Forum:
Resently my family and i took our diahatsu hijet for a overnight stay with friends. (200miles there and back)
About an hour and a half in the the trip the poor car was getting really hot, worried it my die on the motorway we continued our trip 
just miles from my friends the engine cut out and came back again 
we were very worried but got to our desination. After a few hours to cool we checked the water level and replace nearly 2litres.
\the following day we were just desperate to get home but within 2 miles the car had reached boiling point so we pulled to the side and called the AA 
he soon diagnosed that the head gasket had gone he towed us to a garage and we continued home by train. I imagined that i would never see my little family motor again but within the week i had a call and the damage was only the head gasket at the cost of just under £300 
i'm returning to fetch her next week 
£
Sounds a reasonable price for a garage job. Now make certain the radiator is not loosing coolant or the head will go again. Check the radiator cap is secure - the cap's lugs get weak and the fluid evapourates. If loose squash the lugs so the cap fits snug or replace the seal - cut one from inner tube!
thanks
thanks for the advice niether of us are very mechanacally minded, but very keen learn as this car meets all our needs
Overheating & Head gasket
Hi, be sure to keep a close eye on your temp gauge as when older engines overheat any silt or lime scale deposits that have accumulated over the years in the engine tend to flake off with the heat and find their way into the radiator tubes, where they restrict the flow of water