Please help

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billy12
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Joined: 18 Feb 2007, 19:42
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Please help

Post by billy12 »

Hi all

I am looking for some advice although i expect to be told i need to replace the head gasket.

The car is a 94 citroen xantia 1.9d sx automatic and the cooling system is pressurising very quickly and when car is cold if i top up coolant and then try to start car the coolant comes whooshing out of expansion tank.
Car can run for an hour and not heat up over 80 and the heater will not blow hot.

Would appreciate any advice

thanks
billy
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

Hi Billy -

Yes it does sound like a shot HG.
However there are a few common things you must be aware of :

1) if you brim the coolant to the edge, then after a few seconds engine running the system WILL start expell excess fluid because water expands a lot when heated - even slightly.

2) any cooling system will therefore pressurise rather fast and expell upto a liter of fluid if brimmed.

3) when the engine has cooled down after a heat-up cycle, you should therefore have (unused) spare room for at least one liter of coolant in the header tank.

Knowing that, you can always diagnose a shot HG on a PSA series XU/D engine, because they will in 99% of all cases blow (some of) the compression pressure out into the cooling system :

Observe the cooling system has adequate room for coolant expansion as pr above.
Remove coolant filler cap.
Start the engine from cold (important !)
Observe how the coolant surface behaves down the fiiler neck :
llight fizzing as from a popsoda is of no concern, normal.
Some moving as from a pump is no concern either.
But large bubbles, with increasing intensity following the engine revs, is a sure diagnosis.

On a final note : if you have just done a repair or service involving tapping off / tooping up the coolant, then be sure you have gurgled out any air locks in the coolant system.
Anders (DK) - '90 BX16Image
lighteninguk
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Post by lighteninguk »

Anders post hits all the key notes to take on board, but what worked for me in the last 6 months was replacing my filler cap. Turned out my old one had lost its knack of holding pressure so when the system got warmer whilst at a standstill the water would heat, expand, and push its way out of the cap.

Reading your post explaining your heater doesn't blow hot, i'd check if the pipes leading to and from the matrix are both getting warm cause this could suggest an air lock. If their both not getting hot then possible airlock. If they are hot are the heater controls working correctly?

Edd
ZX 1.4I 1993 Reflex KDX
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