven was out of the garage and then back in again on Sunday.

[H48HPE]

running a car at idle isnt all that good, more wear on the engine you see, also you get condensation in the exhaust and into the oil (emulsifying it). get some1 to take it for a belt up and down the motorway once every so often (i dont mean thrash it b4 sum1 else tells me off!). when i was working away i had to leave the car at home all week and i rarly needed to use it at the weekends, i made the effort to take it on the motorway just to keep it running nice and to keep the batery charged up. hapily im now working at home again and get to use it everyday.

[D87 SMW]

I'll have to get my dad to drive it on Sundays, and perhaps after work sometime. You see, the car is not insured as it is a 'project' car locked up in a garage. (until I can drive it)

[H48HPE]

id hate to be in your shoes, the thought of not being able to drive sends shivers down my spine!

your doing the right thing (keeping it garaged) i want a council garage to put mine in

i trust my dad to drive my car but NO one else! i dont think any1 else would drive it with the respect it deserves

[e692wtt]

Re 'belting it up the motorway', try driving on ordinary roads at ordinary speeds but in a low gear so the engine is running at, say, 4000rpm, for several miles. This certainly applies where there is no local motorway or dual carriageway, and often on the motorway the traffic is slow-moving anyway... just a thought, but it works for me - you should see the stuff that blows out of the exhaust, and the car runs smoother and better for some time afterwards. Better a few blue clouds than a speeding ticket!

Regular 'thrashes' are good for any car that spends its time running from cold and in town traffic - but you don't need a high speed thrash, just get the engine revving. The engine will run hotter at 4000rpm in 2nd for several miles than at 4000rpm on the motorway, I would say - in the former case, there is less cooling airflow through the radiator and around the engine as the car is moving at less than half the speed it would be moving at with the engine at 4000rpm in 5th gear (approx 94mph for a 1.6?) when airflow will be significantly greater. Try it and see.

Re the 'knocking noise', you've not mentioned a 'loud noise that you can feel through the floor', so it's unlikely to be anything serious at all (ie the big end bearings or crankshaft - you would feel this through the floor at idle, I'm told!). Chances are it is exhaust-related. The water from the exhaust will just be condensation, but there can be a lot of it so don't worry.

The other other Rich.:)