I have a new problem. On Weds morning, when I reversed out of the garage, I noticed an interesting puddle. When I parked up last night, I placed a clean bit of cardboard underneath the car to get a closer look.
It is underneath the passengers side of the engine. It is clear/yellowy, not very viscous and does not smell of anything in particular. It's in a funny place for a brake fluid leak and the level still seems okay. Could it be PAS fluid? I cannot get the top off the reservior to check as it was apparently done up by King Kong's big brother, so I will have wait until I can get a macho man (sic) to undo it for me. It's in what I assume is the right sort of place for gearbox oil, but it does not have that distinctive aroma and does not appear to be viscous enough... unless Citroën use some weird proprietory stuff?
What happens if you suddenly run out of PAS fluid when driving along chaps? Does it revert to horrible heavy steering or do you lose steering altogether?
I am going to get the local monkeys to stivk it up on the ramp and see what they can see (these are the ones who missed my VERY leaky thermostat housing with a pressure test), so if anybody has any useful comments to make before then, or other things to have a look at whilst they have it up on the ramp, please let me know. Short notice, but some of you are at least as big skivers as I am! [:D]
Ta!
ZX mystery leak
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RichardW
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It's lunch time....at the moment!
Gearbox oil (should) stink to high heaven, so probably not that.
Could be PAS or brake fluid - I'd get it looked at ASAP as you don't want no brakes. If you run out of fluid the PAS will just go heavy - control will not be affected (although if you go through a time of on-off power steering it makes things interesting! Funny place for PAS fluid leak though, I'd have thought - but then it IS a Citroen!
Richard
Gearbox oil (should) stink to high heaven, so probably not that.
Could be PAS or brake fluid - I'd get it looked at ASAP as you don't want no brakes. If you run out of fluid the PAS will just go heavy - control will not be affected (although if you go through a time of on-off power steering it makes things interesting! Funny place for PAS fluid leak though, I'd have thought - but then it IS a Citroen!
Richard
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Jon
Pas fluid (Dextron ATX) being red, or muddy red after use in the system , I think that we can rule that one out.
Clear, yellowy? Um, well brake fuid is generally clear when new and gets a bit black after a time.
This, considering its a Citroen, and its diesel, well odds on a coolant leak then!!!!!
[:0]
Clear, yellowy? Um, well brake fuid is generally clear when new and gets a bit black after a time.
This, considering its a Citroen, and its diesel, well odds on a coolant leak then!!!!!
[:0]
...but my coolant is <font color="blue">blue</font id="blue"> and besides, this didn't have that nasty slimy feel that coolant has.
Anyway, monkey man swung down from the banana tree to tell me that it is power steering fluid and also 'minor and not to worry' (my pretty little head?). He managed to get the top off the reservoir (any simian relationship with aforementioned King Kong I wonder) and the fluid is very yukky looking, but apparently I am not to worry about that either. Hmmm [:I]
Well, I don't like leaks, especially ones that appear suddenly, so It will be jack it up, stick it on the axle stands and have a look myself I think.
Are the PAS pipes generally ridgid or plastic/rubber types? Does one have to buy Citroën ones? After spending £18.50 on a bit of string with a stretchy elastic bit in the middle, I am not so keen on this as perhaps I once was [:0]
Anyway, monkey man swung down from the banana tree to tell me that it is power steering fluid and also 'minor and not to worry' (my pretty little head?). He managed to get the top off the reservoir (any simian relationship with aforementioned King Kong I wonder) and the fluid is very yukky looking, but apparently I am not to worry about that either. Hmmm [:I]
Well, I don't like leaks, especially ones that appear suddenly, so It will be jack it up, stick it on the axle stands and have a look myself I think.
Are the PAS pipes generally ridgid or plastic/rubber types? Does one have to buy Citroën ones? After spending £18.50 on a bit of string with a stretchy elastic bit in the middle, I am not so keen on this as perhaps I once was [:0]
I have just thought, I should rapidly point out that my referring to the local garage mechenics as monkeys is most definately NOT a race thing. It's just me being rude about their cranial capacity, plus a play on that grease monkey thing. It suddenly occurred to me that it may be misconstrued that they were black/asian and I was a rascist, neither of which is true. Wouldn't want to cause offense. Okay, that's not strictly true, I often enjoy causing offense, but never of that particular type, and certainly not here in Andyspares' forum. I'll get me coat....[xx(]
Seems like an odd colour for power steering fluid, it's normally recognisably pinky/browny in my experience. The proper BV gearbox fluid doesn't stink like EP does, is yellowy/browny and is quite thin, so it could be that. Definately worth checking.
If it isn't PS fluid, sounds like you could do with changing that anyway. I remove what I can from the reservoir with a turkey baster then fill it back up with fresh fluid. If you're obsessive, you could run the engine aftrewards while turning the steering from lock to lock a few times then change it again, but I've never felt the need to do so.
If it isn't PS fluid, sounds like you could do with changing that anyway. I remove what I can from the reservoir with a turkey baster then fill it back up with fresh fluid. If you're obsessive, you could run the engine aftrewards while turning the steering from lock to lock a few times then change it again, but I've never felt the need to do so.
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Jon