Citroen C5 2.2HDi Sump Draining ???

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kentc5
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Citroen C5 2.2HDi Sump Draining ???

Post by kentc5 »

Hello Guys,

I was under the car yesterday to do a little service as the indicator said it needed to be done... so got all my filters and oils and jacked up the car for the oil drainage...
now while I was under, I could not see at all!!!! the draining screw for the sump where on earth is it?

Also looking for the leak on my suspension I seen a pipe that comes from the top... and goes to the front and under the radiator... that had a slight leak I tightened the clip and seems to be OK now...
monitoring the suspension tank as it had more less 1lt missing... need to top up a bit more to bring it back to normal.

Does anyone know what sort of fluid a bright green would be?? I think it might be the washing fluid?? I know my washing fluid bottle has some sort of leak over a specific level...
The Hydralic suspension fluid is light brown colour.
The coolant is red...

So trying to see if I am missing anything.
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Re: Citroen C5 2.2HDi Sump Draining ???

Post by SaabC5 »

From memory the sump oil drain is on the back of the sump on the side, its a hex key and almost flat to the sump so its difficult to see.

Suspension LDS fluid should be dayglo orange not brown, i hope the previous owner hasn't mixed LDS orange fluid with LHM green fluid, that could be what you are seeing. Coolant is pinky/orangey colour, power steering almost clear but goes brown with age. Washer bottle seams are known to split so you can only get 2 of the 4 litres in without a leak. Replacement bottle for mine was £34.
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Re: Citroen C5 2.2HDi Sump Draining ???

Post by Peter.N. »

Yes, rear of the sump on the drivers side. I am well familier with mine as I smashed the sump and had to replace it - two oil changes in 1000 miles :(

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Re: Citroen C5 2.2HDi Sump Draining ???

Post by kentc5 »

Oh no ... Peter that is no good... :(

Saab ... I hope the previous owner did not mix up the system... as I have been putting in LDS!! lol did not seem green in the tank before I top up though.

Where is the power steering fluid? I through ... and judging by the drawing on the suspension tank it is for steering and suspension the same tank. ?
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Re: Citroen C5 2.2HDi Sump Draining ???

Post by myglaren »

Power steering fluid is LDS - the suspension and power steering share the LDS reservoir but have separate pumps.
V-
Chapitre 2
SUSPENSION - DIRECTION - FREINS
A - SUSPENSION
IMPERATIF : Il est impératif de respecter les consignes de sécurité et de
propreté décrites dans la brochure après-vente "précautions et
recommandations".
1 - Présentation
La suspension est hydraulique.
La suspension est autoadpatative.
Il existe 2 types de suspension :
• hydractive 3ème génération ou hydractive 3,
• hydractive 3ème génération + ou hydractive 3+.
Affectation :
Hydractive 3 EW7J4, DW10TD
Hydractive 3 + EW10J4, EW10D, ES9J4S, DW12TED4
2 - Caractéristiques
Le fluide de suspension (LDS : Liquide Direction Suspension) est de
couleur orange et 100 % synthétique.
Le fluide de suspension LDS est conditionné en bidon de 1 litre (Réf. PR :
9979.69).
Important : Le fluide de suspension LDS n'est pas miscible avec le
liquide hydraulique LHM.

X4001D
PRESENTATION C5
© AUTOMOBILES CITROËN Toute reproduction ou traduction même partielle sans l'autorisation écrite d'AUTOMOBILES CITROËN est interdite et constitue une
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Re: Citroen C5 2.2HDi Sump Draining ???

Post by kentc5 »

I thought correct then Mr Steve aka Linux Dalek lol....
Thank you
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Re: Citroen C5 2.2HDi Sump Draining ???

Post by myglaren »

The green fluid has me baffled.
I can only think that it has been drained and filled with LHM, that is in the suspension system and that it has subsequently been filled with LDS that is circulating while the LHM is more or less trapped in the suspension rams and pipes.

Failing that, my Citroen coolant (antigel) is green, but now bright green like LHM.

Years ago I loaned my BX to my daughter and some of the family to go on holiday in, their car being unavailable.
She phoned and said there was green fluid leaking, on the steering rack.
I told her to keep an eye on it, top it (LHM) up from the can in the boot and get it to a garage when they arrived.

No word from them so presumed it was done. Car overheated and died on the way home. The green fluid was the very bright green coolant, same colour as LHM.
Cracked head and blown gasket :( Heater hose was leaking but they never checked that.
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Re: Citroen C5 2.2HDi Sump Draining ???

Post by kentc5 »

For the peace of mind... I think I will try to drain the suspension system and fill it up the LDS the "normal it should be then?"
It is strange ... cause I used to have where the leak was orange colour ... brown with the muck of the undertray mixed up I guess oily fluid dripping ... hence I guessed it was LDS leaking.
Now the bight green I found traced in the just behind the leap of the bumper under the radiaor where the front of the engine under tray should mount ... (which under tray is missing anyway) So it makes me wonder what sort of plumping there there...

I might take a picture tomorrow and show which pipe was the obvious one leaking.

By the way I have not needed to topup any coolant ... anthe level has not dropped since I topped it up with red coolant 2 weeks ago however I have seen a lot of drop lets on the bottom of the radiator plastics.... this is where I have seen traces of the bright green fluid.
But I am sure the coolant that was in the car before I topup was red colour...

It makes me want to put the car on the rum and thoroughly jetwash and degrease the whole underneith lol !! I wish!
Current Cars:
Citroen Xantia 3.0 V6 Exclusive ('98)
Alfa Romeo 166 2.0TS ('03)
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Re: Citroen C5 2.2HDi Sump Draining ???

Post by RichardW »

Does the AC still work? It's possible the oil in there is green, or they've put in a UV dye which appears green in normal light....
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Re: Citroen C5 2.2HDi Sump Draining ???

Post by kentc5 »

RichardW wrote:Does the AC still work? It's possible the oil in there is green, or they've put in a UV dye which appears green in normal light....
aaahhh... might be the case, does seem to work... when I press the Auto or A/C button I can hear the clutch engaging etc. Seems to be not super cold though, however not easy to check with the weather out there at the moment.
Will inverstigate further on that.


On another note, the LDS tank has not lost any LDS over the last 2 days, the coolant hasn't lost anything over the past 2 weeks.
So I think that tighening I did on the metal crimp has sorted out the LDS? leak. I am keeping an eye on it ... I had to put in 1,5lts of LDS to bring it up to the middle of the window.
Current Cars:
Citroen Xantia 3.0 V6 Exclusive ('98)
Alfa Romeo 166 2.0TS ('03)
Audi A6 C6 2.4 V6 SE ('05)
BMW 735i Individual M-Pack ('00)
Lexus GS300SE Navigator ('98)
Toyota Prius T-Spirit ('04)
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