Xantia water disappears

soupy_sam · Post by **soupy_sam** » 03 Apr 2005, 23:30

I have just done a long journey in my Xantia 1.9TD and all was well temp guage stayed at 80 car drove like a dream 620 miles on 60 ltrs diesel. When I checked the water on my return the header tank was almost empty??? I have not noticed any leaks and the oil looks good. I have refilled and all seems fine.
Is there a hidden problem somewhere that I need to know about???

toldem_oldham · Post by **toldem_oldham** » 03 Apr 2005, 23:41

Same thing happened with my pug 405 td but nothing was damaged and car is still on the road and it aint happened again according to its new owner.paul.

Richard Gallagher · Post by **Richard Gallagher** » 04 Apr 2005, 00:09

It could be as simple as the pressure cap needs replacing to a head gasket. Take the cheap option first!

np · Post by np » 04 Apr 2005, 00:19

Mine went through a faze of losing water.Turned out to be the pressure/header tank cap.Water was leaking out of it.Put a new one on,hasn`t used any water in nearly 3 years.Cost about a fiver i think at the time from Citroen.

soupy_sam · Post by **soupy_sam** » 16 Apr 2005, 13:25

Have replaced tank cap but am still losing water about 250mm (half pint)over 100 miles. Any ideas?

oilyspanner · Post by **oilyspanner** » 16 Apr 2005, 14:02

The leak will mark itself by leaving tell tale blue/white crystals of antifreeze wherever it is, time to turn detective.
Stewart

JohnT · Post by **JohnT** » 16 Apr 2005, 23:10

I suggest you check the rad for tell tale signs, and the hoses, also the heating matrix under the dashboard (damp carpets) otherwise have it pressure tested. Doing the head is not difficult if you are up to it.
John.

soupy_sam · Post by **soupy_sam** » 17 Apr 2005, 14:46

Carpets are nice and dry
How do I know if it is the head that is causing the problem???
What do I get presure tested ?

Simon Canfer · Post by **Simon Canfer** » 17 Apr 2005, 18:07

In my opinion you need either a trusted local garage or a diesel specialist like Delphi/Bosch service.
You need to get the cooling system pressure tested. They'll pressurise it, look for a pressure drop, also should check for over-pressure with engine running caused by head gasket leaking combustion gases into the cooling channels via the gasket.
I have experienced radiator, head gasket and heater matrix problems on this engine; a tell-tale for the head gasket can be bubbles in the cooling system.
Simon Canfer

davek-uk · Post by **davek-uk** » 18 Apr 2005, 16:09

In the past (with the AX) I've had problems with old hoses loosing water. If the leak is near the engine the escaping coolant can evaporate and leave no trace. And if the leak isn't too bad it often doesn't show up as a drip under the car.
Check for suspicious hoses, get the coolant tested for combustion gasses and/or get the system pressure tested. In the meantime beware of the possibility of air entering the system if the header tank gets too empty.

Post by **RichardW** » 18 Apr 2005, 17:10

It'll probabably be the radiator. Run your hand along the bottom edge and it will probably come back blue (if your antifreeze is blue!). New rad is £120 at GSF, takes a couple of hours to fit. Less appealing probabilites are the water pump (water on bottom of timing covers), or the connector on the back of the block. Head gasket usually accompanied by bubbles in the header tank, cooling system pressure even after it's stood overnight, cooling system pressure 30s after a cold start.