Xantia - oil in water

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
Jaf
Posts: 514
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 19:17
Location: Oria, Spain
My Cars:
x 29

Xantia - oil in water

Post by Jaf »

Hello. Lots of oil in the water. Oil fine, no overheating or white smoke. Assuming the Oil Cooler has gone.

Can I have a part number for Oil Cooler please? Also plastic tube that sits in the coolant expansion tank (it came out with my finger and fell apart).

If I’m missing anything please tell me! Never had a cooler go before...assuming not a good idea to drive her?

Vin VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff].

Thanks!
Fred, a silver 1998 1.9TD SX Xantia.
Gwin, a white 1994 1.1 AX.
User avatar
white exec
Moderating Team
Posts: 7445
Joined: 21 Dec 2015, 12:46
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by white exec »

Hi Jaf,

Remove the two coolant pipes from the oil cooler, and join them together with a length of 15mm pipe.
If oil continues to emerge from the cooler snouts, it is internally perforated.

These items do expire, even if coolant has been renewed and looked after.
Other threads on the Forum recently about just this.

Best not to drive the car until it is sorted.
Chris
Jaf
Posts: 514
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 19:17
Location: Oria, Spain
My Cars:
x 29

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by Jaf »

Thanks Chris. Had a read of the last thread and a look through the BOL. Looks very straightforward.

Having a bit of a wobble over ordering a new cooler, can’t find any online. Will pop into town tomorrow, sure they can order one. Will wave the plastic tube from the expansion tank at them.

Have to drive around in my dad’s AX. Arrrggghh. Though Gwin is fun to drive, bit like a go-cart,
Fred, a silver 1998 1.9TD SX Xantia.
Gwin, a white 1994 1.1 AX.
User avatar
white exec
Moderating Team
Posts: 7445
Joined: 21 Dec 2015, 12:46
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by white exec »

Good luck with tracking down a replacement cooler.

My memory of AX (a 1.0L iirc) was finding it really sluggish to pull away from the Citroen dealer's forecourt - it was a Courtesy car. Realised I was pushing my right foot hard against the wheel arch (RHD), and all the pedals were somewhere off to the left! :roll:

With the cooler jumped out of circuit (water pipes joined, and a piece of stout hose joining the two snouts), if you can get the cooling circuit cleaned out (the LiquiMoly stuff is really good) then you can continue to drive the car, while waiting for a new cooler to turn up.

The rubber sealing washer on the pressure cap will likely have gone soft/leaky with contact with oil, so lay in a new one, but don't fit it until the system is completely oil-free.
Chris
User avatar
chinkostu
Posts: 1180
Joined: 24 Sep 2014, 09:41
Location: cheshire
My Cars: N Xantia 1.9TD SX
03 Fiesta 1.4 Zetec
x 30

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by chinkostu »

Coolers are out there but i've only had luck finding them on ebay at an expense. Cit part number is 1103A2 if my memory serves me right.

I've got mine bypassed at the moment and slowly flushing out as much as possible before renewing it and the cap.

As Chris said you can use some pipe to join them up, I went a bit more permanent and used some 19mm hose to join the stub on the thermostat outlet to the stub on the radiator.

I'm taking a trip to the local scrappies again later this week to see if I can get a HDI cooler to measure up, apparantly they are the same capacity but different hose stub sizes so could possibly be retrofitted with some homemade hose lengths and decent joiners
Stu

Cars
1995 Xantia 1.9TD SX in (faded) Red
2003 Fiesta 1.4 Zetec in GREEEEEEEN
2001 206 1.9 LX
2001 Saxo VTR
1999 Saxo 1.1 East coast
1999 Punto :oops:
1996 306 1.8 XN Auto :?
1996 Fiesta 1.3 #-o
Jaf
Posts: 514
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 19:17
Location: Oria, Spain
My Cars:
x 29

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by Jaf »

Thanks Chris. Will remember to change the cap seal. Looks like I will have a go at bypassing it for a while. New oil cooler is 400€ from Citroen, 170€ from spares shop!!!

Blinking AX has rattled a kidney stone about. Ow.

Thanks Stu. You’re right with the part no. The prices are waaay off. Any other one is easily only 40€. Grrr.
Fred, a silver 1998 1.9TD SX Xantia.
Gwin, a white 1994 1.1 AX.
User avatar
chinkostu
Posts: 1180
Joined: 24 Sep 2014, 09:41
Location: cheshire
My Cars: N Xantia 1.9TD SX
03 Fiesta 1.4 Zetec
x 30

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by chinkostu »

I'd bypass it until you know you've got a decent cooler to replace it, gives you time to get the system properly flushed. Mines still getting a bit of filming but its not excessive and i'm not losing oil so think it's just the further reaches of the system!

Haven't had a chance to try a HDi cooler yet (been raining nonstop here) but concensus is that it will fit but needs different hoses
Stu

Cars
1995 Xantia 1.9TD SX in (faded) Red
2003 Fiesta 1.4 Zetec in GREEEEEEEN
2001 206 1.9 LX
2001 Saxo VTR
1999 Saxo 1.1 East coast
1999 Punto :oops:
1996 306 1.8 XN Auto :?
1996 Fiesta 1.3 #-o
User avatar
white exec
Moderating Team
Posts: 7445
Joined: 21 Dec 2015, 12:46
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by white exec »

There are several thicknesses (capacities) of these coolers available.
Snouts are generally for 15/16mm hoses, but there are exceptions.
Snout orientations vary enormously, depending on engine installation.

The large square-section O-ring seal on the oil filter is often the same size as the seal on the cooler's underside. This can allow the cooler to be removed, and the oil filter to be directly screwed on to the engine flange, with a suitably shorter tubular bolt.

Steel versions seem longer-lived than some aluminium ones, especially if coolant quality has been neglected.

Experience is that many of our engines will run happily without the cooler in circuit, as a temporary measure while a replacement is being sought. Permanent removal is probably not wise, as relatively small volumes of engine oil are expected to work hard.
Chris
Jaf
Posts: 514
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 19:17
Location: Oria, Spain
My Cars:
x 29

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by Jaf »

Good news, Autodoc.es suddenly has a NRF oil cooler in stock, for 53€. Yay.

I’m going to check it’s definitely the cooler at fault tomorrow, then I’ll order one.
Fred, a silver 1998 1.9TD SX Xantia.
Gwin, a white 1994 1.1 AX.
User avatar
white exec
Moderating Team
Posts: 7445
Joined: 21 Dec 2015, 12:46
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by white exec »

Hi Jaf,

I never did post the part number for the original oil cooler.
Here it is (1103.A2) - Should help match up the right aftermarket one...
Jaf's Xantia oil cooler.JPG
Click to enlarge
Chris
Jaf
Posts: 514
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 19:17
Location: Oria, Spain
My Cars:
x 29

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by Jaf »

Thanks for that Chris.

I got the oil cooler bypassed, been for a drive to get her up to temp. No oil leak. Wondering if a tiny leak would only show up under heavy loads?

Got most of the oil out of the coolant and it doesn’t appear worse.

Not convinced yet. Will go for another drive tomorrow.
Fred, a silver 1998 1.9TD SX Xantia.
Gwin, a white 1994 1.1 AX.
User avatar
white exec
Moderating Team
Posts: 7445
Joined: 21 Dec 2015, 12:46
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by white exec »

If the leak is very slow (eg tiny pinhole), it will take some time for it to show up coming out of the snouts - which point upwards in your case, by the looks of it - so the whole unit will have to fill with oil before anything comes out.
You could slacken the tubular bolt and invert the unit so the snouts point downward, if there's room, to speed things up, and see whether anything dribbles out. Otherwise, just dip into the snouts now and again to see if anything's accumulating in there.

You'll probably need to do a good bit of driving before anything much shows up, if the leak is very slow. The oil in the coolant may have been taking weeks (months?) to build up there.

There are really only two places where oil can migrate into coolant: the oil cooler and the HG - so best to eliminate the first one first.
Chris
Jaf
Posts: 514
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 19:17
Location: Oria, Spain
My Cars:
x 29

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by Jaf »

I ordered the new oil cooler and it has arrived lightly dented, on 3 sides! I am not happy. Have just sent autodoc an email.

On the plus side I can finally see a bit of oil on the right hand snout.
Fred, a silver 1998 1.9TD SX Xantia.
Gwin, a white 1994 1.1 AX.
sparksie
(Donor 2016)
Posts: 595
Joined: 04 Jan 2014, 22:35
Location: R.O.I.
My Cars:
x 33

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by sparksie »

I've been down this road.
I can confirm the HDI cooler is the same capacity, but has 13mm "snouts".
In my case, while waiting for that to arrive, I fitted a cooler from a na XUD engine I happened to have ready for the skip.
This was a bit slimmer and the 16mm "snouts" were in a slightly different orientation, but within easy reach of the Xantias hoses.
In the end, I never did fit the HDI cooler. If I ever decide to cross the Sahara, then I'll do that as part of the cooling system rebuild I'll obviously need first.
Sparksie

2000 Xantia 1.9TurboD
Jaf
Posts: 514
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 19:17
Location: Oria, Spain
My Cars:
x 29

Re: Xantia - oil in water

Post by Jaf »

Getting a bit p###ed off with autodoc. Been emailing, sending photos of the cooler, the box it came with. Now the log book, I assume as they suspect me as having ordered the wrong part so I’m making up a problem so I can get my money back. Grrr. Have said repeatedly that I just want a replacement part, the same one, just not damaged. Grrr, again.
Fred, a silver 1998 1.9TD SX Xantia.
Gwin, a white 1994 1.1 AX.
Post Reply