Xantia Losing Water!!!!

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 21 Jul 2006, 23:22

dnsey wrote:If you have a compressor, you can troubleshoot the old-fashioned way!
With the engine off, pressurise the cooling system with air and you'll soon be able to see and hear the leak.

Even a bike pump will do 8)

Post by **boroboy** » 27 Jul 2006, 00:36

320i coupe,
Try a leak sealant first, don't go for the expensive stuff, you can get a packet of radiator sealant for around £1.00-£1.50. Add it to you rad & it keeps active for ages.

I'd also use it after changing a head gasket.

320i coupe · Post by **320i coupe** » 07 Aug 2006, 12:37

Hi all,

Well it looks like i've found the cause!

The rad is on its way out, can see antifreeze stains at the bottom of it, and it also looks damp too, so yet more expense!

What are peoples views on radweld, dont want to put it in if it has potencial to f**k up other items ie heater matrix etc......

Where would be the best place to buy a rad?

I am aware that the non air con rads are different to the air con ones!

Steve

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 07 Aug 2006, 12:46

If your radiator is knackered and your thinking of keeping the car for a while yet then spend the extra on a new radiator, with the security that you dont need to worry about it anytime soon (for the next few years obviously).

When I bought my Xantia last August, the first thing (next day) was to replace the radiator (£100 took out of the asking price as it seemed to have a tiny leak), the temperature reading dropped from about 80 to now a constant 65.

The radiator cost me £105 from GSF which I picked up from the local place. Then about £15 for coolant.

New radiator maximises the cooling system efficency, keeps the temperature down, stops any Head Gasket failure down to a minimum (I would imagine) so really well worth the money.

Not so sure about the difference between with A/C and without, but if you download GSF's brochure then you will be able to check.

Doesnt mention anything about the 1.9TD with A/C - so I wonder what is the correct part number for a TD with A/C (like my car)

Post by **CitroJim** » 07 Aug 2006, 12:47

TDs need good cooling so go and buy a new rad. Your engine will love you for it. They're readily available for less than a ton from the usual sources.. Trying to soldier on with the old one is false economy.

Never ever use anything like Radweld. It's the spawn of the devil. The stuff should be banned. It might seal your leak but it'll also more than likely bung up other water passages at the same time and cause more grief...

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 07 Aug 2006, 12:57

320i coupe wrote:Hi all,

The rad is on its way out,

Steve

To even quote yourself, if something is on the way out, said item should require replacement.

For the price and the advantages of the item, bite the bullet and dont be tight

weety · Post by **weety** » 07 Aug 2006, 19:24

320i coupe wrote:Hi all,

Well it looks like i've found the cause!

The rad is on its way out, can see antifreeze stains at the bottom of it, and it also looks damp too, so yet more expense!

What are peoples views on radweld, dont want to put it in if it has potencial to f**k up other items ie heater matrix etc......

Where would be the best place to buy a rad?

I am aware that the non air con rads are different to the air con ones!

Steve

since the heater matrix would cost substantially more than a radiator i wouldnt put radweld in under any circumstances!

h2ocooler · Post by **h2ocooler** » 08 Aug 2006, 00:07

320i coupe wrote:Hi all,

Well it looks like i've found the cause!

The rad is on its way out, can see antifreeze stains at the bottom of it, and it also looks damp too, so yet more expense!

What are peoples views on radweld, dont want to put it in if it has potencial to f**k up other items ie heater matrix etc......

Where would be the best place to buy a rad?

I am aware that the non air con rads are different to the air con ones!

Steve

Please dont use radweld or the like, I did in my 94 1.9SXTD to save a few bob and regretted it, sure it sealed the leak but also sealed the heater matrix. 7 Hours to replace it and flush the system only for it to block up again 3 months later, mechanic friend told me its a real pain to get out of the system once its in there. Middle of winter with NO heater is not funny!!!!

davek-uk · Post by **davek-uk** » 08 Aug 2006, 08:57

My 97 Xantia leaked from the bottom of thr rad too. When I changed it (a couple of years ago now) I spent some time looking for the cheapest and managed to skim £20 off GSF's prices. Two years down the line I wish I hadn't, I already have coolant stains between the core and the ends.

I believe the later 1.9TDs used the 2.1TD rad. That's how mine was listed. And you'll probably have those lovely push to fit connections.

What a joy they are - so easy to use!

If you do have the push to fit connections, clean the bottom hose connector up throughly or you'll have trouble fitting it. Search here for tales of woe!

320i coupe · Post by **320i coupe** » 08 Aug 2006, 14:02

So were all agreed on no radweld then, thought as much myself, just wanted opinions myself anyway.

Think one of the "push to fit" brackets is missing on one side as its held down by a cable tie, which might or might not account for why the rad is on its way out maybe, although it is 6 years old now????

Can these brackets be ordered from the stealers, or is it a scrap yard jobbie?????

Steve

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 08 Aug 2006, 14:55

If you've got a water pump seal that is slightly weepy, rad weld will form a hard deposit that will wear the seal away very quickly. The consequences of this are that your leak will get worse. When the leaking water gets into the bearing on the water pump it will kill it fairly swiftly, once the bearing collapses the campbelt will either go slack and jump or rub and wear, the first sign will be using water, the second sign will be a snpped belt.

Post by **RichardW** » 08 Aug 2006, 17:04

OK, Hands up here.... My Xantia has been running Forte Rad Sealer for about the last 10k miles to stop the matrix leaking. This stuff is not cheap (£14 a bottle - half the price of a matrix, but about 1/100th of the work!) and (alledgedly

) works in a different way to radweld, and it claims not to bung up the matrix, and to lube the pump seal. My last Xantia also ran for about 15k with the Forte in (for the same matrix reason) till its head gasket went (oil leak not water, so nothing to do with the sealer). There is certainly no reduction in the heat output from the matrix. The only thing I have noticed is that it runs at 70°C now rather than 80°C - and I noticed the same on the previous one - so either both stats started leaking in the same way, or the Forte had some effect on the stat (I suspect the latter, but am ignoring it).

Just a thought - it is going to the dealer to get the 'kin awkward rear suspension return pipes replaced tomorrow. Wonder what they will make of the internal temp sensor hanging out of the dash

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 08 Aug 2006, 22:23

Jaguar used to recommend that Barrs leaks was used in their engines as a matter of course. This was probably because some of the lovely polished aluminium castings used on their XK engines were prone to being porous - but they were not noticeably prone to problems from the water pump or elsewhere - and indeed in their day were famous for their reliability. I used Barrs in my Series 111 XJ6 when the heater element went - and it looked as though the only way to get at it was to cut the car in half - and it had AC. It caused no problems and kept it going for a year or so.

No sealer is going to solve water pump problems if the seal has gone - and if that has gone then the bearings are suspect as they are not meant to run in water.

Obviously if one application doesn't work then repeated ones are unlikely to and can cause problems.

Of course old fashioned radiators had bottom tanks which were safer for sludge collection than the bottom tubes of a crossflow radiator - and the aluminium radiators and heater matrices have finer tubes than older components and are at more risk of blockages.

I should think that 1 application probably won't do much harm and may well cure a matrix that has failed - but if you're going to keep the thing you're fgoing to have to do the job properly anyway sometime.

320i coupe · Post by **320i coupe** » 09 Aug 2006, 17:26

are we not going off topic here chaps, was talking mainly about the radiator, not the heater matrix!!!

what i was asking was can you get the clips that hold the radiator to slam panel from the main dealer, or is it a trip to the scrapyard???

steve

320i coupe · Post by **320i coupe** » 30 Aug 2006, 13:30

Hi all,

Apologies for not returning with reply, but I have found the root cause of the water leakage. My rad is on its way out, its damp towards the bottom, and looks pretty shot at, although it is 6 years old now. Have got a great deal on a new citroen item, £80 quid from a local specialist in manchester. But for the time being will keep an eye on it & stay away from the Radweld!!!!!

Steve