Xantia Core Plug

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egg
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Xantia Core Plug

Post by egg »

Just collected my Xantia (2.0 16v 1996 - 61k miles) from mechanic. Sailed through mot, running great after a service and new spheres. Then the bad news! He tells me the Core Plug in the head has gone and that water is gathering in the spark plug gallery. The coils are wet and starting to corrode. The mechanic has no idea of the repair cost - has never done the job before. Does anyone know how nasty/pricey the core plug job would be? Are there any tips I can pass on to the mechanic? I cant see the coils in the gsf book - does anyone know if they sell them and the likely cost? This car is a money pit, help please!
Sl4yer
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Post by Sl4yer »

I'm sorry this isn't a lot of help, but how can he diagnose the problem is if he has no idea of what is involved in fixing it? I'd get a second opinion from another garage (NOT a Cit dealer of course!).
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

He can probably diagnose it quite easily. Core plugs are not a common cause of problems these days with the universal use of anti-freeze. If you find water in an area your question is where has it come from and you then start looking at hoses etc until you find the culprit.
As for repair it depends where the plug is as they cost a few pence but can be sods to fit. With luck this plug will be the deep type rather than the domed disc as beloved by BMC. This means that the fitting process is simply to remove the old one, clean thoroughly, and tap the new one in having put a little sealer round the sides of it.
Thats the theory but the problem usually is getting at it. The old one can usually be levered out through the corroded hole, or a hole drilled in it and a screw put in it to act as a handle.
jeremy
oilyspanner
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Post by oilyspanner »

Having removed the cambelt and fuel pump on my XUD I found the core plug that was leaking to be only very slightly corroded around the edge and in no danger of falling out, on reflection I would like to have tried a GOOD quality leak sealer. The core plug cost 18 pence!
Stewart
James.UK
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Post by James.UK »

On the old Jags it was usual to paint the leaking core plug with red-lead and give it a clout in the middle. [:D]
If that didn't work, (and it usualy did) then drill it, and remove using anything handy that would fit the hole, and levering sideways, then scrape the hole clean, paint with red-lead, insert a new core plug with the 'bulge' outward, then smack it in the centre with a med weight hammer. [:)] Access could be a problem, but thats the norm on car engines. [V]
bxbodger
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Post by bxbodger »

I am assuming from your question that you don't know what a core plug is or looks like. They are dead easy to do once you can get at them, as all the above responses say, so I don't know what sort of mechanic you have, but if he can't do a core plug then I would suggest you get another mechanic!!!!!!
It may be a good idea if you don't know what to look for to go to a competent garage, and have the cooling system pressure-tested; it won't cost much and will make it easy to spot where the leak is coming from.
I did one on a neighbours escort a couple of weeks ago, it was the first I had done in a long time!!!As Jeremy says, they don't often rust through these days, so you may well be looking at a split hose somewhere; rule one of leak-hunting is that the water never, ever, ever comes from the place you first think its coming from!!!!
egg
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Post by egg »

I have faith in the mechanic. The problem, he says, is getting to the damn core plug - he says access looks very difficult. When I say he has not done the job before I mean on this particular engine, therefore can't price the job up. I was hoping tht someone has done one on this engine and could give some pointers.
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