Coolant and fanbelt.

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
bbb
Posts: 39
Joined: 23 Aug 2010, 18:20
Location: Midlands
My Cars:

Coolant and fanbelt.

Post by bbb »

Hello,
Couple of questions.
Is it ok to use ethylene glycol coolant? need to change the coolant asap.

My fanbelt is very noisy with the squeal not stopping until over 2K revs. Is it possible to re-tension and how straightforward is replacing it?

Thanks
bbb

should probably mention the car is a 95 Xantia 1.9d sx
stedmancinques
Posts: 40
Joined: 20 Jan 2011, 13:25
Location: Staplehurst, Kent
My Cars:

Post by stedmancinques »

Are you sure it's the drivebelt, and not the alternator bearings, as a loose belt or worn bearings make a very similar screeching?
The traditional test is to run about a pint of water onto the inside of the belt with the engine running (and squeaking!). If the squeaking stops momentarily it's the belt, (the water temporarily improves the grip), if it doesn't its the bearings. Changing the belt is fairly straightforward. Can't comment on ethylene glycol, Cheers,
1964 DS 19
1973 Ami 8
1982 GSA Break
1981 GSA C-matic
1997 Xantia Auto
User avatar
Paul-R
Donor 2023
Posts: 6916
Joined: 07 May 2009, 16:24
Location: Wirral, NW England; Vaucluse 84, France
Lexia Available: Yes
My Cars: 2015 1.6 Blue HDi 120 Peugeot 308 Active SW
2013 2.0 HDi 163 C5 Exclusive Tourer
2003 2.0 HDi 110 C5 Exclusive Estate (Gone)
2001 2.0 HDi 90 Xsara Estate (Gone)
x 1369

Post by Paul-R »

Nearly all coolant liquids are ethylene glycol, strictly MEG (mono ethylene glycol), and only a very, very few are MPG (mono propylene glycol). MPG is used mostly in solar heating circuits as, unlike MEG, it is non-poisonous so wouldn't matter if it worked its way into the tap water.

What you will find is that there are coolant liquids with different working lives. the lower spec appears to be coloured blue or green and have a life of 2 - 3 years.

Then there's the 5 year spec which is coloured red. If you're changing from blue/green to red it's important to make sure that the engine, radiator and heater system are thoroughly flushed through as they are not compatible. It appears that the additives in the red type turn to sludge if any blue/green additives are still here.

You should also check that the coolant contains corrosion inhibitors and is suitable for alumium or mixed engines but they nearly all do.
As I get older I think a lot about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.

"Trying is the first step towards failure" ~ Homer J Simpson​
bbb
Posts: 39
Joined: 23 Aug 2010, 18:20
Location: Midlands
My Cars:

Post by bbb »

i have no idea what was in before so will give it a clean, worth using radflush?

will try the water on the fan belt this weekend. are the alternators re-buildable?
User avatar
Paul-R
Donor 2023
Posts: 6916
Joined: 07 May 2009, 16:24
Location: Wirral, NW England; Vaucluse 84, France
Lexia Available: Yes
My Cars: 2015 1.6 Blue HDi 120 Peugeot 308 Active SW
2013 2.0 HDi 163 C5 Exclusive Tourer
2003 2.0 HDi 110 C5 Exclusive Estate (Gone)
2001 2.0 HDi 90 Xsara Estate (Gone)
x 1369

Post by Paul-R »

Can you let some of the liquid out of a hose at the bottom? If it come out with loads of rusty thick liquid then it needs flushing thoroughly with a hose at least.

I don't know if Radflush works or not bu if I were to use it it would be after flushing wih a hose.

BTW, I didn't mention the very cheap coolant you used to be able to get years ago which basically just meths. It worked for a very short while but soon evaporated.
As I get older I think a lot about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.

"Trying is the first step towards failure" ~ Homer J Simpson​
bbb
Posts: 39
Joined: 23 Aug 2010, 18:20
Location: Midlands
My Cars:

Post by bbb »

haven't tried the water on the belt yet but had a quick look before work and it looks loose. on the vertical run from the alternator to the hydro pump the belt can be twisted through almost 100 degrees (rough estimate) but should it be only 45 deg??

How do I adjust the tensioner pulley and how do i access it?
guessing its from underneath with the undertray removed.
bbb
Posts: 39
Joined: 23 Aug 2010, 18:20
Location: Midlands
My Cars:

Post by bbb »

changed coolant today without to much bother, old stuff came out clean with no rust in it.

Car has the manual aux belt adjuster, the pinch bolt came undone ok but when trying to move the adjuster the allen headed bolt stripped.

Is it possible to get the tensioner off the car without cutting the belt and can the tensioning bolt be replaced with a similar sized bolt? Or do i need to get the under tray off and break out the easy outs.

thanks
Xantidote
Posts: 1146
Joined: 03 May 2009, 22:07
Location: Merseyside
My Cars:
x 5

Post by Xantidote »

If your car's like mine (no air-con), the tensioner allen bolt head faces downwards, and is more than just a bolt - it has a "shoulder" on it which presses against the metal bracket, to create the tension. Get another from scrappy? You should be able to remove the tensioner without cutting the belt. Memorise the belt's route for reassembly. Belt routing is different on air-con models - am unsure how this affects the tensioning arrangement.

Did you slacken both the tensioner's 2 fixing bolts? The less obvious one is in the centre of the tensioner wheel. My replacement tensioner assembly came with a plastic grommit to stop water ingress into the bearing, and this successfully hides the less obvious bolt (both are allen bolts).
Martin

1995 Xantia TDLX (deceased :( )
bbb
Posts: 39
Joined: 23 Aug 2010, 18:20
Location: Midlands
My Cars:

Post by bbb »

:( didn't know there was a second bolt on the tensioner, that may well explain why the tensioner failed to move and the bolt started to round off :oops: . Hopefully with the other bolt slackened I may be able to save the bottom bolt.
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49526
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6160
Contact:

Post by CitroJim »

I've known the shouldered Allen bolt to be exceedingly tight in the casting thread. If after undoing the pulley bolts it is still reluctant to move, remove the whole frame it sits on and get some heat and penetrating oil on the bolt threads and work it carefully until it is free.
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Post Reply