Citroen Mechanic

moremeba · Post by **moremeba** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:42 am

All, my 16v water pump has packed up and im having trouble finding someone to repair it in the Kent /Se London area.
I live in Erith so i need somewhere close to that as the car cannot be driven far. Can anyone recommened a garage/mechanic that could help me.

Thanks in advance

Barry

cavmad · Post by **cavmad** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:45 pm

Barry, if you go to the home page of this forum there are links to Citroen specialists throught the U.K. Hopefully there will be one local to you, failing that there are a few who live fairly close to you I think who will recommend someone.
Welcome along by the way, hope you can get your car sorted soon.

moremeba · Post by **moremeba** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 3:49 pm

Thnx Cavmad, ive found myself someone not too far from me in Orpington. Seems like a nice bloke.

Cheers

Barry

moremeba · Post by **moremeba** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:43 am

I have had my water pump changed and the car is now running really hot.
The garage replaced thge water pump cam belt and temp switch on the rad. The fans are cutting in now,but the car is deffo running too hot, especially in slow traffic.......lots of smoke/steam coming from under the bonnet.......Anyone got any ideas.....i hope its not the head gaskett gone.
The guy in the garage tells me to run it for a few days and see how it gets on, but im worried as the temp goes up nearc the 110 degree mark.

Thanks in advance

Barry

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:51 am

In the first place you say that your water pump 'has packed up' - what had happened? I think most of us will be thinking that it was leaking but was something else wrong?

Over 20 mph you can ignore the fans - they should be of no benefit at all - so if the car is overheating over that speed you have other problems.

All BX have crossflow radiators - which are fine until the tubes begin to clog. They cope well until one too many tubes clog then overheat. This can usually be felt as a cold bottom of the radiator or cold patches. Sometimes flushing will help but it may not work in which case replacement is the only answer.

Another possibility is a stuck thermostat. Start the engine and put your hands on the top hose - which should stay relatively cold until the thermostatopens - then rapidly gets hot. If this doesn't happen the thermostat could be stuck.

I assume the mechanic bled the system properly when he re-filled it?

moremeba · Post by **moremeba** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:48 am

The water pump was leaking and got worse untill the leak became a flood of water.
I assume the mechanic bled the system, he seemed to know his way round the bx very well!
I will be taking it back to him for further investigation, but am reluctant to use the car now.
I will check the thermostat,and see if it could be that. but i wanted to have an idea of what it could be prior to the visit.
What i cannot understand is why was this not happening before? The leak was very small at the start and was just a matter of topping up the resevoir maybe once /twice a week., and the car never over heated, and now with these parts replaced it is over heating.

Thnanks for your help Jeremy.

Barry

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:04 am

Most likely the radiator - dries out and sludge sets hard - no circulation - sludge stays there - and the individual tubes are about 2 ft long - so its stuck there!

Head gasket will probably produce a residual pressure in the cooling system - ie hoses very hard and loads of gas released when COLD

Terry Brooks · Post by **Terry Brooks** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:05 am

cavmad wrote:..........if you go to the home page of this forum there are links to Citroen specialists throught the U.K. Hopefully there will be one local to you, .....................

I've had a couple of jobs done on my TZD which were done by a local "independant specialist" .......considering that I'm happy ennuff with his work and the price he quoted me along with the fact that he seems to be a knowledgable bloke when it comes to Cits. .....how do I add his name to the list?
Tel.