Water leak

Aerodynamica · Post by **Aerodynamica** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:41 pm

Cyril is back on the road and everything seems good apart from ONE new thing.

The driver foot well is wet! I know it's a notorious BX thing but I wasn't sure what it indicates.

I first tried the obvious: testing the door seal but it doesn't appear to be that.

I had a look up under the center console at the heater matrix location and the rigid pair of plastic pipes but I do not see any sight of leakage from around there. The passenger side is as dry as a bone.

The car was parked out on the street today and my celebration of how leak free the BX is (compared to the various little oil patched the CX leaves) was short lived when I spotted a little wet patch.... not LHM or oil but WATER. Usually the car is on stone chips so leaks are often missed.

I -think- it has come from behind the engine and from a central point. The radiator water level does drop over several days.

I tested the drains of the inter bulkhead spaces either side of the wiper motor just to eliminate.

So chapz, go on - surprise me! I know someone will 'just know' what is leaking.

Post by **Tim Leech** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 12:19 am

Does he have a sunroof?

RxBX · Post by **RxBX** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 12:49 am

Roverman wrote:Does he have a sunroof?

I think that's a NO

Graeme !
Have you read through THIS recent thread maybe its the concertina tubing carrying the electrics from the 'A' post to the door

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 2:41 am

erm leaky sunroof and doorseals does not explain water loss from the Radiator over several days before you loose track guys.

I wont ask if the car has Air conditioning because probably get a no to that?

The only other thing i can think of is a leaking Heater Matrix running out into the drain in the centre console. Not visible unless you pull out the dashboard.

Aerodynamica · Post by **Aerodynamica** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 12:31 pm

Thanks all, yes, I'd seen that thread but sure it's the cooling system - the heater being the prime suspect.

Why are heater matrices always so buried!

mountainmanUK · Post by **mountainmanUK** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 12:42 pm

Why are heater matrices always so buried!

Because it's a Citroen mate!

If they weren't weird, odd, and different, we wouldn't love 'em as much!!

Yeah, the heater matrix definitely sounds favourite. Might be worth peeling back the carpet in the drivers footwell, and running the engine with heater taps both on & off. You may be lucky enough to actually see where it's coming from. One thing's for sure......you'll still need to become a contortionist (again!) to sort it!!
Good Luck Graeme!

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 2:21 pm

at least the matrix is very easy to replace compaired to a XANT or a CX,

just feel under the heater box for any wet stuff

regards malcolm

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 4:32 pm

buried? You people dont know buried, try doing one on a new Discovery!

mike st gilles · Post by **mike st gilles** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 6:25 pm

On a CX there's a trick where they cut open the placcy box that it sits inside and replace it without all the usual contortions and once done they just stick it back together......simples

Aerodynamica · Post by **Aerodynamica** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 10:17 pm

just feel under the heater box for any wet stuff

thanks, but like I already said - there's no sign of wetness there. It could be one of those mad situations where the leak is in a totally different place to the actual wetness....

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 6:45 am

Ok then throw another one in

The windscreen has a leak.

Not so daft a concept if you got a bit of metal worm or had a windscreen replaced sometime in the past.

Likely location would be the top corner. Thats where I found my TRS leak that was blamed on the sunroof.

Did not look much but a clean and a bit of silicone sealant made a differance.

Aerodynamica · Post by **Aerodynamica** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 3:24 pm

Well amigos, I thik the cause if the water in foot well is a leak from the heater.

I have yet to pinpoint the actual leaking component (any likely suspects?)

After parking the car up, next day it's started a few moments after the engine fores you can hear a sort of trickling water sound from just ahead of the driver - possibly within the dashboard or maybe from the back of the engine someplace.

What I -think- this is is that the water in the pipes at the back of the engine out of the cylinder head or the pipes to the heater as becoming empty over night as the leak occurs. I think that then once the engine is started again the waterpump moves all the water around and some comes over the top of a peak on a pipe high up and water falls down to fill the gap of the empty pipe.

Just a guess really.

I will be dismantling the dash to get to the matrix but am reluctant to do so until I'm sure what bit will need replacing. Early thoughts are the matrix itself is leaking as there is a mild indication that the water is coming out from the lower edge of the box behind the center console. But there's a wee chance it's leaking from a join of the rigid plastic pipes just above it. I don't think the leak is directly above the damp patch - I feel it's higher up and is running down, across and maybe back before finding the footwell.

Tricky bizniz

RxBX · Post by **RxBX** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:03 pm

Aerodynamica wrote:Well amigos, I think the cause if the water in foot well is a leak from the heater.

I have yet to pinpoint the actual leaking component (any likely suspects?)

I will be dismantling the dash to get to the matrix but am reluctant to do so until I'm sure what bit will need replacing. Early thoughts are the matrix itself is leaking as there is a mild indication that the water is coming out from the lower edge of the box behind the center console. But there's a wee chance it's leaking from a join of the rigid plastic pipes just above it. I don't think the leak is directly above the damp patch - I feel it's higher up and is running down, across and maybe back before finding the foot-well.

Hi Graeme,
It does possibly sound like the heater matrix or also it could be the heater valve control rod seal maybe getting past its best but the heater matrix is the more likely suspect !

I'd just isolate the heater matrix (As its Summer you don't really need the heater) by disconnecting the inlet/outlet pipes at the bulkhead/engine bay side which go in/out to the heater matrix and simply connect the two rubber pipes with some suitable size copper tubing.

Top the cooling system up just with water (No need to bother with anti-freeze just to run the test) and use the car normally and check the water level regularly over the next few day's if no need to top up it's obviously a heater matrix/valve problem.

I hope this may be of help in going towards diagnosing the actual problem.

Aerodynamica · Post by **Aerodynamica** » Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:07 pm

Thanks, that's a good idea - only difficulty is that the LPG reducer is plumbed in there but I can fit the copper tube further down.