Confessions of a Citroholic

[CitroJim]

I feel for you Richard, trying to find the source of a leak is like trying to find the old proverbial needle in a haystack... May you soon succeed

[RichardW]

Although it's impossible to see, I could get a finger in and it was definitely set around the brake light. I undid the nuts, but it still wouldn't come out easily - a look at the unit on eBay seems to show a sort of foam seal, and a couple of clip type protrusions on each side. I guess some 'gentle' persuasion would have popped it out. However given that the seal is not available on its own, and I wasn't forking out £100 for a new light, decided I might as well seal it in. Out with the masking tape...

(Supposed to be a pic here, but phone decided not to save it...)

Sealed it round with the black silicone, see if that stops the water coming in!

[CitroJim]

Fingers crossed Richard

[RichardW]

Sealing looks to have been a success, sealant only just visible if you look closely.

Trim refitted so it's bound to leak again now!

[DHallworth]

I hate finding water leaks on cars.

I've got a P38 Range Rover that's leaking at the front right hand side. The only thing it can be leaking from is something around the pollen filter housing so I took it all apart, cleaned it, put some sikaflex around it all and put it back together and it's still not stopped the leak completely. It's driving me nuts now.

Thankfully on the Range Rovers if you find water in the boot it's always the tailgate seal so it's something I tend to replace on them as soon as I get them and that's it done before water ever gets in.

David.

[RichardW]

Sometimes car just set out to annoy you....

This weekend, for the first time in 13 months, we need both cars as we're away separately - went out in the Pug last night to be greeted by a loud clonking from the NSF which wasn't there the other day. Hmm, can't be the bottom ball joint or the track rod as they are new. Wheel bolts? No, tight. Spring? Looks ok, have a feel, oh, half the bottom coil is lying on the bottom plate So I will have to try and get it changed before the weekend....

On the up side, having fixed the water leak in the car with 8 year old RTV sealant (originally bought to re-seal the sump on the MK1 C4 Pic when I was having turbo issues) I also had a leak on the water transfer pipe on the toilet. Planning on renewing the bathroom later in the year and didn't want to try getting it out, so applied some of the RTV to the pipe. Took a couple of goes (access is on a par with Xantia clutch clip!) but success, no more leak . What else can I seal up with it???

[CitroJim]

Excellent Loving the toilet fix Richard!

I very successfully used the black Loctite gasket goo intended for Xantia V6 camboxes for much the same task on one of my toilet cisterns... Worked a treat and it remains good!

[RichardW]

Some good, some bad....

Trouble with headlights on both cars - the C4's are just a bit pants, and I suspect now the bulbs are 5 years old they are getting a bit tired so are really pants, so I have bought some brighter ones, had a look at fitting them today, but needed to look in the manual and it was snowing - and I spotted something else (see below!). The 3008 has the swivelling HIDs - I fitted new bulbs when I bought the car as the NS one didn't appear to be working very well - now it is dark again, I seemed to be having the same trouble - shining them on the garage door the OS is very bright, but the NS was meh. Swapped over the ballasts thinking it might be that, but no difference. Eventually I got to wondering about the bulbs - when I fitted the new ones I had trouble getting them seated. The NS appeared OK, but I undid the clamp ring, pushed in, and re-clipped. Bingo, we now have 2 bright lights! Must have moved just enough to be in the wrong place. I think the OS may need the same treatment as it appears a bit high (just passed MOT though....).

Back to the C4 - whilst looking at the bulbs it was apparent that the coolant expansion tank was low - empty in fact when I took the lid off. Hmmm. I've long suspected this car of having a coolant weep, the level has very slowly gone done since we've had it, but there were no obvious signs anywhere. However a look around today shows the top of the gearbox and bottom of the thermostat housing to be all wet. Ah, it has revealed itself!! Very difficult to see, not sure if it is a hose, gasket leak, or the housing is cracked. Not really wanting to strip it off this weather, so will take it up to the garage and see what they can figure out.

[CitroJim]

A great result on the bulbs Richard but that's not all happiness on the coolant leak - just the time of year you really don't want such an issue...

Agreed, let the garage struggle with it...

[RichardW]

And since we are on thermostats, it is apparent that the one in the 3008 has had it as well - I have suspected for a while as it was seeming to take longer to warm up, but this morning, where it was never above -8 on the 30 mile trip to work, the temp only got up to 90 if it was worked hard, as soon as it slowed down or went down hill it dropped back off towards 70. So I may have to do the cambelt / water pump and stat on it next summer (when it will be nearly 10 years / 100k, so it's about due anyway). Of course, this is not just a stat - in the name of progress it is a complete housing bolted on the end of the header which costs a couple of hundred quid - similar (but not the same obviously!) as the one on the C4 which I suspect will be getting replaced when the garage get around to looking at the leak later in the week!

[RichardW]

Plastic repair needed

Gate Vs car, gate wins! Punched a hole right through. I think replacement of the panel easiest if I can get a used one the right colour. There's a moulding line it's right in the middle of which will be tricky to replicate.

[Gibbo2286]

A motor trader would find a badge to fit over the hole, it does the job and invites questions from the curious.

[CitroJim]

A motor trader would find a badge to fit over the hole, it does the job and invites questions from the curious.

That's a good way of hiding it

Or perhaps insert a dummy reversing sensor...

[RichardW]

a) how much noise can a stone make stuck behind a brake disc and b) how long can it stay there??

Well...

a) an unbelievable amount! call from the Mrs on Mon, car's making a terrible noise, think something has fallen off. Go down to see her, can't see anything and no hot brake so drive it home, just a short shriek at one point. Unsure what was going on, I drove it work and back the next 2 days, on and off it would make the most awful screeching noise! I was convinced it was a stone to start with, but it kept at it, so I thought perhaps the pads were done and have 'squealers' fitted to them - sure enough when I check, they were put in at 25k and we are now on 52k, so must be about due.

b) 130 miles or there abouts! Having decided it needed new pads, I headed off to the factors this afternoon to get some. Horrible noise to start with, then after a short distance there was the noise of something bouncing against the underside of the car and the noise stopped instantly. So it was a stone after all!!

Bought the pads anyway, they will need doing sooner rather than later.

[Gibbo2286]

I might have told this before but..............
We had a customer with an Austin A90 Westminster complaining of screeching noises from the front when he went round roundabouts, test drove it quite fast round the said roundabout, couldn't see anything so off with the wheel, top of the brake backplate had marks where the drum had scraped, I said to the guy "the stub axle must be bent." "What's the stub axle?" so put my toe on it to show him and it fell off, metal fatigue right through.