207 1.4 Sport Oil in Expansion Tank Help

[gazzy1]

Hi all,

Got a 207 1.4 sport (2007) with oil in expansion tank. Engine seems to run fine and no evidence of coolant in the engine. The oil in expansion tank does not seem to be emulsified and the garage has sucked out around half a litre and topped back up with coolant. They told me to run it a bit more and take it back and see how much has gone back in.

They have advised to buy and fit a new oil filter housing which I believe both oil and coolant passes through. They suggested this could be letting oil into the expansion tank. I’m not sure if this is the case on the model I have.

They said to try this first before taking the head off. Do you think this is logical or is it an easy way to get more money before doing the inevitable?

Thank you

[CitroJim]

Yes, perfectly logical. Water/oil coolers built into the filter housing are not immune to such issues and to swap that is a lot cheaper and easier than have the head off...

I'm aware of at least one case of where the head gasket has caused this without affecting the running of the engine on this breed of engine due to a narrow gasket land around a big oil gallery and between water passages. This has been a 'feature' of this engine since it was introduced in 1988 as the TU - it normally causes an oil leak of varying severity on the front left hand corner of the head but not always into the coolant. If it's wet there it could well be the cause if the swap of the oil filter head does not resolve it.

[gazzy1]

Thanks for the prompt reply. With the 1.4 model, if it is the oil cooler, is the likely hood that it it’s from the seals on the mounting flange or a hole on the inside of it? Wondering if this is a common issue with cooler?

Cheapest price I’ve found for a new cooler is £185 which seems ridiculous. Tempted to put a second hand one on for £30 with fresh gaskets.

Thanks

[CitroJim]

A hole in the matrix most likely. As far as I know, the seals are only on the oil side... I'm not sure about your variety of engine but it may even be possible to bypass the coolant side, just for a test...