coolant leak
Moderator: RichardW
coolant leak
I have a xantia sx 1.8 petrol m reg car, and have noticed a coolant leak which appears to be coming from the back of the engine, I had been losing coolant for some time before this (about a pint per month) but could not see any visible signs of where the water was leaking from. But in the last couple of days its fairly sprewing from some location at the back of the engine, this only happens when the engine is running and pressurised. The only hose in that general area I know of, is the heater outlet hose which when I probe around with my hands seems to be ok. Is there any other hoses in that area I dont know about or worse scenerio of all could it possibly be a cracked block?
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handyman
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- Joined: 20 May 2003, 18:38
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Hi a hewitt, if your car has done about 100k plus miles, I bet that the plastic connector elbow that links the inlet and outlet hoses to the heater matrix is fractured.
With the car running, wiggle the connector about and you will see a leak on the right hand side. Be careful if the coolant is hot as this wiggling may prove terminal for the connector and cause it to rupture as it suffers cavitation and thence plastic fatigue.
I know this because both my Xantias have failed in this way in the last six months.
The solutions:
The dear one: Buy a complete new hose assembly from Citroen and fit. The one on my Activa cost £75.00 plus fitting.
The cheap one: Go to a scrap yard and look for a late Citroen or Peugeot. The heater hoses are usually cut if the engine has been lifted out, but all you need is the connector elbow. Remove by moving sprung clip to right and pulling. If the connector breaks, it was going to fail later. Go and find another. Some of these connectors are at different angles so be sure it will fit your car.
Fitting is simple. Unclip the old connector, hacksaw through the mouldings/retainers and prize off the hoses, taking care not to damage them. If the spigot has broken inside the hose, be careful not lose it down the pipe, but remove with screwdriver and pliers.
Cut off the hoses to the "new" connector, offer up connector to existing hoses, secure with clips and refit to car ensuring 'O' rings are in place and secure. Push home fully until spigots engage on heater matrix. Top up coolant and test for leaks. Cost of parts: £3-£5.00
Hope this helps!
With the car running, wiggle the connector about and you will see a leak on the right hand side. Be careful if the coolant is hot as this wiggling may prove terminal for the connector and cause it to rupture as it suffers cavitation and thence plastic fatigue.
I know this because both my Xantias have failed in this way in the last six months.
The solutions:
The dear one: Buy a complete new hose assembly from Citroen and fit. The one on my Activa cost £75.00 plus fitting.
The cheap one: Go to a scrap yard and look for a late Citroen or Peugeot. The heater hoses are usually cut if the engine has been lifted out, but all you need is the connector elbow. Remove by moving sprung clip to right and pulling. If the connector breaks, it was going to fail later. Go and find another. Some of these connectors are at different angles so be sure it will fit your car.
Fitting is simple. Unclip the old connector, hacksaw through the mouldings/retainers and prize off the hoses, taking care not to damage them. If the spigot has broken inside the hose, be careful not lose it down the pipe, but remove with screwdriver and pliers.
Cut off the hoses to the "new" connector, offer up connector to existing hoses, secure with clips and refit to car ensuring 'O' rings are in place and secure. Push home fully until spigots engage on heater matrix. Top up coolant and test for leaks. Cost of parts: £3-£5.00
Hope this helps!