C5 hydraulic leaking

[Amarra]

Hello,
I have a C5 3.0 hdi and a pipe is leaking behind the front left wheel .
Can anybody give me a pipe diagram for the region so I can see what pipe needs to be replaced?

[GiveMeABreak]

Hi and welcome - please do have a search on the Forum as there are lots of topics on the suspension system struts and pipes - one here to start you off:

viewtopic.php?t=58759&start=15

If it is the strut, you will need a replacement as there are no serviceable parts on these.

[Amarra]

Thank you ,I tried searching ,but nothing came up ,maybe I used wrong terms...
I will try find the exact location of the leak and post some picture .

[GiveMeABreak]

That would help. You can use the 'Full Editor & Preview' button to go to the advanced post editor and there you can upload pictures directly to the Forum or link to YouTube videos.

That would help clarify where the leak is likely to be from.

[Amarra]

Another question ,can I use motor oil instead of LDS ?

[white exec]

Absolutely not! You must use LDS in these systems.

[Amarra]

Thanks.

[GiveMeABreak]

Ok, so this looks like it is the low pressure piping - but to be sure here are both the low and high pressure pipes in this area for you to confirm - with recommendations for both, but I suspect it is the Low Pressure Piping ("N2"):

Main Area of Leak - Steering Mechanism Zone

From your pictures, I would suggest Zone "N":

Zone Probability Component to be checked first Locating the leak "N" Severe Crimping of high pressure piping - Stage N1 Crimping of high pressure piping "P" Severe Sealing of the rack gaiters - Stage P1 Sealing of the rack gaiters

"N1" High Pressure Piping"

Information Sealing: Crimping on piping Probability: Severe Possible causes: Crimping on piping (Body of the pipe porous and/or damaged) Access: Average Repair: Replace the high pressure piping

"N2" Low Pressure Piping"

Information Sealing: Crimping on piping Probability: Average Possible causes: Crimping on piping (Body of the pipe porous and/or damaged) Access: Difficult Repair: Replace the low pressure piping

[Amarra]

Thank you ,it started bleeding quiet heavily ,and I run out of LDS...
Can you tell me what is the pressure in those pipe?

[Amarra]

Is the any low fluid level indicator ,like it was on bx ,xantia and xm models?

[GiveMeABreak]

There should be a warning on the dash when the fluid gets too low - but I've never seen it to confirm.

When topping up the reservoir, the LDS level should be checked with the vehicle on the lowest suspension height setting and should be between the 'A' and 'B' marks as shown - so don't overfill it.

I would not recommend driving it whilst you are losing fluid like this as it's a hazard for other road users, but you risk losing steering and suspension if it gets too low.

Using anything other than LDS or Total Fluide DA can result in the complete destruction of the hydraulic system.

[Amarra]

I've checked the level ,it's below "b" ...
Problem is the car is the only way to go to work ,and since my last company didn't payed me I can't even afford a bike.
I can get some flexible hydraulic pipes from work ,but it's only rated for 40 bar ,if I remember correctly.
Or can I do a complete replacement with stainless steel pipe?
(Sorry I'm certain of it I butchered some sentences ,maybe all of them...)

[GiveMeABreak]

I can't tell you the exact pressure in the High or Low pressure pipes, as I can't see any reference to that, but I know that the Hydroelectric Pump (BHI) operates at 140 Bar

[Amarra]

Thanks for the info ,so the Flexi pipes are out of question.
Those pipes belong to the servo system ,can I reroute them (cutting up the pipe before the damaged part) and feed back the fluid to the reservoir?
It worked on a xantia with broken servo pipe.

[GiveMeABreak]

Servo System? Not sure what you are referring to there....

The Suspension and steering hydraulic circuits have nothing to do with the braking system / servo in case that's what you are referring to. I'm no expert when it comes to hydraulics I'm afraid and you have the 3.0 HDi which has a belt driven Power Steering Pump compared to the 2.0 versions which have an electro hydraulic pump. I'm not sure what you can do short term, but I would advise extreme caution before making any modifications, and you need to be really sure that the leak is from the pipes identified. But I would seriously get somebody with experience on these models to take a look. Hydractive 3+ systems are nothing like the Xantia or XM systems of the past.