Xantia LHM Leak

[RobinMasters]

I've got a leak. I don't think it's particularly bad, but it's enough for the STOP light to have come on this morning (I have to admit to not having checked the level for a while! ).

It appears to be dripping off the subframe behind the engine, towards the passenger side.

Are there any likely culprits in that area I should be checking first?

If it makes any difference, it's a non-sinker, which does sink at the back fairly quickly as soon as it's turned off.

[Mandrake]

There's a LOT of hydraulic pipes in that area behind the engine and under the LHM tank unfortunately, so it could be many things.

What engine is fitted ? On some engines you can look down the back of the engine and see most of the piping with a torch, but on other engines its nearly impossible to see most of the piping without removing stuff.

One common culprit is the anti-sink valve which is mounted under the LHM tank - an o-ring in one end can fail causing a leak which can be either a minor drip or a very serious leak that will drain the LHM quickly...

It's not a job I've done before but apparently it's not too difficult to replace the o-ring.

A bit of searching with a torch above and below is going to be the only way you'll identify the source unfortunately - if everything is covered in oil you might need to do a bit of cleaning then check again after a short drive.

[RobinMasters]

Thanks Simon, I thought that was going to be the answer. It's a 2.0HDI; I don't know how it compares with other models, but access is fairly limited.

[CitroJim]

Also in that area is the leakage return from the front height corrector. On some models there is a 'Y' tee in the pipe in about where you have the leak and often it's just this tee has popped apart.

As Simon says, a good look with a torch will soon show it up...

[KennyW]

Have you done some work in that area to dislodge anything as already said there several pipes which could be the culprit.

Kenny

[Mandrake]

Also in that area is the leakage return from the front height corrector. On some models there is a 'Y' tee in the pipe in about where you have the leak and often it's just this tee has popped apart.

And of course there is the octopus coming down from the LHM tank, hopefully it's not that...

[CitroJim]

One hopes Simon....

Also on that area and joined to the octopus is the steering return. The rubber of the octopus often perishes where it joins the metal part of the steering return pipe. Access is not the best but it's not too bad a job to splice in a length of new rubber. Just make sure it is LHM proof. Pipe for unleaded petrol is always ok for LHM

[harryp]

Check the LHM return pipes into the tank. Had one that had chafed through behind the engine. Pipe ran down from LHM tank angled across towards off-side where it had chafed through. Fixed by sleeving over with clear flexible plastic pipe which happened to be a close fit and have had no more problems - with that one

[RobinMasters]

Check the LHM return pipes into the tank. Had one that had chafed through behind the engine. Pipe ran down from LHM tank angled across towards off-side where it had chafed through. Fixed by sleeving over with clear flexible plastic pipe which happened to be a close fit and have had no more problems - with that one

I think that could be it. I still haven't had a proper look, but there are two pipes from the side of the lhm reservoir which go towards the drivers side and seen to run on the back of the pipe from the air box. They look quite green!