xantia coolant?.

Stekelly · Post by **Stekelly** » 18 Aug 2011, 16:06

Quick one this time. Was changing oit the lhm in my 1.8 today and figured id check the coolant. Very very low. Theres chalky build up around the thermostat housing on the engine side so I figure ill be replacing the gasket after my trip next week. So the question is which coolant is likely to be in it so I can top up? Pink? Is there a way I can check? Bearing in mind I cant through the coolant tank

Clogzz · Post by **Clogzz** » 18 Aug 2011, 17:21

The chalk is seepage of lime from hard tap water in the coolant.
The original coolant is blue or green 50% glycol.
The only way to check is by opening a vent cap to see what colour comes out.
I’d say to top up for now and leave the cap loose at the first stop to prevent leakage from pressurisation.
Glycol doesn’t simmer and doesn’t need pressurising at low altitudes.
I always drive with a loose cap and it’s 30°C every day in summer here.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 18 Aug 2011, 19:40

as Cloggs say blue or green and as im sure you can mix these two i wouldnt worry,

take the spark plugs out to see if there is any diference in colour, as this will tell you if coolant is getting intoone or more of the combustion chambers,

regards malcolm

Stekelly · Post by **Stekelly** » 18 Aug 2011, 20:53

Cheers lads, I'll get on it in the morning.

So it would have most likely had the blue stuff originally? Might drain it tomorrow anyway and give it a full fill of fresh coolant. Will give me the chance to take off the thermostat and clean off all that lime too.

Thats the secondary job to putting the hydraflush in and bleeding the brakes though. I got called away by her indoors to go on a very important shopping trip while I was in the middle of it.

Post by **RichardW** » 19 Aug 2011, 07:49

I wouldn't be so sure on blue/green AF.... Citroen went over to an OAT based long life coolant at around 2000 - my (built late 2000) Xantia was filled with this, and there is no change interval specified in the handbook. Mind you it was starting to look a bit rusty after 10 years / 110k miles! The Citroen long life stuff is almost colourless.

Stekelly · Post by **Stekelly** » 19 Aug 2011, 16:17

Right, went and got myself 5 litres of nice fresh stuff to refill it. Opened the drain plug on the bottom of the rad. Now my only issue is where
the drain plug on the cylinder head is? Dont suppose anyone can point me in the right direction, preferably with a nice pic

cheers

Clogzz · Post by **Clogzz** » 19 Aug 2011, 16:32

No drains high up, vent caps only.
Something like items 2 and 13.
Beware of 2, it seizes and the tube then turns with it.
If so, turn it back and loosen cap 13 to let the air out.

Stekelly · Post by **Stekelly** » 19 Aug 2011, 17:15

Cheers. went for the thermostat out option in the end. just oing to refill now so trying to find any bleed screws i didnt bother finding when emptying

.

I see a dust cap up at the pipes where they head in to the heater matrix at the back of the engine bay. It's buried up in there but i assume its a bleed screw for the coolant?

Clogzz · Post by **Clogzz** » 19 Aug 2011, 17:29

Yes it is, and there may be another one at the end of the heater pipe along the LHM tank.
On some thermostat housings, item 2 is screwed straight into the housing with an allen key head instead of on a short tube.
No problems if it’s seized, I’ve never had any air come out of there, but that was on the 8 valve head.

Stekelly · Post by **Stekelly** » 19 Aug 2011, 21:27

Made a silly boo boo. Went to gsf and picked up the 5ltr of this http://www.carplan.co.uk/index.cfm?product=113 . Without thinking I just lashed it all in (5 litres in and the expansion tank still has a bit in it, i can just see some blue at the bottom, is it not an 8 litre system? ) without dilluting. I'm guessing the easiest thing to do is just drain it all out and get a new bottle and mix it this time rather than try to take out a litre or two and dillute whats left?

The bottle mentions mixes of up to 50% but I doubt if I just took out 1 litre I'd get 4 litres of water in to the system.

As soon as I did it I thought to myself "you dope".

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 20 Aug 2011, 09:06

i usualy use 3lt's in an average sized car cooling system,

although you are ment to mix it 50 50 before installing, i usualy pour 1lt antifreeze then water till i have used the 3lt's of antifreeze, then keep topping up with water till the cooling system is corectly full and happy,

regards malcolm