Xantia water leak......

paranoid · Post by **paranoid** » 19 Apr 2005, 01:10

Just found a lovely big puddle under the new xant, tracked it down to the bottom of the rad rusting away[V]
Any tips for changing the damn thing, how do the clips hold the hoses in?
It's got air-con does this make much difference.
Need to get it done soon as poss because it don't look good down there[V]

np · Post by np » 19 Apr 2005, 02:35

Very difficult if the hoses have the original clips on[}:)][:(!].They are the spring type,where you need to squeeze it together with pliers or grips to release the tension,then slide it away fron the hos end.The top hose is fine,but the bottom one is a pig to get to,as the a/con pipes are in the way,& severe lack of room.Once you get the clip off,you can squeeze your arm down there to pull the pipe off.You really need hands the size of a babys[:(].After 5 hours i managed to get it off.Replaced the clips with good old jubilie clips.(takes 20 mins to remove whole rad now)Can now unscrew the bottom one from underneath with a long screwdriver.Apart from that,its pretty straight foward.If its a TD,remove the intercooler pipes in front of the rad in the engine bay.Remove the top[:D] hose & bottom[}:)][:(!] hose,unclip the 2 securing tabs at the top of the rad,tilt towards the engine,then lift off the lugs at the bottom of the rad.

paranoid · Post by **paranoid** » 19 Apr 2005, 03:09

I know the type you mean (like a big spring that gets bigger the tighter you clamp it) the one on the stat housing is like that.
The ones on the rad don't look like that, the hoses seem to go into plastic sockets with a sprung steel wire.
Where is the other end of the bottom hose, it might be easier to take it out with hose attached

np · Post by np » 19 Apr 2005, 10:37

I think the other end goes behind the engine.I couldn`t even see the end of it!

Homer · Post by **Homer** » 19 Apr 2005, 10:41

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by paranoid</i>

The ones on the rad don't look like that, the hoses seem to go into plastic sockets with a sprung steel wire.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
That sounds like the ones on my ex.
I don't know how they held in but I once leant on one and it passed water. I just wiggled it back in and it was fine.

Post by **RichardW** » 19 Apr 2005, 12:43

I think the later cars have the bayonet type fittings where you have to rotate the plastic clamp, then the pipe 'just' pulls off (ZX TD uses this system). They are supposed to be much worse than the old push on hose types, which are a pig to get off. The newer ones are difficult to get to seal - read Jon's write up somewhere about changing the clutch and rad on his ZX.... The bottom hose goes right around to the back of the engine and onto the water pump inlet. You might need to take the O/S drive shaft out to get this end off, and the water pump inlet is not exactly known to be a robust piece of engineering either!
Best of luck!

davek-uk · Post by **davek-uk** » 19 Apr 2005, 14:30

Wow hold on chaps! The rad hose connections are purely push fit on the late 1.9TDs - they use the 2.1TD rad. The 'spring' is basically a "U" shape that fits in groves in the rad housing that clips the end of the pipe insert to keep it in place. In theory a very simple affair that is very efficient. In practice the top hose is dead simple and the bottom hose, that tends to rust itself in, is a damn pig.
When you're ready to start, pull off the spring on the top hose and pull it out. It really is that simple. Then replace the spring and push it back in. The bottom hose connection is just the same.
Unfortunately the bottom hose is damn near impossible to get to. And it is the most difficult because it corrodes and gets stuck. I had to saw the corner of the rad off and cut and split the remaining housing to get rid of mine.
When you put it all together make sure you have meticulously cleaned up the bottom hose connector or you will find it doesn't fit in the housing properly. They are sealed by being a tight fit and they need to clip inplace.
Take note: if you haven't cleaned and fitted the bottom hose connector properly (and you have very little room to decide whether or not it is fitting properly) it will pop off and you'll loose all your coolant. It happened to me. Fortunately it was a leak rather than a full disconnect but one waggle and it was free. I chickened out and called the AA; the VERY nice man took three hours to put it in properly! Well done the AA - I'd have given up ages ago!
The bottom hose goes around the left of the engine to the water pump. I think it goes through the bodywork so it isn't that simple to remove the rad with it attached.