Sprung a leak!....not what I thought!!...latest news!

[milleplod]

My '09 2.0HDi is losing water! I thought I'd been getting a whiff of that 'radiator water' smell over the last couple of weeks, but despite having a good look under the bonnet, I couldn't see anything obvious. I did a 150-mile round trip yesterday, no warning lights (is there a low coolant one?), engine temp gauge normal, heater working normally. Then, this morning, I spotted a wet patch under the front offside corner as the car was parked outside my mum's - I thought it was aircon drain-off. Then I realised I'd not had the aircon on!

I've just been under the bonnet again - top hose stone cold, despite the temp gauge showing 4/5 bars (so not stinking hot as I'd only been to the shop and back), radiator stone cold, heater working fine.

I'm off to my mate's with it in the morning for him to have a look - he fitted the new thermostat for me a while ago. Is pink Total 'Glacelf Auto Supra' the right stuff to use? Mick's Garage lists it as correct, zero info in the handbook, just wondered if anyone knew....if not, I'll call the dealer in the morning to see what's recommended.

Pete

[bobins]

Glysantin G33 or Revkogel 2000 are what's spec'd in the documentation.
Total recommend Glacelf Auto Supra for mine. You can check yours on their lubricant advisor...
https://total-gbr.lubricantadvisor.com/
Other lubricant advisors are available !

[milleplod]

Glysantin G33 or Revkogel 2000 are what's spec'd in the documentation.
Total recommend Glacelf Auto Supra for mine. You can check yours on their lubricant advisor...
https://total-gbr.lubricantadvisor.com/
Other lubricant advisors are available !

Thanks for the reply. Yep, it says the same for mine.....£30 for 5 litres delivered from Amazon, I'm wondering just how much I've lost for the rad to be cold! Other sites also recommend Comma Xstream G30, which is £18.50 for 5 litres delivered.

Pete

[EDC5]

I replaced my coolant with the Total Auto Supra, as mine was green when I got it

I tend to trust the total LubAdvisor as they seem the go to for PSA fluids.

[Dommo]

You can't always trust the cabin heat as a sign of coolant these days! My 2007 facelift C5 (not X7) has an electric heater in the heater box, so even if coolant wasn't circulating I can still get heat.

[milleplod]

You can't always trust the cabin heat as a sign of coolant these days! My 2007 facelift C5 (not X7) has an electric heater in the heater box, so even if coolant wasn't circulating I can still get heat.

Mine's got (I think!) the electric heater, but all it really does is to give me lukewarm air, rather than cold, at startup. I'm getting full-on heat once the engine's warm.

I've had a look under the bonnet again just now, expecting to have to top up the header tank - its at the correct level....evn revving the engine didn't see it drop. I'm even more confused.com now!

Pete

[milleplod]

My diagnostic skills have reached a new level of incompetence! My 'water leak' would appear to be an oil leak! Parked up today, at mum's again, road wet through....as I pulled off, I could see the pretty rainbow-effect wet patch under the front offside corner. Bugger. Had a look, it seems to be this pipe -

Power steering? Has anyone got a diagram or part number for it please?

Pete

[GiveMeABreak]

Pete, are you absolutely sure it is this pipe and not the dreaded steering rack leak? I’ll get you the parts diagram in a second.

[milleplod]

Hi Marc.

You've got me wondering! Would the fluid drip from the front(ish) under the car, I thought if the rack was leaking it would be further back. That pipe is directly over where the fluid was hitting the floor.

Pete

[GiveMeABreak]

Here's the piping digram Pete and the second picture of the pump for clarity of the connections.
Click to zoom pictures

If it is the dreaded pinion leak, then will be about where the driver pedals are located positionally, as the pinion on the RHD is just below these - a good clean up of the area should determine this - but if the oil is on top or around that pipe, it's more likely to be the pipe as the oil from the steering rack shouldn't be able to get above and would drip to the ground.

[milleplod]

Thanks Marc. My mate's putting it on his ramp tomorrow for a better look, I'll report back! If I'm looking at the diagram right, it looks as if its item no. 1, 4014JP that might be leaking....bet that'll be cheap!

Pete

[GiveMeABreak]

£192.84 VAT inclusive Pete, if it is part 1

[Zelandeth]

...or take it into your nearest branch of Pirtek and they will likely be able to make you a replacement up for less than half that list price.

They've saved me a lot of bother on a couple of occasions.

[milleplod]

...or take it into your nearest branch of Pirtek and they will likely be able to make you a replacement up for less than half that list price.

They've saved me a lot of bother on a couple of occasions.

There's a place called Derbyshire Hose and Fittings a few miles down the road, so if it is the pipe, I'll be popping in to see them - their website says they can manufacture to order.

Someone else has suggested the leak could be from the LDS reservoir. My car's had its undertray off for a while now, so I can't see how a leak from the rack could cause drips from under the area of the hose in the pic....which is under the reservoir. Wishful thinking works sometimes....!

Pete

[milleplod]

.....the ******** rack, after my rather hopeful misdiagnosis!

Anyway, I've found one in stock at a seemingly reputable place, comes with a 3-year warranty too, £200 delivered. My mate's all geared up to do it, had some helpful advice from Malcolm at Savoy Garage as to how to get it off without dropping the subframe, just need to check on one thing....

....some of the eBay listings I saw mentioned 'no speed sensor', the one I've bought doesn't have one and the seller tells me that none of the many they've sold have been listed with a sensor. Will my leaking rack have a sensor that needs to be swapped to the recon one, or do X7 racks just not have a sensor at all?

All I need now is for someone to tell me there's 2 types of rack....and I've just ordered the wrong one....!

Pete