xsara TD coolant leak

bpwood · Post by **bpwood** » 04 Jul 2004, 02:42

About a week ago, suddenly found expansion tank nearly empty, so topped it up, now find it low again. Ran the engine for quite a while today, but couldn't detect loss of coolant anywhere. Any ideas, please? When running it, the temp gauge went up to the usual level (75c, roughly) - does this seem about right? Cooling fans didn't operate either, at what temp should they come in/how do I check they are working? Xsara TD '98. Cheers!

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 04 Jul 2004, 14:25

Normal temperature should be around 90C. My fans don't come on unless I've been standing in traffic for a while. Have you checked the carpets for any dampness, indicating a leak in the heater matrix? If there's no other indication of leaking to the outside, the other alternative is that the head gasket has gone, and the water is going internally. How does the oil level look? Also take a look in the header tank when the engine is ticking over.

edd001 · Post by **edd001** » 04 Jul 2004, 15:53

also the rad cap could be defective as mine was so the coolant was just steaming out the cap.(not enough steam to notice)

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 04 Jul 2004, 16:23

If you look at the specifications for BX diesels and early ZX and presumably others you will find that the thermostats are quoted as being 90 degrees C or thereabouts. I have bought thermostats for both (even the strange BX one) and the current specification seems to be about 83 degrees C.
There seems to have been a retrospective spec change and I would have thought your Xsara would have been fitted with an 83 degree one. The fans probably come on shortly before boiling point and you may have to let the car idle for 15 minutes or so to get them to work.
jeremy

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 04 Jul 2004, 18:43

Have changed the stat om my Xsara only a month go and I can confirm that it was rated at 82C. Quick change no bother. But I do know that on my ZX TD I has this same problem. No water in the rad exspansion tank but no sign of any loss. £7.50 later and a new rad cap and all was back to normal. Well as normal as old ZX td's get that is. The coolant was just leaking out at temp as you drive along so I didn't see any steam etc.

bpwood · Post by **bpwood** » 06 Jul 2004, 01:22

Thanks to all for the info.JohnD, what would I be looking for re oil level & in header tank? Will check carpets & rad cap.

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 06 Jul 2004, 23:16

If water is getting into the engine, it will raise the oil level. Also might show with drops of water on the dipstick. The water in the header tank could have a film of oil on its surface.

ralph · Post by **ralph** » 07 Jul 2004, 23:13

Regarding running temps - my Xsara TD also reads 75 degrees most of the time. I've not tested it but I guess the guages read a bit low.
Or it could be that the Xsara is simply a cool car - despite what ZX diehards might say - lol

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 08 Jul 2004, 00:06

Here, here us Xsara driver's should stick together. Most of the ZX parts fit the Xsara any way.

bpwood · Post by **bpwood** » 19 Jul 2004, 01:51

No coolant loss for a while, then found expansion tank empty again! Topped it up & left cap off while running engine - lots of tiny bubbles soon appeared. Have just read an old post which suggests it could be an airlock causing steam to form & blowing out coolant? Or is it the dreaded head gasket? Oil level OK & it looks OK. If it is h/g is there a temporary fix (additive?) - I'm off on hols soon!

Simon Canfer · Post by **Simon Canfer** » 19 Jul 2004, 02:53

If you have the dreaded "bubbles appearing in the coolant tank" then IMO you have a head gasket on its way out. The bubbles are tiny amounts of combustion gases leaking into the coolant jacket, this over-pressurises the system. I assume the coolant loss is a small amount of coolant being drawn in by the piston as it draws in fresh air.
Do you also find the system is pressurised even after leaving it to cool? Mine did!
Not a good state of affairs to be going on holiday with; on one hand it might be a long time before you get a breakdown but on the other...
On a lighter note, a simple (cheap) gasket change cured these symptoms for me (no skimming of head etc) and the car ran for a long while after.
Simon

omri75 · Post by **omri75** » 19 Jul 2004, 03:10

Dont Fratind The guy!!!
im very expeirneced with Xsara.
This is not a problem. 75C is just fine!! its like this since the car is new. (intill now. i got problem with the fans).
its sounds like Inside Heating Radiator, wich can be found (it will sound werid) inside the dashboard(you need to remove half car for it.). you can verify it by looking under the carpet in the front passeneger location.(not the driver.)
or it can be the Water pump.it's not rare.

omri75 · Post by **omri75** » 19 Jul 2004, 03:14

i read all posts.
you can also check for Air in the cooling system. the bubles happend to me too. i cleand the system from air (in thermostat house there is Ventil, and in the Firewall, right on the Internal Radiator rubber pipe.)
also do it when the car is cold not heat.

arry_b · Post by **arry_b** » 19 Jul 2004, 03:38

Don't ignore the symptoms either.... especially if you've some long trips coming up.
From stone cold, remove then replace the radiator cap to vent any residual pressure.
Start the car and run it for 60 seconds, no more.
Then release the rad cap listening for pressure release.
If there is *any*, the head gasket has died.

compbuild · Post by **compbuild** » 19 Jul 2004, 21:36

Had a Very similar problem with my 1998 LXTD Xsara, it turned out to be a leak in the radiator that the coolant was escaping through as steam, sometimes it was fine for days and other times it would almost empty the tank on a 30 mile journey, I stuck in some radwels and it sorted it but got a new radiator as my mechanic advised me to be careful in case it wrecked the head gasket