Hello all,
I recently posted on here that since I had a new cam belt and water pump fitted that my xantia now gets hot very quickly. Its fine when driving along but as soon as I get stuck in traffic it gets hot very quickly. The fans cut in ok but that does not seem to cool the engine down as much as I would like but when I start moving again it goes back to normal. I towed my caravan for the first time with this car last week and it was quite hot all the time which worries me as I dont want to damage the car. I have just had a oilchange and the oil and water levels are all good.
Do you think this could be an issue with air in the cooling system which could be solved with bleeding it and if so how do i do that and is it quite easy to do or could it be something else.
Many thanks in advance...Tim
Xantia overheating
Moderator: RichardW
Xantia overheating
1997 Xantia 2.1 TD SX Estate
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CitroJim
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This is a bit concerning Tim, my 2.1TD is a real cool runner and it's hard to provoke it into getting hot and as a consequence, the fans rarely run and when, on the odd occasion they do, the engine cools very quickly.
Bleeding a 2.1TD is simple. Because the header tank is on the bulkhead and at the highest point, it does not actually need anything special doing. Just leave the cap off from cold, let it come up to temperature, rev it a bit and that's it, job done. Replace the cap. In effect, they are virtually self bleeding due to the position of the header tank.
This has all started since you had the timing belt and water pump changed has it not? One cause of this behaviour can be timing being ever so slightly out. I'd be checking that the crank, cam and injection pump are in perfect time. I know from hard personal experience how easy it is to end up a tooth out if you're not careful and especially if you try to get away without locking the crank through the difficult to access hole behind the starter motor.
Another possibility is the thermostat. They might have changed it and used the wrong type. I'm not sure if the 2.1TD uses the type that closes the bypass circuit as it opens but if it is not of this type and the wrong sort that does not close the bypass has been used, the bypass is always open and the cooling circuit is short-circuited; not all coolant will flow through the rad as a result.
I'd not set the car any hard work until you have got to the bottom of this.
Bleeding a 2.1TD is simple. Because the header tank is on the bulkhead and at the highest point, it does not actually need anything special doing. Just leave the cap off from cold, let it come up to temperature, rev it a bit and that's it, job done. Replace the cap. In effect, they are virtually self bleeding due to the position of the header tank.
This has all started since you had the timing belt and water pump changed has it not? One cause of this behaviour can be timing being ever so slightly out. I'd be checking that the crank, cam and injection pump are in perfect time. I know from hard personal experience how easy it is to end up a tooth out if you're not careful and especially if you try to get away without locking the crank through the difficult to access hole behind the starter motor.
Another possibility is the thermostat. They might have changed it and used the wrong type. I'm not sure if the 2.1TD uses the type that closes the bypass circuit as it opens but if it is not of this type and the wrong sort that does not close the bypass has been used, the bypass is always open and the cooling circuit is short-circuited; not all coolant will flow through the rad as a result.
I'd not set the car any hard work until you have got to the bottom of this.
Jim
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
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Peter.N.
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Hi Tim
If it will run at normal temperature at speed but overheats when in traffic it would indicate a fan problem. Does it have two fans? are they both working? The usual cause of overheating if the fans are OK is a restricted flow in the radiator but this only usually happens at high mileages and will also occur at speed if pulling hard. Check for any obstruction to the air flow through the radiator.
The design of the 2.1 engine makes it almost impossible to have an air lock, far superior to the 1.9.
Towing a caravan will produce a lot of heat and the cooling is much more efficient when you have a nice blast of cold air through the radiator caused by the ram effect of moving at speed, much greater than the fans can provide. If you have done a high mileage, fitting a new radiator will certainly improve things.
You can bring the temperature down by putting the heater on at max temperature and opening the windows- not very pleasant on a hot day but better than boiling it.
If it will run at normal temperature at speed but overheats when in traffic it would indicate a fan problem. Does it have two fans? are they both working? The usual cause of overheating if the fans are OK is a restricted flow in the radiator but this only usually happens at high mileages and will also occur at speed if pulling hard. Check for any obstruction to the air flow through the radiator.
The design of the 2.1 engine makes it almost impossible to have an air lock, far superior to the 1.9.
Towing a caravan will produce a lot of heat and the cooling is much more efficient when you have a nice blast of cold air through the radiator caused by the ram effect of moving at speed, much greater than the fans can provide. If you have done a high mileage, fitting a new radiator will certainly improve things.
You can bring the temperature down by putting the heater on at max temperature and opening the windows- not very pleasant on a hot day but better than boiling it.
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CitroJim
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Another thought to bear in mind Tim, my temperature gauge over-reads quite significantly (i.e. the gauge says the engine is hotter than it really is). In fact, my Activa gauge does as well.
I've done a check by using an accurate digital thermometer on them both and checking what the gauge says against what my dignostics system tells me the temperature is. It might be worth a check with a good thermometer to confirm. Stick the probe on the top of the head as close to the top hose connection as you can.
As Peter says, towing will make it run hot. Although I've yet to tow a caravan with my 2.1, in my old 1.9TD, the fans run virtually continuously when towing and the gaue reads around 100 degrees.
I've done a check by using an accurate digital thermometer on them both and checking what the gauge says against what my dignostics system tells me the temperature is. It might be worth a check with a good thermometer to confirm. Stick the probe on the top of the head as close to the top hose connection as you can.
As Peter says, towing will make it run hot. Although I've yet to tow a caravan with my 2.1, in my old 1.9TD, the fans run virtually continuously when towing and the gaue reads around 100 degrees.
Jim
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...