Despite my best efforts.....

Stempy · Unread post by **Stempy** » 24 Apr 2010, 17:50

....the Xantia's going home on a truck

Driving along the coast near Juno Beach this morning I noticed the stop light flickering, checked the LHM level and it was low, looked under the car to see another stream of LHM, this time coming from the front in the vicinity of the height corrector. I'd spotted a Citroen dealer a few hundred yards earlier, but being a Saturday at around noon they were well and truly closed, so had to call for recovery. Hopefully will be meeting up with it again at the ferry in the morning with another truck waiting at Portsmouth. Anybody got a match?

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 24 Apr 2010, 17:55

Sorry to hear about your cars problems, are you on holiday with it?

A match would often come in handy when owning a Citroen, though a V6 Xantia is worth the hassle, surely!?

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 25 Apr 2010, 10:55

Oh dear Stempy

That's an unusual place to spring a leak.

Two places are a possibility: Oner simple the other not quite so.

Height correctors rarely leak but it's not unknown for their leakage return pipe to come adrift. A simple job to pop it back on. There is a "Y" junction in the vicinity too..

The other is a perished power steering return from the pinion valve. The pipe starts out as metal and then, arouund that area, changes to a rubber one before heading back to the reservoir. They go on the joint and they're a %^% ^^& to replace on a V6.

I agree Chris, a V6 is worth it

Check the HC leakage return and "Y" junction before calling in the Dépannage récupération lorry

DO NOT use matches and then have to call the sapeurs-pompiers

Hope it's not spoilt your holiday...

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 25 Apr 2010, 12:17

that will probably be the main rubber return pipe from under there somewhere, has perished and split, this chucks out loads of citro blood,

if it is its quite easy to fix as you can usualy cut off an inch or two and re/fit,

regards malcolm

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 25 Apr 2010, 13:34

citronut wrote: if it is its quite easy to fix as you can usualy cut off an inch or two and re/fit,

On a V6 Malcolm, not a chance

Even with all the PERCYWOTSIT in the world.

I had to make up a new pipe, all the way from the end of the metal pinion return pipe back to the reservoir..

Not what I'd consider "quite easy to fix" on a V6 but considerably easier on any other Xantia.

Stempy · Unread post by **Stempy** » 25 Apr 2010, 14:27

Well I'm now sat in the back of a speed limited recovery truck on the A3 heading home. Thanks for all the advice, didn't even try to mend it, phoned Europ Assist who were absolutely brilliant and highly recommended if you need European cover. To add insult to injury, the the towing eye snapped when I was being towed off the ferry, anyone got a spare?

Will take a look in the week and report back. Personally I think the V6 is worth the hassle but it's very hard trying to convince SWMBO

Luckily it all happened the day before we were due to come home anyway and it saves me the drive back to Calais as we were put on the Caen to Portsmouth ferry.

JohnD · Unread post by **JohnD** » 25 Apr 2010, 14:55

When I had my 2.1 Xant I had to be flatbedded 40 miles to Malaga after I lost most of my LHM. Fortunately it was taken to an English speaking workshop where they replaced the front antisink valve.