Loose hose spraying coolant (Xantia)

[EinarBJ]

Hi all, this is a great forum. I hope that somebody here can help me with my problem.

My '93 Xantia (petrol) suddenly overheated the other day and steam came bursting out from under the bonnet. I stopped the car as soon as I could without causing an accident; hope that nothing serious has happened to the engine.

After letting it cool down, I added 2L of water (didn't have any anti-freeze at hand). A few minutes after starting the car again and letting it idle, steam was blocking the engine view. Then I noticed a loose hose with a copper tube on the end that was spitting out coolant (see img.) The coolant evaporated immediately on the hot engine, causing the steam. Needless to say, this also caused severe drop in coolant level.

The other end of the hose is attached to the engine just above the thermostat. This is a short hose that goes underneath the ignition coil, but I cannot see where the loose end is supposed to be attached:?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.



Best regards,
Einar

[wotsupnow]

No idea, sorry, but how about blocking that pipe off and then giving the engine a run after filling it up with water again to see where it leaks next which will probably be the end you're looking for ?

Pete

[micitroen]

It looks as though 'someone' has replaced a 'stock' hose or a broken/burst/worn out one with a joiner ie. the cost of the new one was too much (for that person) or just a 'get you home fix' and he has joined the pipe with the copper tube and the jubilee clips. Judging by the picture I would say that you have a piece missing? It might still be in the engine bay or have been lost out to the road when it 'blew'/ burst. If you can't find it I would think you need a piece of hose as long as to attach the 'loose end' with a jubilee clip) and the other end pushed onto the pipe that as yet you can't see/find and secured with the jubilee clip...............that would be a 'get you home fix' as before. Personally I'd go into your dealer and get a new hose. I would have thought there was a good chance that there would be an 'exploded view' of the parts in this area on the dealers microfiche (or whatever they have these days)

Mike.

[Peter.N.]

It isn't one of the heater matrix connections is it?

[AndersDK]

Looks like the intake pre-heater hose to me. This would be the odd carburettor heater hose on earlier cars. Really just a smallish loop around the intake to ensure some minimum heat.

Agree with others that the missing hose is simply lost somewhere on the road as it popped off during drive. Not supposed to be a copper joiner there obviously.
At left you have another "get you home" solution : the gaffer tape repairing the air intake duct. I strongly advice you get the complete engine checked out for more such "repairs" as this is really what makes any good car HIGHLY UN-reliable

[RichardW]

I had a look on Citroen-pr.net, but couldn't see any diagrams that matched the arrangement of that pipe. Mos show that as a bleed screw, but it does have a spigot on the side - I wonder if someone has bodged it to somewhere? The other end is not nestling next to the heater pipe is it - just under your red writing?

[Clogzz]

Just went peeking at mine.
As you stand in front of the car, that hose turns left behind the rocker cover, then goes down and passes in front of the auxiliary belt to finish up somewhere under the header tank and ECU unit.
To see better, I would have to go crawling underneath it, and it's night here now.
The header tank already has a hose going to the top of the radiator.
Could it be a water intake from the bottom of the header tank ?

[EinarBJ]

Thank you all for the suggestions and comments. I totally agree that this looks like a poor 'get you home fix', or even a 'sell the car to a non-suspecting idiot (me) fix'. Unfortunately this is not the first repair of such standard that I have discovered since I bought the car about 9 months ago.

I don’t know if this has any relations to this problem, but I found a single bleed screw cap just laying behind the motor. However, I have not found a bleed hole missing a cap.

I guess I will have to crawl underneath the car with a flashlight, and see if I can spot something from there.

Einar

[Clogzz]

I found a single bleed screw cap just laying behind the motor. However, I have not found a bleed hole missing a cap.

What you found is probably a tyre valve screw cap, which they replaced (in yellow square).
The serrated button of the vent valve is broken off (in white square).
No need to crawl under the car, all bleed screws are on top and visible in the photograph.
The third one is of metal with allen key opening, just to the left of the clamp holding the damaged hose.

[jeremy]

To use copper or ther tubing you reaaly need to form a ridge on it to assist with holding the hose on securely using a tool such as F660 in the link.

I have serious doubts if its wise to leave the copper pipe in the cooling circuit due to the likelyhood of electrochemical corrosion of the aluminium parts - particularily the radiator and heater matrix.