2001 Xsara HDi - fuel pump query.

Post by **Paul-R** » 07 Aug 2011, 14:38

Hi, I'm currently doing the European Grand Tour in the Xsara and had a problem in the Czech Republic when the fuel pump packed up (it's only done 188,000 miles!). Very little warning beforehand, only a sudden engine stop after which it restarted 3 minutes later. Final demise was about 10 minutes later.

Anyway, I confirmed the power supply to the pump was OK so had to call the RAC service. They were very quick - quicker than the response I've sometimes had in the UK and trailered the car to a garage. It was gone 6:00pm by then and I really thought it would be a next day repair but the mechanic found a fuel pump in his stock which had been taken of a late wrecked vehicle - only 50,000km he said.

It wasn't quite the same (he didn't actually say what it was off) and had a threaded connectio which stopped the wire clip retaining the plug from being fitted. He said it was for the particulates and said that there was a valve in it to stop any problems.

All was good for the restart and on our way we went. And now the problem.

When I filled the car to the brim a couple of days later in Poland there was a pool of diesel underneath which spread out as I was trying to brim the fuel. I quickly syphoned off all that I could into a can and then the leak stopped. I couldn't do anything more and had to drive off.

So, was he wrong about the valve in the connection (for the Eolys I surmise) and there is none? Was he right and could the valve be faulty? The final possibility is that the connection is not leaking and he has made a hash of sealing the unit with the sealing ring.

If it is the connection at fault, what thread is it? I could just wind a screw in to block it!

I have saved the old pump unit and plan on swapping the pump itself over so that the fuel gauge works properly when we get back to the UK.

We're currently in Hungary so it'll be a couple of weeks before I can sort it out properly. I keep track of fuel consumption on a brim to brim basis so not being able to fill up completely is a real rectal infarction.

citroenxm · Post by **citroenxm** » 07 Aug 2011, 21:20

Ah ha!!

Been here TWICE now. With two Xantia HDi's Theres NO Eolys on the 2.oi 8v HDi's ONLY on C5 2.2 HDis

Now, what the "mechanic" has done, he has NOT tightend the Large Screw top on the top of the Pump down enough...

Its also likely he may have mis fitted the Pump Seal... There Has to be a seal fitted just under the lip of the Fuel Pump, and then the large black screw top MUST be VERY tight! You can tell if its tight enough if you press down on the top of the fuel pump, if the screw is not tight enough the pump will push down on its springs... same also if the seal is missing!

The fuel leak only occurs when fuel is filled over the top of the tank, IE: up the filler neck!

You have done VERY well to get 188k on a Pump, they useually go by 100k OR LESS!!!

My Xantia has her original at 183k, so gives me an idea now I have a bomb waiting to pack up...

If you do NOT fill your tank to the brim you will be ok till you get home.

Paul

jmd · Post by **jmd** » 07 Aug 2011, 22:43

Fear not citroenxm. Those pumps can go at any mileage - Mine went at 140,000 miles on an Xantia. Normally they just refuse to start, however one temporary cure is possible & only once. that is to strike the tank from underneath with a few thumps of a hammer or similar - normally lasts a few hours or perhaps days afterwards, then its a new pump

My Son has got 170,000 mls on his C5 (series 1) as has a friend of mine. (C5 also) and no pump problems so far, on either cars.

I agree with you, when you say "what the mechanic has done, he has NOT tightened the Large Screw top on the top of the Pump enough..." Those rings are very difficult both to open, & to tighten

Post by **Paul-R** » 08 Aug 2011, 21:34

Thanks to both of you but I was overtaken by events.

Immediately after making the post I tried to start the car to go look for a hotel. The engine just span over and there was no sound from the pump. "Hello" I said "We've been here before. " - or words to that effect!

So I did the testing of electrics which was just the same as last time - faulty pump. So, AGAIN I had to call the RAC European service and this time the truck took the car away to a Citroen garage (somewhere in Miskolc, Hungary) whilst we went to a hotel.

I had a phone call today to say that they had identified the low pressure pump as being faulty and had ordered a replacement. The car should be ready to pick up tomrrow at 1:00 pm. I've given strict instructions to keep any items replaced for me so I can inspect them.

Incidentally, looking at the diesel puddle on the top of the pump and the cleenness of the Eolys connection I reckon it was coming out of that.

The good side of this? The RAC are paying for two nights accommodation while this gets sorted out and I'll have a car I can fill to the brim again. The fuel consumption seems to be very good so far - we're averaging 64mpg over the first tankfull.

Worried about my C5 though. It's done 165,000 miles!

citroenxm · Post by **citroenxm** » 08 Aug 2011, 21:38

There is NO Eolys on Xsaras....

You should have just two pipes and the electrical plug..

Thats fuel feed to the engine, and fuel return from the engine...

Paul

Post by **Paul-R** » 08 Aug 2011, 21:45

Yes I know that but this was an emergency-get-you-going-at-6:30pm-in-a-foreign-country repair.

The only reason I allowed it to be fitted was because he told me that there was a valve in the connection to stop fuel coming out when I filled the tank to the top. I knew the fuel gauge would read wrong because the float arm was a different shape but that wasn't ultimately important and I intended to change the pump part itself over to the old pump assembly (when we got back to the UK) so that I would then have the correct sender unit.

citroenxm · Post by **citroenxm** » 08 Aug 2011, 21:49

Ahhhhhh

Sorry Paul, I mis read your postings...

Im with you now... Can you not press in a Bolt into it to reduce it??

Paul

Post by **Paul-R** » 08 Aug 2011, 21:53

That was the gist of my original post - to find out what the thread was so I could do just that.

But, like I say, overtaken by events and the correct (brand new!!!) pump should be in the car by tomorow.

jmd · Post by **jmd** » 08 Aug 2011, 23:47

Good Luck on your journey & make sure you fill it to the brim, as soon as you leave the garage - to ensure that the ring on top of the tank has been tightened correctly .

Post by **Paul-R** » 09 Aug 2011, 09:33

jmd wrote:Good Luck on your journey & make sure you fill it to the brim, as soon as you leave the garage - to ensure that the ring on top of the tank has been tightened correctly .

My thoughts exactly!

VertVega · Post by **VertVega** » 09 Aug 2011, 10:41

Paul-R wrote:... and this time the truck took the car away to a Citroën garage (somewhere in Miskolc, Hungary) whilst we went to a hotel. ...

I hope you'll get your Citroen on the road again. It's not a nice surprise to have this kind of problems and especially in a foreign country

Fortunately there are a lot of Xsaras (and C5) in Hungary, so you'll find parts and garage easily. I haven't seen a single Xantia there

.

Last year while we were driving through Miskolc, my phone battery died. Easily found the replacement part from a shop in Auchan (like Tesco).

Hope you'll enjoy your holiday

Post by **Paul-R** » 09 Aug 2011, 19:15

Got the car back this afternoon. It cost 73,130 HUF which, as you all know, is about £235.

The bugger about it all was that they didn't have card machine so I couldn't pay by credit card and had to go a hole in the wall to get cash out fot them.

Still, it's nice to have the old girl back.