Leaking Hydraulics

Will · Post by **Will** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 10:43 am

Help!

My recently purchaced H reg 90000 miles BX TZD which is gorgeous has a continuing problem with leaking fluid from the return pipe adjacent to the nearside front wheel. It keeps blowing out of a push fit tight rubber connector. The garage have tried to clamp it on with cable ties but after a few miles it comes out again. Third time now! in three days

The other small problem is the light behind the speedo does not work, which is not great at night. Is this something I can do or is it the garage.

Thanks

Will

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 10:52 am

It could be your accumulator sphere is flat (the one in front of the engine) how often can you hear the ticking?

I'd advise against fitting any clamps or clips as this could cause the pipes to blow off elsewhere, somewhere very difficult to get at.

Try to find out which pipe exactly is blowing off.

The dashboard lights are a bit tricky unless you know where the securing screws are. I'm sure there must be a thread on here somewhere detailing this.
Incidentally, if you cannot see the speedo you will have at least 4 bulbs blown maybe more. Do the other dash lights work? if not it could be the dimmer at fault under the steering column.

Post by **Tim Leech** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:11 am

Will the haynes manual does tell you how to change the dash bulbs, so worth investing, they are nice and cheap on ebay.

Post by **mat_fenwick** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:54 am

I've moved this thread into Technical...

There have been several threads about changing the dash bulbs, so I've moved the best of those into Technical FAQ, here.

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:18 pm

The strut pipe on my BX was discovered to have come off at the service. I was warned it could be a strut issue. Anyone got any advice on that?

Post by **mat_fenwick** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:57 pm

Not being an expert on the hydraulics, I'd guess that it would be down to wear in the main seals allowing more LHM past (hydraulic seals are designed to leak slightly for lubrication of the seal itself). If too much is leaking past it will probably start to pressurise the return pipe system, which is not designed to be pressurised!

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 7:32 pm

Dollywobbler wrote:The strut pipe on my BX was discovered to have come off at the service. I was warned it could be a strut issue. Anyone got any advice on that?

It might be, on the other hand it may have just worked itself loose. If its been re-fitted, if it blows off again then i'd deffo suspect the strut. Does the strut that the strup pipe its connected to make any noise at all whilst driving (they should be silent)? How about when starting the car 1st thing in the morning, is there any strut groan whilst the car rises? If there is then its probably the strut. See how you get on with it is my advice, get a spare strut ready just in case & if it does blow off then just replace the strut. I had a groany strut last me a year before it blew the pipes off, fitted a 2nd hand one, no more probs since.

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 9:26 pm

Thanks. No creaking, though occasionally she'll not be that smooth going up - a sudden jerk. That was before the flush though. She's been pretty smooth lately. I'd better check the pipe before doing a 300 mile drive tomorrow...

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 1:26 am

mat_fenwick wrote:Not being an expert on the hydraulics, I'd guess that it would be down to wear in the main seals allowing more LHM past (hydraulic seals are designed to leak slightly for lubrication of the seal itself). If too much is leaking past it will probably start to pressurise the return pipe system, which is not designed to be pressurised!

Agreed!

If the strut pipes blow off then there must be significant fluid flowing where next to no fluid should be passing.

I've had a strut fail in this way on the A3/M25 and it split the return pipe.

Even topping up with LHM I could only get 3 miles before the suspension was on the front bump stops and a few miles more before I lost power steering so had to park up and do a strut replacement at the roadside as brakes would have been lost shortly thereafter and the LHM trail was much more expensive per unit distance than the petrol!

Post by **mat_fenwick** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:42 am

You carry a spare strut with you? That's what I call prepared!

Jaba · Post by **Jaba** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 2:30 pm

Confirmed. This will deffo be a badly worn strut causing the return pipe blowing off.

New internal seals - if still available - are very cheap but it is a pig of a job to get to them.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 3:03 pm

back to the original post

i think the steering ram blowing to much presure by its seals, can also cause the push fit pipe behind the N/S/F wheel on the safety valve to pop of,

regards malcolm

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:17 pm

Jaba, have you managed to renovate any struts yourself?

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:43 pm

citronut wrote:back to the original post

i think the steering ram blowing to much presure by its seals, can also cause the push fit pipe behind the N/S/F wheel on the safety valve to pop of,

regards malcolm

My thoughts exactly. That why we'd need to know which pipe is coming off before going any further.

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Mar 03, 2010 1:33 pm

Please see message in for sale posted by me. The car is back on the road again thanks to Le Garagiste.

Will

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