Xantia Leak

blueboy2001 · Post by **blueboy2001** » 31 May 2004, 19:20

Friend of mine has had an L reg Xantia sat on his path for the last 4 months, it was running perfectly but the tax ran out and the owner didn't want it. He has now got round to wanting to move it, but it wouldn't start so he enlisted my help.
Went for a look and it wouldn't turn over - flat battery I reckoned, so stuck it on charge and went back this morning. Started on the first turn of the key after 2 shots on the glow plugs. Stood back looking proud as it rose to the correct height and thought all was well.
Looked inside and the STOP light and Hyd warning were lit. Revved it up a bit and moved the steering to try and get it to go out, no luck. Went and looked at the LHM tank and it was almost empty. I then noticed about 3L of LHM trickling down the drive - its on a fair slope.
I can't get underneath due to the slope, but the leak is pretty substantial (lost all the fluid inside 2 minutes, maybe less) and its pouring off the rear subframe, just off centre towards the drivers side. Any ideas where it could be coming from in that area?

Post by **philhoward** » 31 May 2004, 19:29

Sounds like somewhere around the anti-sink, if so equipped... for that amount of fluid, it's gotta be a ruptured pipe, at a guess.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 31 May 2004, 20:07

DRAT [:(] - the worst scenario [B)]
You could set the height contol to lowest height - thus closing off the suspension pressure, then top up the reservoir to get front brakes pressure, and drive the car to move it.
But max driving speed would be approx 20mph, at which speed the car would tend to bounce like a tennis ball.
Better have lots of chewing gum for your teeth [:I]

blueboy2001 · Post by **blueboy2001** » 31 May 2004, 20:43

I was thinking it may be coming from the steering rack, because once the car reached its height the regulator cut out - surely if it was a leak in a suspension pipe the pump would be working overtime to keep the back end up? It didn't sink any faster than I would expect either.
Car has no antisink, so thats ruled out.
Looks like I'll have to borrow a tractor and low loader trailer from work and tow it to the scrapyard.