MajorCommonEngine

Daihatsu Move: EF-DE Head Gasket Inter-Cylinder Failure

EF-DE Head Gasket Inter-Cylinder Failure is a common engine fault on the Daihatsu Move on the 1998–2010 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $800 to $1,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 20 documented faults on the Daihatsu Move.

Vehicle: Daihatsu Move
Engine: EF-DE
Years: 1998–2010
Fuel: petrol
System: Engine

This page covers the Daihatsu Move as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Daihatsu Move faults20 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

What goes wrong

The EF-DE 659cc DOHC three-cylinder engine used in the L900 and L150 Move series has a documented head gasket failure mode specifically between cylinders 2 and 3. The three-cylinder inline layout creates an asymmetric cooling pattern in the centre of the block where coolant flow is least efficient. The aluminium head expands and contracts at a different rate to the cast-iron block, and the fire-ring lands between cylinders 2 and 3 are the narrowest on the gasket. Repeated thermal cycling causes the composite gasket material to compress permanently (gasket crush), leading to a hot-gas path between the two middle combustion chambers. This results in cross-cylinder combustion gas contamination rather than coolant leakage, making detection harder than a typical external leak.

What you would notice

Rough idle that worsens when engine reaches operating temperature
Misfire on cylinders 2 or 3 with no external coolant loss
White or blue-tinged exhaust on acceleration despite no oil consumption
Combustion gas detected in coolant reservoir (bubbling) via block test kit
Loss of compression on two adjacent cylinders

How to check it

Where to look. Cylinder head gasket, between cylinders 2 and 3, centre of the engine block

Perform a block test (combustion gas test) on the coolant reservoir. Check oil for milky emulsification at the dipstick and oil filler cap. If a workshop inspection is possible: Perform cylinder leak-down test and listen for hiss from adjacent cylinders. Conduct a compression test on all three cylinders: pressure drop between adjacent cylinders 2 and 3 indicates inter-cylinder leak.

Parts involved: Head gasket.

What it costs to put right

$800 to $1,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has the head gasket ever been replaced or the head removed?”
“Does the engine idle smoothly when fully warmed up?”
“Has a compression test been done recently?”

Now check the Daihatsu Move you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Daihatsu Move buyer questions

Is ef-de head gasket inter-cylinder failure serious on a Daihatsu Move?

We rate it major and common on the Daihatsu Move. The EF-DE 659cc DOHC three-cylinder engine used in the L900 and L150 Move series has a documented head gasket failure mode specifically between cylinders 2 and 3. The three-cylinder inline layout creates an asymmetric cooling pattern in the centre of the block where coolant flow is least efficient. The aluminium head expands and contracts at a different rate to the cast-iron block, and the fire-ring lands between cylinders 2 and 3 are the narrowest on the gasket. Repeated thermal cycling causes the composite gasket material to compress permanently (gasket crush), leading to a hot-gas path between the two middle combustion chambers. This results in cross-cylinder combustion gas contamination rather than coolant leakage, making detection harder than a typical external leak.

How much does it cost to fix on a Daihatsu Move?

$800 to $1,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Daihatsu Move years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1998–2010 Daihatsu Move. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.