Is this a different Heater Hose Leak?

[addo]

Just reversed the '99 Xantia up my drive after lightly pedalling the car for thirty minutes, and smelled antifreeze.



About a year back (before my stewardship) the car endured a rather rough 'n' ready transmission swap. The garage managed to break a good few plastic clips, lose fasteners; all the usual things that grate. I'm wondering if they were attempting to disconnect the auto box heat exchanger hoses, and yanked on the firewall fittings.

As yet, I haven't done anything other than add about 300ml of boiled water to the header tank. Is anyone able to advise on either prognosis of the leak, or repair procedure? I'm generally fearless and reasonably capable, but don't want to dig a bigger hole.

Thanks for any suggestions! Hoping to dyno the car next weekend, just for giggles.

Regards, Adam.

[andmcit]

Hi Adam.

Yep, you've discovered another failure although I've had it on my VSX
2.0 16v.

The plastic collar on these hoses can be quite weak and brittle and snap
rendering the whole convoluted hose system scrap even though the hoses
themselves are probably still OK - problem is, to get the hoses jointed
safely onto the right angled shoulder/bracket mounting with it's O rings
on the bulkhead means you have to use a full correct replacement...

A trip to the scrappy or the Prats Department is required, wallet at the ready!

Andrew

[Clogzz]

Had that a year ago, split on the passenger’s side.
Bodged with a 19 mm garden irrigation angle piece.
Pope makes the strongest ones.
The full hose and inlet assembly may cost something like $280.

[addo]

Thanks both for the feedback - I suppose asking GSF might be a good start for replacement bits. Scrappies here are likely to charge more than the UK price of a new part.

For the meantime, I've used a hacksaw blade - first splitting the two collars at their bridge, and then sawing the collar off the leaking hose. Barbed end was picked out the centre in pieces, and after cleaning I lightly brushed the hose inner with Permatex #3 and slipped it over the remaining spigot. A stainless clamp completed the quick fix. Bled, then ran until the fans went on with the coolant tank cap fitted - no leak whatsoever.

Postmortem results showed the offending barb had broken almost completely away, and was incapable of holding system pressure. If that barely holds, I'll go the irrigation elbow (sounds like a disease ).



Now... Throwing a wildcard down as per diagnosis. How often does the 16V pop head gaskets? It was commented to me the other day, that the radiator was "very hot". I know the car has been neglected - including the cooling system. Should I check for CO in the coolant as a matter of course, or is this almost unheard of?

Regards, Adam.

[andmcit]

Hi Adam,

Whereabouts are you as your latest posting implies you're not in the UK - Eire?
That repair should hold well by the looks of things - I didn't take my original
leaking pipe apart as you have - the split on the hose was where it met the
outer plastic collar.

I don't think the 2.0i's or 16v'ers are prone to head gaskets in the way it
seems like an automatic procedure on the diesels...

Certainly not from the compression etc! Think the Head Gasket is fine!

Andrew

[jgra1]

Andrew I think Addos an ozzy