Massive Lds Leak At Front Driver Side Wheel

[sifaan]

Ok, so seems I have bigger problems than a moody AC unit

 

As I was driving home tonight the car started bumping up and down pretty badly (and then I realised I had driven over a pothole rather fast just moments ago). When I stopped and got out, realised there was a big LDS leak at the front driver side wheel. I opened up the bonnet to see if the leak was from the tank or pump but everything seemed OK. Later (as I was driving home a few km with the car resting on bump stops) I realised it must be the strut at the wheel.

 

Won't have time to get it jacked up for inspection until saturday, but any ideas what might have gone wrong so catastrophically? Could a hose (must be high pressure if it is) have got knocked loose? Could the strut itself have given up the ghost - e.g. cracked?

 

Thanks in advance

[paul.h]

The hoses on the front struts are supposed to be a common failure plus you can check under the tank or the tank itself in case it has split.

[sifaan]

It is the hose; it had been leaking sometime back and the hose clamps had been redone locally (but not really designed for pressures of the suspension system) and it had broken off at the clamp. Hoping they can put another clamp on as a temporary measure until I can get a replacement sourced

[aspire_helen]

Hi, 5 years ago i had an lds leak from behind the front left wheel area.(c5 mk1 2.2hdi 2001, 103,000m at the time). The leak was difficlt to locate at first as the fluid was spread all over. It turned out to be a split where the flexible hose entered an aluminium crimp. Fortunately, it was on the low pressure return piping, which passes around the wheel well, under the radiator and up towards the resevoir on the right side. I sourced an appropriate piece of hose from a scrapped citroen. I had to saw off the original aluminium crimp to get the old pipe off. As it was the low pressure return i refitted the hose using hose clamps not crimping. I think the original use of crimping of the lp return is overkill and probably installed for ease of production (essential for high pressure hoses). Had no problems, now 150,000m.