C5 2009 HDi 110 garage replaced hydraulic fluid (not LDS / FDA)

[Clydesdale]

Greetings once again folks.

I come once again to imbible at the fountain of knowledge in the hope of bringing a little sanity to the world of car ownership.

Long story short, I needed the high pressure oil pipes replaced (corrosion causing leaking of LDS). Local garage that I switched to have been pretty good in the past however seem to have replaced the oil in the reservoir with standard red thin hydraulic fluid. How much pain will this cause me ?

Long version: About 6 months after the last time I was here the steering rack on my C5 went. I could have wept at the cost of getting a reconditioned version ... still as I was in a pretty much a bind I needed the car back on the road. So all was good again. Car seemed to be running as per normal. I was looking out the front after some rain and noted that there was an oily patch under the car. I niped over and saw some tell tale orange drips from the car. I immediately thought that it was the rack again, and if so would have been a trip round the back of the barn for Ol Yeller ... but thankfully it seemed that it was just the pipe which lead down to the rack.

I booked the car in and the eye watering price that the Citroen dealer quoted to the garage was paid. Car was fixed and I got home (about 2h ago). Being a nosey sort, I popped the bonnet and opened the fuild reservoir to be greeted with the a red thin hydraulic fluid staring back at me. Mine went straight to "Fuuuuu" and I did some searching. Now my car does NOT have the hydraulic suspension and the oil only serves the rack. To be fair to the garage there are no LDS only warnings on the cap or the like. There is also no frothing or the like within the reservoir.

So my question is. Is this a show stopper ? Will the standard fluid cause any damage ?

I have read a good bit and am fully aware that had the car had the hydraulic suspension then it would be all hands to the pumps. Given the garage made the faux par Im minded to call them up tomorrow and query the decision to place in standard fluid. But if it makes nowt much of a difference, then Im minded to just carry on as is.

The car I dont really feel will make more than about another year or two given the rate that smaller things are starting to apear (read as a mysterious oil weep from the engine, the turbo showing signs of some weeping etc). I'm a pretty sedate driver and do take the car out for a walk down the motorway to try and keep the DPF happy, but realistic that no car is permanent.

Any comments are welcome

-C

[bobins]

......seem to have replaced the oil in the reservoir with standard red thin hydraulic fluid. How much pain will this cause me ?


-C

LDS fluid is thin and red(ish)

lds

[Clydesdale]

Hi Bobins,

thanks for the reply. The stuff in the reservoir is a deep cherry red rather than the rich honey like amber colour of the LDS. The oil thats in the car at the moment is a lot darker and thiner than the oil I obtained from the Citroen dealership to top up the reservoir when it was leaking.

It was the stark colour difference from what was in it before that made me think they had placed in regular steering fluid rather than the LDS/FDA

[EDC5]

I'm just wondering if it's worth asking the garage if they'll change the oil for real LDS as that is what's required.

Do Peugeot 407's (which presumably has the same rack) also demand the use of LDS or does it use a standard fluid?

[411514]

I would imagine the ATF the garage have put in will be fine, but if it were me for the sake of £20 worth of LDS and ten minutes I would drain/suck empty the tank and refill with LDS.

[Clydesdale]

Thank you for the replies.

I am going to call the garage come tomorrow and ask. Have to say that the steering has never felt lighter though may just have been me getting used to the way it was as the pipe was in need of replacing.

You're correct in that it's a 407 like base, sprung all round and just the rack getting fed from the reservoirs.

As I said, I'll give them a call come tomorrow and see what they say. Just a worry that if I hadn't checked I'd never have noticed.

Thanks again all.

-C