Orange fluid in my Xantia

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
1900sr
Posts: 25
Joined: 03 Jan 2004, 01:54
Location:
My Cars:

Orange fluid in my Xantia

Post by 1900sr »

I've recently bought a 1996 1.9TD VSX Xantia estate. There's is a little pool of fluid down in a little crossmember area under the hydraulic pump. I dipped a long cotton wool bud into this and it came back orange. I then dipped a bud into the LHM reservoir and that too came back orange. there is a date of Feb 08 painted onto the top of the reservoir, so I'm guessing something was done to the system then. Do we think it's got hydraflush in, or has someone put LDS fluid in? Eiher way I guess I ought to change it for LHM.

Is it likely to have harmed the system to have had either Hydraflush or LDS in it this length of time?
jmd
Posts: 398
Joined: 18 Feb 2001, 06:18
Location: Ireland
My Cars:
x 1

Orange Fluid

Post by jmd »

Looks to me like LDS, which is the recommended product for the C5. Hydraflush is green. I'm not sure if LDS is harmful to an Xantia, and I wouldn't think so. However I definately would not reverse roles and put LHM in a C5. I read somewhere that people have used another product, in place of LHM in Xantias, a product that never needs to be replaced, but is only available through the airline industry & therefore almost impossible to source. I do not think you have anything to worry about, if you have LDS in your tank. It is double the price of LHM. I would however be interested in the opinions of others in this matter.
Pleiades
Posts: 234
Joined: 28 Apr 2008, 21:04
Location: Sunny East Anglia
My Cars:
x 1

Post by Pleiades »

It may not be LDS, it could just be old LHM, this will go a sort of orange colour when it gets old and oxidized, not realy a problem it just needs changing, but a flush through would allways benefit.

If it is LDS, then still not a problem as the LDS fluid is mineral so will not damage anything, but will still need a flush as LDS fluid is a bit thicker that the LHM.

If it is Hydraflush, then again, still no problem, Hydraflush can stay in for years with no ill effects on the system.

To sum up, I would say that there is no problems to worry about but I would reccomend a flush, then nice new shiny LHM.

Regards
Martin.
newmezuk04
Posts: 38
Joined: 28 Jun 2008, 17:38
Location:
My Cars:

Post by newmezuk04 »

When I got my first Xantia a few years ago it had a orange/brown colour in the reservoir, removed the liquid and cleaned the filters, never no problems that I could tell.
User avatar
Xaccers
Posts: 7654
Joined: 07 Feb 2007, 23:46
Location: Milling around Milton Keynes
My Cars:
x 184

Post by Xaccers »

newmezuk04 wrote:When I got my first Xantia a few years ago it had a orange/brown colour in the reservoir, removed the liquid and cleaned the filters, never no problems that I could tell.
Cassy's was the same, I suspect it had never been changed in 100K
1.9TD+ SX Xantia Estate (Cassy) running on 100% veg
1.9TD SX Xantia Hatchback (Jenny) running on 100% veg for sale
Laguna II 2.0dCi Privilege (Monty)

DIY sphere tool
newmezuk04
Posts: 38
Joined: 28 Jun 2008, 17:38
Location:
My Cars:

Post by newmezuk04 »

Interesting, mine had a little over 100k.
Post Reply