Loss of Coolant on 307 2.0 HDi

7018 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by bigdavid, Jun 3, 2008

franco24350

Discussion Starter · Jan 16, 2008

hi
I have been nursing this problem for several months now, trying to analyse it so i can tell the garage the symptoms accurately; I live in France you see and its more difficult to describe technical things in a foreign language.
I am losing coolant from the cap on the degassing bulb. It seems the system is going overpressure. Other than losing coolant, the system is working fine (temperature is totally stable, thermostat operates perfectly, fan cuts in and out as it should). The engine has never overheated. There are no visible leaks anywhere else, just out of the pressure cap. My 'old knowledge' from cars I had years ago made me think it might be the head gasket but there is absolutely no condensation in the oil system and no reason why it should have failed.
If i do just local mileage, fluid loss is very small and i can do several hundred miles before it needs topping up. If I have to drive it hard it comes out of the filler cap alot more; it can really spray out at times.
The only other odd thing is that the coolant level in the bulb seems to be very erratic - it was on the upper level marker the other day when I started then it dipped below the sensor and the alarm sounded just as I parked it after only 10 miles (nothing had leaked from the cap). I came back a few hours later, checked the level before i started off and it was WAY ABOVE the upper level mark!! Ran it for a few minutes and its back to normal!!
It really puzzling as it seems the only loss of coolant is out of the pressure relief cap but it also seems to me like the system is being overpressurised from somewhere and the levels vary far more than they should just through temperature change.
Can anyone help? I can't afford to give a french garage carte blanche to look at it; they have a habit of just doing what first comes to mind, giving it back and when that has not solved the problem, shrugging their shoulders and then trying something else. I feel I need to be able to point them in the right direction first.
cheers
Franco

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franco24350

Discussion Starter · #2 · Jan 21, 2008

No Replies at All?!

Obviously too hard for you all. Never mind worth trying. Next time I hope it will be something simpler...like why the boot catch won't 'catch', or why the CD changer only works on days with no 'Y' in it; or perhaps why the gearbox and clutch had to be replaced in their entirety after 30k miles; or maybe why the auxilliary pulleys fell apart after 40k miles and both track rod ends needed replacing about then too. Mind you, the aerial has never given me a moments worry!
Nice car (NOT!)
Franco

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Brilec

· #3 · Jan 25, 2008

Have you got a dictionary of useful motoring terms, like
joint de coulasse = head gasket etc.

From discussions I have had with people in your position, it seems servicing in France is somewhat cheaper than the UK, though you do seem to have a rogue car here. The main Peugeot dealers might well have someone who has some understanding of English.

Are you sure that there is not an airlock in the cooling system? This would account for the random levels you see, and the air in the block would expand more than water, causing the higher pressure.

The boot catch is adjustable, you need to slacken the two screws and loosen it a little by the sound of it.
If your's is an early model, then there was a problem with the crankshaft pulley falling apart, the later type should be better. Teh same applies to the clutch, though actually it's the dual mass flywheel which causes the problem. Later type should be better. If the original one went in a big way, it would damage the gearbox too.
Can't suggest anything for the track rod ends, unless someone has a habit of driving up and down kerbs a lot.
The CD changer, well what can I say? A known weak point, but later ones seem more reliable.
(Having said that, mine will probably fail now).

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PreferaBike

· #4 · May 12, 2008

Hi Franco
My car is behaving like yours, did you ever find out the cause?
Dave

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bigdavid

· #5 · Jun 3, 2008

franco24350 said:
hi
I have been nursing this problem for several months now, trying to analyse it so i can tell the garage the symptoms accurately; I live in France you see and its more difficult to describe technical things in a foreign language.
I am losing coolant from the cap on the degassing bulb. It seems the system is going overpressure. Other than losing coolant, the system is working fine (temperature is totally stable, thermostat operates perfectly, fan cuts in and out as it should). The engine has never overheated. There are no visible leaks anywhere else, just out of the pressure cap. My 'old knowledge' from cars I had years ago made me think it might be the head gasket but there is absolutely no condensation in the oil system and no reason why it should have failed.
If i do just local mileage, fluid loss is very small and i can do several hundred miles before it needs topping up. If I have to drive it hard it comes out of the filler cap alot more; it can really spray out at times.
The only other odd thing is that the coolant level in the bulb seems to be very erratic - it was on the upper level marker the other day when I started then it dipped below the sensor and the alarm sounded just as I parked it after only 10 miles (nothing had leaked from the cap). I came back a few hours later, checked the level before i started off and it was WAY ABOVE the upper level mark!! Ran it for a few minutes and its back to normal!!
It really puzzling as it seems the only loss of coolant is out of the pressure relief cap but it also seems to me like the system is being overpressurised from somewhere and the levels vary far more than they should just through temperature change.
Can anyone help? I can't afford to give a french garage carte blanche to look at it; they have a habit of just doing what first comes to mind, giving it back and when that has not solved the problem, shrugging their shoulders and then trying something else. I feel I need to be able to point them in the right direction first.
cheers
Franco

Have you asked then todo a headgasket test or a pressure test? It could just be the seals is no good on the cap but theres also other things like, blocked rad and building pressure(could try flushing it out yourself) or the thermostat is stuck.

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