Xantia - LHM leak

[angle]

Hi,

I've just got back from work to find a note through my front door letting me know that my Xantia is leaking 'oil'. And yep, it is (or - LHM). Unfortunately no pictures of the underneath as the light is going and the lady whose house its currently parked outside came out for a brief moan, but having stuck it on high it appears to be coming from one of the two pipes that run along the drivers side of the car, a few inches behind the B-pillar. On a brief flick through, Haynes doesn't seem to have a diagram of what pipes run where but I'm assuming this is potentially something taking LHM to the rear brakes / suspension - correct? And likely to be difficult enough to fix to need to take to a garage / expensive? Its dripping but not gushing, and no stop light is on - I'm assuming in that case safe to drive to a garage if needed?

Thanks for any help.

Mark

[wurlycorner]

If it's dripping not gushing/spraying out, it's likely to be a return line only in which case, yes it's perfectly safe to drive.

[CitroJim]

Hi Mark,

Where it is dripping can be a long way from the source..

There's nothing directly in that area.

I'd suspect a perished Strut return hose and for this have a look under the driver's side fromnt wheel and see if it's wet with LHM.

Otherwise it may be the leakage return has popped off the front height corrector in the middle rear of the front subframe or perhaps the brake dosuer leakage return has sprung a leak which will be seen by looking at the dosuer under the bonnet.

Fianlly, look at the steering rack pinion valve at the bottom of the steering column.

Leaks from any of these places can exit in the general area where you are seeing it.

Important thing is to look and determine the cause before driving much further. A bad leak on the return side can soon see the LHM reservoir empty and then strand you. I have had it happen quite recently..

[citronut]

Jim
i doubt its leg pipe as the OP say "a few inches behind the B-pillar.",

could be a rear brake feed pipe, see if it squirts more citro blood with the engine running and someones foot on the brake pedal,

ar as suggested above a rear return pipe

[CitroJim]

I've seen LHM travelling a very long way in the past Malcolm

It was mainly to give the OP a range of possibilities to check and to make the point that the source is not necessarily at the leak site.

Brake pipes are all on the other side aren't they? Unless the OPs car is a left-hooker of course!

[c.morewood]

I'm with you Jim.. LHM can go a long way from the source and fool you into taking perfectly servisable bits apart.
Angle, Try this website.. http://service.citroen.com/pages/index.jsp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; you need to register.. its free .. put in your vin number and it'll let you see the pipes and where they go to.. plus lots of other diagrams, parts lists etc..
You (well I can't ) print directly off the site. But you can copy and paste onto a Word document and then print, then take it with you under the car and follow the pipes.
Hope this helps

PS you may find these threads helpful.
http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... =3&t=47780" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... =3&t=43884" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; about my trials with a rear LHM leak.

PPS there are anumber of genuine return pipes on EBay courtesy of lcslouth

[citronut]

I've seen LHM travelling a very long way in the past Malcolm

this is true of course

Brake pipes are all on the other side aren't they? Unless the OPs car is a left-hooker of course!

yep silly me

so could it be a fuel leak with perforated ( whooooops shouldnt use that word round Jim ) fuel lines

[citronut]

Angle, Try this website.. http://service.citroen.com/pages/index.jsp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; you need to register.. its free .. put in your vin number and it'll let you see the pipes and where they go to.. plus lots of other diagrams, parts lists etc..
You (well I can't ) print directly off the site. But you can copy and paste onto a Word document and then print, then take it with you under the car and follow the pipes.
Hope this helps

although S/C has its use's it dosent show the pipes as they lay on/under the car

[angle]

yep silly me

so could it be a fuel leak with perforated ( whooooops shouldnt use that word round Jim ) fuel lines

I think you might have a point - I was looking in the Xantia Plumbing sticky and think I must have got the diagram the wrong way round and assumed the brake pipes went up the drivers side. Having gone out this morning in the light (and pacified the neighbour and attracted a small crowd of school children and binmen with some up and down suspension action) I've realised its coming from one of the pipes that look like they come down from the fuel tank.

Leak is level with where the axle stand is:



And is coming from here:



So - fuel lines - difficult to replace on the street with a basic tool set?

Thanks again for your help.

Mark

[RichardW]

If you were to replace the entire fuel line (which that leak definitely is from!) it would be a trial. However, it's likely to be just a split there somewhere, so it should be possible to reapir it with a bit of fuel hose, some copper tube, and a couple of jubilee clips. Likely to be a messy horrible job though!!

Edit looks like there is a change from rubber to plastic / metal at that location. Might be that the pipe has just split, and can be cut back and reattached.

[CitroJim]

Likely to be a messy horrible job though!!

Oh Gawd it is I once replaced one of those because the return line had split and leaked in exactly the same place as yours Angle. Have some cat litter handy to mop up the inevitable fuel spills and use a big litter tray to catch as much spilt fuel as possible.

I replaced whole rubber pipe from the metal end right to the pump but if you can get away with a splice for now then do but be warned that if the pipe has gone in one place it may well be perished and might let go in other places quite soon.

[citronut]

Have some cat litter handy to mop up the inevitable fuel spills and use a big litter tray to catch as much spilt fuel as possible.

i bet the cat loves using its tray soaked in weesal

[CitroJim]

Have some cat litter handy to mop up the inevitable fuel spills and use a big litter tray to catch as much spilt fuel as possible.

i bet the cat loves using its tray soaked in weesal

Just blame it on RoboCat

If you ever go into a pet shop to buy a litter tray for your workshop for gawd's sake don't tell 'em it's not actually for a cat. I did and immediately regretted it.

Against that, they're cheap and the really big ones are perfect for catching spills, splashes, draining LHM and ATF and as a parts washer.

[angle]

looks like there is a change from rubber to plastic / metal at that location. Might be that the pipe has just split, and can be cut back and reattached.

For closure - this. thanks again for your help everyone.

[Old-Guy]

If you ever go into a pet shop to buy a litter tray for your workshop for gawd's sake don't tell 'em it's not actually for a cat. I did and immediately regretted it.

I have to ask, "Why?"