Hi all. The car is a 98 Xantia 1.9 TD. 122000 miles. Had the car from new. The symptoms which have started in the last 2000 miles are a tendancy to run warmer than usual when pushed a bit or when towing. (The towing and motorway work is the daily duty for the car) Easing off brings the temp down within a couple miles to normal. Have taken the thermostat out which has helped to even out the fluctuations during this warmer weather.
Very slight gassing in the coolant but no significant air locks or need to bleed but do anyway just at the moment.
The car has never overheated or in fact gone beyond the normal temperature for the fans to cut in.
As a safeguard just now I run the A/C to keep the fans running when in traffic. No oily film or water in the oil or indeed measurable water loss.
My suspicion is a leaking head gasket.
However are there some other possibilities such a hose round the back or somewhere that could cause this?
The main hoses are clear as is the radiator, I have flushed that through and the only water ever to go in has been fully treated and softened stuff with cit approved antifreeze.
Your opinions and comments appreciated. Robin
second opinion please
Moderator: RichardW
Gassing in the coolant is normally a dead giveaway for a head gasket. Most garages have testers which can detect combustion by products in the water which will confirm.
Not sure about the diesel engine design but removing the thermostat on some engines can be risky as it can lead to uneven cooling throughout the cylinder head/block.
Not sure about the diesel engine design but removing the thermostat on some engines can be risky as it can lead to uneven cooling throughout the cylinder head/block.
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RichardW
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>Very slight gassing in the coolant
If mean you get bubbles coming into the coolant with the engine running, worsening when the engine is reved then your head gasket has almost certainly gone out to lunch. Two things to check: 1) remove the rad cap when the engine is cold (having not removed it since it ran) listen for a hiss 2) engine cold remove and refit cap, start engine, run for about 30 seconds then shut down. Remove rad cap and listen for a hiss. If either of these give you a hiss, then you are going to be finding out what the inside of an XUD engine looks like....!
If mean you get bubbles coming into the coolant with the engine running, worsening when the engine is reved then your head gasket has almost certainly gone out to lunch. Two things to check: 1) remove the rad cap when the engine is cold (having not removed it since it ran) listen for a hiss 2) engine cold remove and refit cap, start engine, run for about 30 seconds then shut down. Remove rad cap and listen for a hiss. If either of these give you a hiss, then you are going to be finding out what the inside of an XUD engine looks like....!
Thanks for this. Have tried the bubbles check and their are a few, and I mean a few. No trace of combustion products in water, sensitivity of test equipment may be the fault though and engine runs fine. The symptoms are just so slight that I am not yet fully convinced about the head gasket, hence my question. Would hate to get started with a strip down and find a failing hose. No rush to do it yet though. R
You might be lucky, but I've never been. I eventually have to bite the bullet and do the inevitable.
I was lucky (if you could call it that) with my BX16V about a year or so back when I was getting air mysteriously in the cooling system occasionally. Eventually I found myself bleeding it regularly and then it started leaking coolant when parked. A cursory look under revealed what I thought was a leaky water pump which I eventually discovered was instead the hose that is on the intake side of the pump was soft from being exposed to grease from a split CV boot and as a result was porous and then split.
I have also had pump intake hoses collapse when the engine is under load which causes the hose to restrict the supply of water to the pump.
I'm just pointing these somewhat rare events out as things to check before you decide whether or not to decapitate it.
Alan S
I was lucky (if you could call it that) with my BX16V about a year or so back when I was getting air mysteriously in the cooling system occasionally. Eventually I found myself bleeding it regularly and then it started leaking coolant when parked. A cursory look under revealed what I thought was a leaky water pump which I eventually discovered was instead the hose that is on the intake side of the pump was soft from being exposed to grease from a split CV boot and as a result was porous and then split.
I have also had pump intake hoses collapse when the engine is under load which causes the hose to restrict the supply of water to the pump.
I'm just pointing these somewhat rare events out as things to check before you decide whether or not to decapitate it.
Alan S
Alan, I think this is why I am so uncertain. Some years ago I too had a hose collapse on the pump intake side and combined with a spring loaded gland seal in the water pump air was sucked into the system at higher engine speeds. Not being fully sure of the sytem in the Xantia and having read of failures in the housing at the rear of the block and a pump with 120+ k on it......
I think I am tempted to leave it for now. It's due a cam belt change and the pump will happen at the same time too. Looking at the set up on the back of the block or what I can see of it at least, I don't fancy doing either that bit or the decapitation. I will stick my boat engines, at least in some of the engine rooms I could hold a party for several people!
All duty free of course. R
I think I am tempted to leave it for now. It's due a cam belt change and the pump will happen at the same time too. Looking at the set up on the back of the block or what I can see of it at least, I don't fancy doing either that bit or the decapitation. I will stick my boat engines, at least in some of the engine rooms I could hold a party for several people!
All duty free of course. R