Hello everyone, I hope you’ve all had a great Christmas.
As some of you may know from my previous posts I recently took a gamble by replacing a leaking radiator and bust heater matrix in my ZX TD. I was only getting very small bubbles in my coolant, and the car had never run over 100 degrees. During the repairs I noticed one of the front exchange pipes (below the thermostat to rad pipe), had a very slight weep and replaced it two weeks ago.
Since replacing this pipe, my cooling system seems to be constantly pressurised. If I drive the car more than 40 miles it starts forcing water through the radiator cap. I’ve also noted that this pressure remains in the cooling system even when the car is stone cold (water gushes out when I take the radiator cap off, and top hose rock hard). I suspect that the pipe I recently replaced was hiding the symptoms of a more serious pressure problems. I’ve bled the cooling system more times that I can count, so I don’t think I have air trapped in the system. There are also plenty of small-ish bubbles coming through the expansion tank.
My local Cit specialist has quoted me £700 for a head-gasket replacement (surely I could get a re-conditioned engine for that?). Having done my own heater matrix, I’d rather not repeat the job because of system over-pressure. Can anyone advise me if this job is a nightmare, or would I be better off dropping a re-con block in there?
On another note of interest my zx has 306 in big yellow letters on top of the gear-box. I’ve found the car oddly geared (I find it unbearable to drive in 4th gear at 30mph). I have to drive it round town in 3rd year…does anyone else’s zx drive like this?
Thanks and sorry for the long post
AthlonZX (Dave)
Citroen ZX Aura TD K-1993 133673 miles #61514;
ZX Question (Probably HG)
Moderator: RichardW
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simonelsey
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- Location: United Kingdom, hastings
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I had a toyota carina doing the same , (done 240,000 mile 6 year old ) . I couldnt work out was going on , spoke to my dad , he suggested the spring in pressure cap on raditor had become weak . I changed the cap , tested all ok , Cost me about 6 pounds for new raditor cap.
I dont know if your citroen has the same , but if it has its worth a try.
Simon
I dont know if your citroen has the same , but if it has its worth a try.
Simon
Hi there Simonelsey
I agree with your suggestion, but I fitted a new radiator cap when I renewed the radiator and the heater matrix (to be on the safe-side). My money is on a very slight failure of the Head Gasket. I'm having it compression tested at a garage next week to find out.
Thanks
AthlonZX (Dave)
Citroen ZX Aura TD K-1993 133673 miles [:)]
I agree with your suggestion, but I fitted a new radiator cap when I renewed the radiator and the heater matrix (to be on the safe-side). My money is on a very slight failure of the Head Gasket. I'm having it compression tested at a garage next week to find out.
Thanks
AthlonZX (Dave)
Citroen ZX Aura TD K-1993 133673 miles [:)]
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Dave Burns
- Posts: 1915
- Joined: 14 May 2001, 05:30
- Location: United Kingdom
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- x 2
Hi there Dave
I thought to play it safe when I did the radiator and heater matrix, so I did the thermostat and radiator cap along with it. Typically in standing traffic it will reach 95-100, and the cooling fans will cut in. Most of my driving is country lanes and dual carridgeways where the temperature tends to sit between 75 and 85 degrees. Day to day driving it doesnt over-heat, but I dont take it on runs any longer than 40 miles at a time.
Would a cracked head also cause poor fuel consumption? My ZX has never been good on fuel, but I've been getting less than 30 mpg over the last month. Roughly how much would I be looking at for a re-con head? Or would I be better off getting a re-con engine as a whole?
Cheers
AthlonZX (Dave)
Citroen ZX Aura TD K-1993 133673 miles [:)]
I thought to play it safe when I did the radiator and heater matrix, so I did the thermostat and radiator cap along with it. Typically in standing traffic it will reach 95-100, and the cooling fans will cut in. Most of my driving is country lanes and dual carridgeways where the temperature tends to sit between 75 and 85 degrees. Day to day driving it doesnt over-heat, but I dont take it on runs any longer than 40 miles at a time.
Would a cracked head also cause poor fuel consumption? My ZX has never been good on fuel, but I've been getting less than 30 mpg over the last month. Roughly how much would I be looking at for a re-con head? Or would I be better off getting a re-con engine as a whole?
Cheers
AthlonZX (Dave)
Citroen ZX Aura TD K-1993 133673 miles [:)]
I had a replacement engine in my zx after problems like yours, although mine turned out to be the radiator - im assuming that my engine was ok after all, as was the head gasket (possibly worth checking again as it could be blocked, if its a recon rad). It cost me £700 for the engine replacement, and another £80 for a new rad. My point would be, is it worth it as compared to the cost of another car (mines an R - Reg, and I was contemplating replacing the car, for what it would cost). Get a second opinion on the problem as I believe I was done out of £700.
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Dave Burns
- Posts: 1915
- Joined: 14 May 2001, 05:30
- Location: United Kingdom
- My Cars:
- x 2
No if the head was cracked it wouldn't make much difference to consumption, if it did you'd have bigger probs than you have got.
Just a thought, are you filling the rad to the brim or near to it, if so then it will shove a fair bit of water out untill it finds its settling point, check its within the min/max level and leave it there for a day or two, you can wedge a small plastic bottle in the inner wing and lead the rad overflow pipe into it to see if water is still being lost this way.
If the worst comes to the worst its easier to take the engine and box out than it is to change the head in situ, recon ally heads can be a bit hit and miss, I would be on the look out for a good used engine.
Dave
Just a thought, are you filling the rad to the brim or near to it, if so then it will shove a fair bit of water out untill it finds its settling point, check its within the min/max level and leave it there for a day or two, you can wedge a small plastic bottle in the inner wing and lead the rad overflow pipe into it to see if water is still being lost this way.
If the worst comes to the worst its easier to take the engine and box out than it is to change the head in situ, recon ally heads can be a bit hit and miss, I would be on the look out for a good used engine.
Dave
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Bunglebonce
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by AthlonZX</i>
Hello everyone, I hope you’ve all had a great Christmas.
As some of you may know from my previous posts I recently took a gamble by replacing a leaking radiator and bust heater matrix in my ZX TD. I was only getting very small bubbles in my coolant, and the car had never run over 100 degrees. During the repairs I noticed one of the front exchange pipes (below the thermostat to rad pipe), had a very slight weep and replaced it two weeks ago.
Since replacing this pipe, my cooling system seems to be constantly pressurised. If I drive the car more than 40 miles it starts forcing water through the radiator cap. I’ve also noted that this pressure remains in the cooling system even when the car is stone cold (water gushes out when I take the radiator cap off, and top hose rock hard). I suspect that the pipe I recently replaced was hiding the symptoms of a more serious pressure problems. I’ve bled the cooling system more times that I can count, so I don’t think I have air trapped in the system. There are also plenty of small-ish bubbles coming through the expansion tank.
My local Cit specialist has quoted me £700 for a head-gasket replacement (surely I could get a re-conditioned engine for that?). Having done my own heater matrix, I’d rather not repeat the job because of system over-pressure. Can anyone advise me if this job is a nightmare, or would I be better off dropping a re-con block in there?
On another note of interest my zx has 306 in big yellow letters on top of the gear-box. I’ve found the car oddly geared (I find it unbearable to drive in 4th gear at 30mph). I have to drive it round town in 3rd year…does anyone else’s zx drive like this?
Thanks and sorry for the long post
AthlonZX (Dave)
Citroen ZX Aura TD K-1993 133673 miles #61514;
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Hello everyone, I hope you’ve all had a great Christmas.
As some of you may know from my previous posts I recently took a gamble by replacing a leaking radiator and bust heater matrix in my ZX TD. I was only getting very small bubbles in my coolant, and the car had never run over 100 degrees. During the repairs I noticed one of the front exchange pipes (below the thermostat to rad pipe), had a very slight weep and replaced it two weeks ago.
Since replacing this pipe, my cooling system seems to be constantly pressurised. If I drive the car more than 40 miles it starts forcing water through the radiator cap. I’ve also noted that this pressure remains in the cooling system even when the car is stone cold (water gushes out when I take the radiator cap off, and top hose rock hard). I suspect that the pipe I recently replaced was hiding the symptoms of a more serious pressure problems. I’ve bled the cooling system more times that I can count, so I don’t think I have air trapped in the system. There are also plenty of small-ish bubbles coming through the expansion tank.
My local Cit specialist has quoted me £700 for a head-gasket replacement (surely I could get a re-conditioned engine for that?). Having done my own heater matrix, I’d rather not repeat the job because of system over-pressure. Can anyone advise me if this job is a nightmare, or would I be better off dropping a re-con block in there?
On another note of interest my zx has 306 in big yellow letters on top of the gear-box. I’ve found the car oddly geared (I find it unbearable to drive in 4th gear at 30mph). I have to drive it round town in 3rd year…does anyone else’s zx drive like this?
Thanks and sorry for the long post
AthlonZX (Dave)
Citroen ZX Aura TD K-1993 133673 miles #61514;
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
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Bunglebonce
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 06 Jan 2005, 20:32
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Ahem! I'll try again shall I (as you've probably gathered I'm new here[:D])
Athlon, I had the exact same set of problems on my old ZX, turned out it was the head that had a hairline crack in it between one of the coolant ports and the cylinder. This of course forced exhaust gas in to the coolant system and constantly pressurised it.
If you run the engine with the rad cap off until the bubbles appear, can you smell exhaust fumes from them?
Whilst it could be the head, it could as easily be the gasket as there is very little in the way of alloy block separating the cylinders and ports and its not uncommon for gaskets to go and 'arc' across giving the same problems. Unfortunately there is no real way of knowing until you take the head off - at which point you’ve gone past the point of no return.
Recon heads aren’t mega bucks if you can do them yourself but the labour the garages add to these jobs makes them non viable with older cars.
I had the gasket done on mine and the head repaired but it went again 18 months later resulting in me flogging the car.[V]
I thought long and hard about trying the job myself cos I’m pretty handy but bottled it.
If your gona do the gasket, get the head checked first bfore you bolt it back on - it’d be a real shame to go through all that for nothing.
Also, if its overheated numerous times the block may have distorted (although this is rare) and then no matter what you put back, it will twist and warp in time.
Worst case scenario it may be better to sell up. ZX are cheap in comparison to 306's and if its in good nick, you still get a few hundred for it towards your next one.[:)]
Let us know what you decide...
B
Athlon, I had the exact same set of problems on my old ZX, turned out it was the head that had a hairline crack in it between one of the coolant ports and the cylinder. This of course forced exhaust gas in to the coolant system and constantly pressurised it.
If you run the engine with the rad cap off until the bubbles appear, can you smell exhaust fumes from them?
Whilst it could be the head, it could as easily be the gasket as there is very little in the way of alloy block separating the cylinders and ports and its not uncommon for gaskets to go and 'arc' across giving the same problems. Unfortunately there is no real way of knowing until you take the head off - at which point you’ve gone past the point of no return.
Recon heads aren’t mega bucks if you can do them yourself but the labour the garages add to these jobs makes them non viable with older cars.
I had the gasket done on mine and the head repaired but it went again 18 months later resulting in me flogging the car.[V]
I thought long and hard about trying the job myself cos I’m pretty handy but bottled it.
If your gona do the gasket, get the head checked first bfore you bolt it back on - it’d be a real shame to go through all that for nothing.
Also, if its overheated numerous times the block may have distorted (although this is rare) and then no matter what you put back, it will twist and warp in time.
Worst case scenario it may be better to sell up. ZX are cheap in comparison to 306's and if its in good nick, you still get a few hundred for it towards your next one.[:)]
Let us know what you decide...
B
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oilyspanner
- Posts: 1246
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Well you dont seem to have driven the thing to a steaming shuddering stop so it would be very likely that the head will be okay, the parts and services needed to do the gasket should come out less than £100 so as you have been heroic enough to do the matrix why not attempt the head gasket?
theres a wealth of advice on this forum, the only thing you need to decide is whether to do it in situ or to pull the engine out and make things easier, I suppose that depends on things like how old your clutch and cambelt are. It seems a shame to lose an excellent car for just £100 and a couple of dirty days.
Stewart
theres a wealth of advice on this forum, the only thing you need to decide is whether to do it in situ or to pull the engine out and make things easier, I suppose that depends on things like how old your clutch and cambelt are. It seems a shame to lose an excellent car for just £100 and a couple of dirty days.
Stewart