The radiator on my '96 Xantia diesel has a small leak.
I was thinking of adding some sealant as a temporary fix and fitting a new/exchange radiator in a couple of weeks.
Do these sealants cause problems with pumps, seals etc sealants, or should I top up with a pint-a-day coolant/water until the new rad arrives.
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I always maintain that when you have a leak you can fix it when you choose, and you can judge if its getting worse.
If you use a sealant you run the risk of it letting go big time and the car deciding when it should be repaired - and that could be on an important trip, a long way from home, on a motorway, whatever.
So my non-technical answer is keep checking it, keep filling it with water, and replace it asap and give the sealant a miss.
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Personally I have found Barrs Leaks is a very acceptable SHORT TERM solution...
But I would not try a 100 mile 70mph motorway trip like that.. the pressure will do as Mark suggests:-(
madf
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I've previously used Holts Radweld with no probs whatsoever. Had a leaking core plug on my old Cavalier - solved the leak and I never changed the coolant for a further two years after adding the Radweld.
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I'm sure everyone has seen a car in the scrap yard with a bodyfiller leak fix. I suppose it depends on whether you're running a car on the cheap (which can suddenly get very expensive) or if it being run as an asset to your lifestyle. For small leaks I see no reason not to use a leak sealer and keep an eye on things.
Steve.
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Here comes Mr Grumpy...
Do as you have mentioned only if you are happy looking for signs of a much bigger leak happening out of the blue.
You possibly know one bad overheat is enough to finish a Citroen TD engine and scrap the car at present Xantia values.
I had one the other day where the rad burst as it was being MOTd, the user had known for weeks of the small leak.
Of course I was able to fit a new rad immed' but if it had happened on the motorway and they'd missed the temp gauge then bye bye head gasket.
Best rads are new ones from Andyspares, decent price too.
MM
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Had a bump in my knackered old metro a few years back, did some damage to the radiator, but it didn't leak until a few months later, on the way home from university (a 200 mile trip) and it started spraying out everywhere - i was pouring water into the header tank and it was pouring out of the rad just as fast. Stuck in the middle of cardiff, with no RAC cover, i bought some radweld from a petrol station and prayed. Being a tight and lazy student, i didn't bother changing the rad for about 6 months, during which time i didn't loose a drop of water!
Having said that, if the car was any good i'd have changed the rad a lot sooner!
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The jury is still out on this one.
Given the imminent MOT and replacement front tyres I might
be looking for a buyer!
Just to add spice, the car is currently in France and does have a long trip home....fully loaded....
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Loads of water and sealant onboard then. Could you use wine at a push? LOL (no, not lots of love, laughs out loud! I thought these acronyms were suppose to save typing?).
Steve.
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I'll throw out a thought here based on something that happened to me. Are you sure it is a radiator leak? My Tipo was losing water at a rate that I thought could be a minor leak, until it got quite bad after a week or so and the water pump failed a few days later... The loss just before pump failure was around a pint or so a day as well...
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My brothers Maestro van started 'leaking a bit' just before Christmas. By New Year it was off the road needing a new water pump. £93 for a pattern part, the dealers wanted £140+. What a complete cow to fit, it's also an engine mounting!
Steve.
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I would say depends on the size of the leak. If it is a small leak you probably will get away with using sealant(just keep an eye on it). If it is a big leak then get it sorted straight away.
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The rad is definitely leaking. There are one or two areas definitely corroded and a small pool of fluid on the bottom tray....
Also checked the hoses: the car was parked on the street for a week with temperatures down to minus 12C. No problems.
(Antifreeze & screenwash both bought in Germany: guaranteed to minus 50C; but as diesel waxes at minus 23 who cares ...)
Loss over the last 2 days is no more than 100ml, but that's only over 20 miles or so.
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What I would ask myself is do I spend a fiver on some Radweld, or replace the radiator? For a fiver, Radweld's got to be the cheaper option to try first. If it fixes the leak - great. If not then you've only lost a fiver before trying the next option.
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If it's corroded it is probably going to leak somewhere else soon. Aren't parts for French cars cheaper in France. Can't you do the job before the return journey?
Having said all that, if it was mine, relatively old and not worth a great deal sort of car, I'd probably bung in some radweld and see if I could push it on for a few months more.
Confused? I am!
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Parts are cheaper in France and most expensive main dealer labour charges are less than £40 an hour. Find a local small Cit bloke and it may not be that expensive - especially if you have it done and then feel confident enough to load it to the gunwales with cheap French wine (or dare I say fags?) - then the job may pay for itself!!
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Doing today's MOT at the local garage I was looking at a vehicle chatting as to why it was there.
Turns out it had been running for a couple of months on the "pint a day" scheme because of a leaking rad. Then one evening on the motorway the owner thought the heater had gone a bit cold. Few miles later the engine seized.
After recovery the next day it had freed off and turned over but the engine was trashed...min bill £1000.
MM
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Just bought some Wynn's Radiator Stop Leak. Apparently it:
Stops & prevents leaks in the radiator/cooling system whilst protecting against rust/corrosion & helping to lubricate the water pump.
Is compatible with all makes of car & all coolants/antifreezes and won't harm rubber hoses, gaskets or other system components.
Is formulated to avoid clogging radiator waterways & temp. sensors.
Won't repair broken or split hoses.
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Talking of split hoses, one of my previous bosses had a Saab 9000 turbo that was losing water so he asked some of the staff to have a look, I found a BIG split in the top hose. I told him something was really wrong and to call the dealer out - I had a feeling it was something to do with the turbo. Sure enough the head gasket had gone, so I assume that the top hose was the weakest link in the cooling system, surprising really because the hose looked in very good condition.
Steve.
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Well, guys. It looks like no one has had any really bad experiences from using sealants. I did buy some but will be keeping it in the boot until absolutely essential.
The leak has slowed to minimal proportions ( as in - minimal but still check daily !).
I did a 150 mile run at the weeekend to check & to celebrate !
I remember checking the coolant level a couple of weeks ago after a garage service. I can now see the coolant was above the MAX level. ( The handbook refers to non-existent min-max indicators).
And of course I will have a plentiful supply of top-up fluids:
wine, vodka, and other liquids for non-commercial use (if Customs are reading this ), when the car makes its way back to Angleterre !
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IIRC the Wynn's stuff I bought is supposed to be used as a preventive. It stays in the cooling systems until a leak develops then seals it immediately. I saw it demonstrated by someone putting water into a tin with a hole in the bottom , then adding the fluid and it immediately sealing the holes. Apparently it's used routinely by a certain F1 team in their engines. If anyone wants more info. contact
Wynn's on
0118 950 4090.
or e.mail
helpline@wynns.uk.com
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