Specific and Recommended Hijet Mechanic/ garage in Belfast Please

Hey Peeps, I've come to the end of the road, in terms of what I can do with my mums hijet and the overheating, having simply run out of time I had over last few months.

I originally shouted out a few months back, asking you about rad cap's, as a first step in a process of elimination.

Since then, I've fitted all new Caps, Thermostat, several (more than I care to remember!) flushes and full 'process' coolant refills, bleed etc, brand new Radiator, Hoses & upgraded heavy duty clamps. But its first proper run from where I've been storing it and working on lasted about 5 miles, 10 mins before full spill your guts overheat.

Next step in the saga is water pump, which I think is the last step, as would appear water is just not getting pumped around, even though everything should be free flowing now with all new bits.......

So, now to my point (sorry for the woffle), any recommended micro van, specifically hijet preferred, mechanics/ garages in, ideally Belfast, and or wider NI? Chrz

have you pressure tested the system or even the head. you covered most other things. Water pump is usually fine and replaced when cam belt changed purely as its behind it and a shame to strip it down again  just for sake of replacing it while belt is off.
the system is obviously press uprising to blow water out so I can see one of two things, the seal of the cap under the seat isn't good enough (you have cleaned the seat face where the rubber seal seals to....havnt you?) or the head gasket/head have gone allowing gasses under high pressure to enter the water system and thus overcome the set pressure release value of 0.9bar (1bar =14psi) This could be confirmed by a pressure test.
one it starts to happen either way it would just spiral, water out, air gap in, air gap expand due to heat build up, engine over heats due to, not enough coolant, not enough coolant least to more air and more expansion to push the water out...I think you get the idea. All boils down to the cooling system being a closed system and air expanding more than water hence the need to keep air out of the system and keep it sealed.
For all the above info thank Woodie...he's taught me well!
PS don't give up on it just yet, you've come so far already.

When the head gasket went on mine I seem to remember that one of the symptoms was the rubber hose being rock solid as soon as van started up due to the pressure, under normal use it still has a bit of give until the system is hot

Sorry...I did woffle too much and question missed, but thanks for replies!

Mum managed to reconnect with an old friend who owns, and has been running a hijet around Belfast for years, so she has highly recommended the garage which has been keeping hers on the road for ages. Towed it there and dropped it off this morning for fuel pump replacement. I'll update with the results, good, bad or ugly!

Link Auto Garage
Tel: 028 9043 4093
2 Meridi St, Belfast, County Antrim, BT12 6GR

Is there a Section (Sticky) where we can put good/ recommended mechanics/ garages and separately, bad/ to be avoided ones?

I'll take that as a no!

Ok......so, the sorry saga continues.......if you have a hijet in NI and need it sorted mechanically, then this is NOT the place!

Dropped it off over three weeks ago. Asked them to replace the water pump, and got the big thumbs up. They took my mobile number for contact and after 1 week, nothing. I ring, and they say give us a call in a week. When I do ring, they still have not even looked at it. I then visit in person on the Tuesday of week three, only to be told to ring back on the Friday "when we'll know more". I couldn't call on the Friday, and so rang them yesterday (Monday) only to be told "ring us again on Wednesday".....I wasn't able to go straight down there (probably best), so had to chew and stew on it, until I could visit this morning. I was able to speak to one of the senior mechanics, who said he is pretty much running the place, in the absence of the owner Gary. Richard was a decent guy about it all and accepted it was crap service and apologised. The owner Gary (who I met when dropping it off) has the charisma of a sandbag, the enthusiasm of a sloth and clearly can't stand the business or customers. Richard confirmed that they still had not looked at it, and apologised explaining that they had run the battery flat and needed to start it, earlier attempts to jump start had failed?......When I dropped it off to them, I explained that the starter battery was separate to the auxiliary battery, and pointed out where it is and how to get to it, but clearly they didn't listen, because they had been attempting to jump it off the auxiliary and wondered why it wouldn't jump!? After my revelation of where the starter battery is, I was assured by Richard that they would be getting it into the workshop later in the afternoon, get it running and look to diagnose and advise asap......so we shall see, maybe!

hmmm that's not good news but fingers crossed its a good outcome in the end.

Compte waste of your money MJ. Water pumps don't stop working. If they leak, replace it.
In all the near 50 years I have been working on cars I have only had one water pump where the impellor had come off. That was on a Mini.

If the Local garage has taken this long to NOT replace the Water Pump then I would be asking them in which YEAR they envisage replacement of the head gasket which to me sounds the villain of the peace.

Get yead off

They sound like a bunch of fannies, take it elsewhere

At least you've all made me pmsl.
I am gutted that they were recommended to us as must only have done basic service work, because if you'd to go through this crap, you'd recommend them as much as ebola!
Bunch of fannies.....ha ha love it......defo!
Ref the water pump, we did have that conversation on Tuesday and they did advise against the water pump and that it will be the head gasket as they picked up a low compression when they did initially run it......but they have said in their opinion it's better to go for another engine as the head gaskets go again within about 6 months, in their experience. So we're now considering a doner/ recon engine, as the one in it is nearly on 150k. I have been questioning something that they said which was......"we haven't been able to restart it because of the battery, but even when its trying to start you can here, theres no compression".......I am machanically savvy and im trying to work out how that's possible and keep coming back to the conclusion its BS!?

head gaskets only go again in 6 months if its not done correctly in the first place and any issues causing the issue in the first place are not resolved. Think of it this way, if that was the case don't think they would have sold very many from new if they only lasted 6 months! Not a good selling point. Don't think they know what they are doing or can't be 'arsed' to sort it out.

I hate this damn site. I have just spent 30 minutes writing out a reply and gone back into earlier messages to find out if is a 993cc or a 1300, and come back to this Post and my reply has gone.

Why oh why doesn't it save your post. Pigging useless.

Fair point raggy......im just wondering if they are saying that you can fit a head gasket but if the head is warped and not skimmed then it's only a matter of time?......but my gut tells me it is all BS, smoke screens and mirrors!
Grrrr......I lose the will to live when I lose a long reply/post so I know how ya feel woody.
Ive just rung them and spoken to the artist formerly known as Richard now called Thomas......(got his name wrong)......lol.
They did get the van started after charging and jumping the correct battery.......and they now appear to be going through the process of trying to actually find out what the problem is, because they are working through a process of......wait for it.....elimination!!!.......They are working through the system at last, they are going to check the pump rather than blindly change it, and then we'll re discuss the option of headgasket or engine if its needed.......on the face of it, we might be finally getting some where at last, but I will hold off on holding my breath for now......what was worrying was that after all this time, I was asked "it wasn't overheating was it".......errm "yes that's the reason why you've got it".......it's all very surreal but if I get it sorted I don't give a .... and like a good sheppard i'll be glad to just get the flock outta there.....

Something else he said was that there is no sign of coolant in the oil.....which I already knew......but if im right that's not always a sign of blown gasket is it!? Having done research, oil in the system is a worst case scenario blown head gasket, but you can still loose fluid, overheat and lose compression etc without it.....right?

That is correct, mine was same, no oil in water but pushed water out, not head gasket...cracked head! Garage had it repaired and its been as good as gold, been to west coast Scotland on holiday, Edinburgh and Whitby, few thousand miles later no issues. I don't thrash it and check it over so don't go casting that engine out just yet.
I ha e been very lucky though as the garage I take it to the old mechanic loves them and knows his stuff but they were Daihatsu dealers once. Just a pity you live the other side of the water, could definitely recommend them. Fingers crossed for you.

Logi wrote:They sound like a bunch of fannies, take it elsewhere

I said it before, I'll say it again. It's taken them how long to fix fuck all? That time won't be free either. A bad Hijet will sap your will to live, and paying someone for not fixing it will not make it any better. Find someone competent or scrap it.

Ahhhhhh.......ive just had a 30 min update wiped before completion......when I've regained the will to live I'll update later, but in brief.....it all kicked off at the garage this afternoon with a lot of shouting and swearing and then after threats of violence from them.......lets just say we have the van back......update more later......but you couldn't make it up!

Cool

Whooooooph.....ok

So.....I turn up at the garage this afternoon. I had gone expecting and hoping to see a 'miracle', with the van raised high on ramp and a mechanic covered by a magical glow all around him, busy getting it sorted, but ohhh no.....when I arrive it is outside up on the kerb. I immediately notice that the rear offside light lens is smashed, with the whole of the orange indicator section gone!......I park my van up, leaving my mum inside, as I knew it was going to be handbags at dawn and as luck would have it I bump into the artist formerly known as Richard, aka Thomas. I start off by asking how the van is going.....and I immediately start to get the same evasive, non descript, non committal throw away chat, as I had received from Gary, aka the Scarlet Pimpernel, and not the apparently hospitable, friendly and understanding Thomas from a few days earlier. He wasn't giving me any eye contact and I continued asking, have you had it up on the ramp yet, which he had assured me he was going to do in the afternoon following the last visit. He tells me they have not, he tells me that they have had it running tho!.....oh and he has done a bit of work, having removed no more than the fan roller and belt. He now just clearly wants me to crawl away, touching my cap and leaving them again without a clue!?....I am starting to become more irate and I continue to press him on when they are gong to get it on the ramp, when they gong to do anything, how long is a bit of string etc etc. I point out the clearly broken rear lens and he is quick to say that it has happened whilst it was parked there but they will simply get a replacement. I start to run through my experience, list why it's all been so siht and question when they are going to get it sorted......Boooom.....the artist formerly known as Richard loses it, and starts stomping off towards the garage with me in tow, with him telling me to fcuk off and me refusing to and continuing to voice my anger, frustration, demanding answers and resolution....once inside the Scarlet Pimpernel is doing some work on a vehicle in the corner, weirdly pretending like nothing is going on. Thomas is now like a bull dog chewing a wasp and displaying all the body language of a boxer preparing for 12 rounds, and we end up with me standing midway in the middle of the garage, him stomping up and down along the back wall and Scarlet just off the the side, still pretending like noting is happening. Myself and Thomas get into a loud back and forth shouting match with him continually telling me to fcuk off and to leave and me continually refusing......then Thomas, clearly having some sort of melt down, points, stares and shouts "if you don't fcuk off now I'll stave your head in with a hammer".....wow.....WTF! I take the opportunity to point out that it is actually a criminal offence to threatening to commit Grievous Bodily Harm and a common law offence to put any person in fear of being subjected to unlawful violence......At this point the owner Gary decides it might be a good time to intervene and so he starts to calm the situation, telling Thomas to "get on" (go home)....whilst he continued to have a melt down at the back of the garage, whilst trying to back track and play silly buggers by denying what he had said!....needless to say Gary played equally as ignorant, pretending he didn't hear anything.....so I now inform them that unless I am spoken to, to some level of decency, and the situation doesn't calm down, I will call the Police. Richard goes off to melt down in an office whilst Gary walks me to outside and we discuss what has happened and I take him through how siht the situation has been and is. I'm told that "communication has broken down"....no siht Sherlock! With tension in the air as thick as a nuclear bunker, we agree to part ways, with me grabbing the van back as is, no charges of any kind from them and a replacement lens....I won't hold my breath for that, but he did order it while I was with him and said he would ring when it's there.....if he does get it, I'll take a face staving, hammer resistant helmet next time!!!......Whilst I hooked it up for towing, they were very quick to shut up shop and fcuk off, well ahead of closing time.....from start to finish, a truely shocking unbelievable experience, but that's Ulster for you, a bullet in the head is as good as a refund!!!

wow

what a bunch of retards.
i would never come there again and tell your story to everybody who wants to hear it

So.....we now have a van, exactly as it was when we dropped it off a month ago apart from a broken lens and detached fanbelt and roller of course, now parked up while I now get my head around what to do and where to go next next.....

Ha ha brilliant, the useless lazy bastards
At least you got it back before they furkred it up
There's only one thing to do now
You are going to have to whip that head off
Easy enough once you get stuck in

Tally ho

Dennispenis.......your avtar always makes me chuckle.....what was that comedy character name.....I remember the double decker adverts "trouble up top...huummff".....lol

Wish I had time Dennis but I genuinely don't so need it doing......

Damn right Scotia

If you keep it parked up, in the bottom of the canal, then its guaranteed to never overheat.