Coolant Leak....?

[milleplod]

Morning chaps.

 

My '09 2.0HDi X7 is losing water! I thought I'd been getting a whiff of that 'radiator water' smell over the last couple of weeks, but despite having a good look under the bonnet, I couldn't see anything obvious. I did a 150-mile round trip yesterday, no warning lights (is there a low coolant one?), engine temp gauge normal, heater working normally. Then, yesterday morning, I spotted a wet patch under the front offside corner as the car was parked outside my mum's - I thought it was aircon drain-off. Then I realised I'd not had the aircon on!

I looked under the bonnet - top hose stone cold, despite the temp gauge showing 4/5 bars (so not stinking hot as I'd not gone far), radiator stone cold, heater working fine. New thermostat was fitted a couple of months ago - what a pig of a job that was!

 

I've just been looking under the bonnet again this morning, engine stone cold. The level in the header tank looks normal - I expected the level to have dropped and a top-up being needed! I let it tick over for a minute or so, revved it, no change in the header tank level. I'm confused, to put it mildly!

 

Regarding coolant, pink Total 'Glacelf Auto Supra' seems to be the right stuff, although I can get Comma Xstream G30 for not far off half the price - any thoughts?

 

Pete

 

[paul.h]

Maybe you could also check the washer fluid bottle for a leak since I think that will be in the driver's side front wing.

 

If it is a coolant leak and you can not find anything obvious, then have a look at the water pump in case its seal is leaking. If it is the water pump it will need the timing belt removing so would be a good time to replace that and its tensioner and pulleys.

 

Other things in that area are the power steering pump and if you have an exclusive, the LDS tank which is known to split.

[milleplod]

Thanks for the reply.

 

My diagnostic skills would appear to be lacking! The leak left lovely rainbow circles on the wet road earlier....looking under the bonnet, I spotted this - power steering pipe?

 

Pete

 

 

[paul.h]

Is your car an exclusive with the hydractive suspension ?

 

You will need to follow the pipe to see where it comes from/goes to. The steering fluid pipes on the 2008 on C5 are known to fail but can be expensive. Check the level in the power steering tank to see if it is low but if it is leaking where shown, you should see drips on the pipe. The steering racks also commonly leak where the column shaft enters it, possibly due to rusting and wearing the seal. There are notes about this in the Common Problems pinned topic and if the rack is leaking, then a reconditioned one is the cheapest repair.

 

25. New C5 (mark 3/X7) steering rack oil leaks - at least 8 cases so far.

We have 2 members jefflad and Howiec with steering rack leaks that are proving difficult to fix. Where the supply and return pipes join the rack, the seals are leaking fluid. It seems Citroen want to replace the pipes to fix this and that just replacing the O-ring seals does not work. Citroen also do not sell the seals separately. An additional 2 members, Parkesie and johnfing, have found a leak from the steering column shaft input seal on top of the steering rack, which initially was thought to be the pipe seals. This seal also is not available so replacement racks have been fitted. The column shaft has badly rusted so may be the cause of the leak - applying grease could possibly prevent this. See http://www.citroen-o...uid/#entry75684 . See also this topic for info on replacing the rack

http://www.citroen-o...ent/#entry81594

 

There are 2 more cases here and one being caused by corrosion of the rack where the alloy oil pipes connect http://www.citroen-o...-leaking-fluid/

 

Have a look at this topic from C5greener for another leak point in the piping near the rack http://www.citroen-o...-steering-leak/

 

This topic from taximan61 for his 2011 C5 (X7) had the leaking rack and pipes repaired in Wakefield. This is the youngest C5 with a leaking rack so it is not just the early ones that leak. http://www.citroen-o...-steering-leak/

The company in Wakefield also recommend replacing the low pressure pipe since it is alloy at the end but is held by a steel clamp which causes corrosion.

 

Another to add to the list from twoseefives http://www.citroen-o...eering-failure/

[paul.h]

Just seen in one of your posts from 2016 you mention an exclusive. If this is the same car then you should check the bottom of the LDS tank since if this is leaking the fluid can drip down to the area under the wing. Also the LDS fluid will be the power steering fluid and it should be an orange colour when clean/new.

[milleplod]

Hi Paul.

 

Thanks for the info - yes, same car, an Exclusive. My mate's putting it on his ramp tomorrow, so the LDS tank is something else to look at, I hadn't thought of that. I'm wondering (hoping!) that that's it - looking at it logically, the wet patch on the road is always under the pipe in the pic, whether the car's parked pointing downhill or uphill....would it be possible for a leak from the rack, near the pedal box, to get to that area?  :unsure: 

 

Pete

[paul.h]

If the car will be on the ramp and jacked up so the wheels are hanging, then before jacking up make sure the suspension is raised to max height before switching the engine off, then slacken the LDS tank cap to release the pressure. Do not tighten the cap until the car wheels are back on the ground or there is a risk the tank can split. This is taken from Citroen's service box procedures.

 

I suspect it is unlikely a leaking rack would leak oil so far forward.

 

When you check the LDS fluid level the suspension should be at minimum and the fluid should be just at the bottom of the tank filling neck strainer.

 

I have put your car info in your signature to save mentioning it in new topics.