LDS Tank Bursting Warning Labels

[Sword2012]

Alas, this happened to me last month when taking my 2009 C5 Tourer to a local garage for a pre-Christmas check

The garage's ramp arms were positioned underneath the sills, allowing the wheels to hang freely. I hadn't raised the suspension, nor removed the reservoir cap, and the tank just blew in situ, covering the engine compartment with LDS fluid, and instantly bottoming the C5. They had a hell of a job getting it off the ramp...

My question now is: Is this a potential DIY job, or must it go into a main dealer?

I was warned at the garage, by a passing Rolls Royce engineer, that old Rollers and Bentleys used the Citroen suspension, and that the suspension spheres are nitrogen-filled - making it an expensive specialist job...

[myglaren]

I was warned at the garage, by a passing Rolls Royce engineer, that old Rollers and Bentleys used the Citroen suspension, and that the suspension spheres are nitrogen-filled - making it an expensive specialist job...

My boss had a Bentley, this was early seventies and it wasn't a new one.
Completely mytsified the Swedish MOT testers, as did the early antilock braking system that used the rear suspension pressure like Citroens.

[GiveMeABreak]

Alas, this happened to me last month when taking my 2009 C5 Tourer to a local garage for a pre-Christmas check

The garage's ramp arms were positioned underneath the sills, allowing the wheels to hang freely. I hadn't raised the suspension, nor removed the reservoir cap, and the tank just blew in situ, covering the engine compartment with LDS fluid, and instantly bottoming the C5. They had a hell of a job getting it off the ramp...

My question now is: Is this a potential DIY job, or must it go into a main dealer?

I was warned at the garage, by a passing Rolls Royce engineer, that old Rollers and Bentleys used the Citroen suspension, and that the suspension spheres are nitrogen-filled - making it an expensive specialist job...

Your Rolls Royce engineer is a bit out of date. The suspension system on the C5s including your MK III X7 is entirely different from the system used in the Rollers.

However, back to the issue, you have probably burst the LDS tank and that has happily deposited LDS over everything. You need of course a new tank, but will need to clean up and check anything else in that area, but I would not run the engine until you have cleaned up ALL the spillage, as LDS will have already no doubt started to run down onto the pump housing and will get into the seams, which will mix with the carbon from the brushes and form a paste, which will lead to a short and blow the fuse which operates the pump. So get any and all spillage cleaned up right away.

If you need the tank part number, let me have your VIN. Please post your VIN in full without spaces - it will be automatically masked from public view after submitting your post & will only be visible to staff.

[Sword2012]

Hi Marc, and thank you very much indeed for the fast response!

My VIN: VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff]

And I'll get started on the cleanup...

[GiveMeABreak]

(1) Power Steering - Suspension LDS Tank, part: 4009V8, £97.09