Coolant again

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Palo Verde

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Fellow Frogger
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So members may recall my pug had coolant issues 2 services ago, well which 208 owner doesn't? It seemed forums are littered with coolant issues with my variant.

Anyways after spending money replacing that non-moving contraption, which I do not know what it is called now, although I have never seen my pug dripping liquid ever and the floor it was parked on was always dry - took a while to digest it leaked an ocean.

Fast forward, service is due 2023, and all seemed fine except months ago I mentioned the oil level was low and I must've put it in inaccurately as it was without a funnel, and smell of oil at times.

I do not pop the hood every second day - some do, but I don't - I popped it last night to look see - surprised the coolant tank was drizabone! This cannot be? No warning light, the needle did not point to almost boiling so what happened?

Luckily I am due for a service in just a few days and thankfully I still have my gallon of premixed stock Pug coolant.

I was planning on topping the coolant once the car is fully cooled prefer overnight. Anyways I went to check it after a few hours - and brace yourselves - the coolant is magically back in the tank, just below maximum, wtf? wasn't it driza bone the night before when it was hot?

Funnily, the coolant I remember was always greenish bluish tint ( the stock one) and my eyes may have been not paying attention, when it was hot, somehow my coolant had turned from bluish-green to colourless - that is why my mind interpreted it as dry and nothing because the liquid had turned crystal colourless and at a quick glance it does look like nothing was inside. When it was cooled, armed with my bottle of premixed coolant - I can see the level as just below max. However, get this,it had also lost all of its greenish-bluish colours! How strange!

So either when I checked it when it was hot - it all went into the radiator so I saw nothing OR the liquid had turned colourless and I was unable to distinguish as I was expecting to see a bluish-greenish liquid and since there was no colour in the bottle, my mind says nothing - is dry.

So I top it up and it immediately turned from colourless to greenish. Now I can see the coolant is there and appears to have been always there but colourless.

Do members have a similar experience where their coolant suddenly goes albino with no colour? We all know coolant is not colourless so something must've happened to turn the coolant colourless. Wonder what turned it?

It was as it the coolant bottle was filled with plain water. That's what it was until I topped up and it turned bluish-green right away.
 
it's definitely not a case of mistaken identity, the coolant in the coolant bottle was clear as water so much so I could not even see it was just sitting below max - it should have never been that colour how did it turn so clear?
 
Ok, could it be that the last garage to change the coolant has just used water? Fluorescein (which I imagine is the dye in coolant) remains a vivid green even when very dilute - it's not surprising that adding coolant to an overflow tank full of water would make it turn green.
 
not possible as after the service I checked the hood and it was cola color in the coolant bottle.
In any case, it is no longer an issue.
The service was done and what was detected was an issue with leaking oil which is quite expected from this 14 variant of 208
seemed it would be a two thousand and four hundred dollar job and can only pick up the next day after dropping it off when the early bird rises.
something like 99% is labor and 1% is part. So there u go.
Even this service which is a regular one but with the replacement of spark plugs is eleven hundred. With 75% labor and the rest part. This must be a reflection of the PM's encouragement of paying real wages etc. In the past, we all have been paying fake wages. There's my contribution to real wages not that anyone cares or rather I pay fake wages.
I am sure if it had been the dealers, it would have been at least another 50% markup on top of.
Oh well.
 
So nearly $2400 for a day's labour?
Are the plugs gold plated?
 
"what was detected was an issue with leaking oil"
Did the mechanic have anything to say about your coolant issue?
 
so my normal service once a year usually was about $650 although this time the only thing I noticed that was more was the spark plugs, so it went to $1100 (possibly inflation as all things went up in prices- real wages ) anyways I noticed to check things that I ask for, the checking part is charged. Say the LHS mirror would not fold but the direction joystick still works, that check was $100 was told the entire side mirror would have to be replaced part $600 labor $400 that's 1k for the replacement of the LHS mirror - not damaged in any way just won't fold.
The oil leak thing was told not super duper urgent - this explains my occasional 'check oil level' actually less than occasional remember I was asking members how much oil to put etc - that thread, it relates to - get this a twenty-four hundred fix more labor than part, as it is hard to reach the spot and then it had to be cleaned - was told the coolant bottle will be given a royal flush (probably due to twenty-four hundred price)
ok r u ready? Vacuum pump o ring pocket seal plus rover cover gasket plus possible sump reseal- however not like tomorrow but soon as practical before the next service. Well I did not say anything about the coolant as the level came back so nothing was mentioned.
 
I realise I'm at risk of turning into one of those people who always claim that cars were better in the good old days, but you are confirming why I continue driving a 22 year old Peugeot 406 - oil and coolant consumption are still practically nil, I can do much of the servicing myself, and last time I filled up with fuel, it had covered 910km on a single tank.

Did I mention it's a petrol V6 and it has done over 350,000km? Actually dmcc has reminded my - while it is a simpler engine, it does have a heat exchanger, and one day my oil and coolant will mix if I don't replace it...
 
Is it a painted mirror shell? You would have to swap the shell over if the new mirror isn't painted or used and the wrong colour. $400 labour sounds high, even if you need to remove the door trim, but would be more reasonable if they also have to dismantle two mirrors to swap the painted shell and avoid a painting sublet job.
Is the oil leaking from around the cooler at the oil filter housing? The seals there can leak and not all are sold by Pug-Citroen, so you go to Mini or aftermarket for those, depending on what is leaking. The parts catalogue would probably have you buying a new cooler with the rubber seals in the box. However, a $2,400 repair must involve something more that those seals and harder to get at.
The vacuum pump cover o-ring is another known possible leaker and the cover seal isn't sold separately by Pug-Citroen. I think the turbo vs non-turbo pump seals are a different size and BMW/Mini supply an o-ring for only one of them, the non-turbo from memory. It's likely just square-section seal or an 'X' ring, which looks like two o-rings siamesed together. Replacing the rocker cover gaskets on an EP6 engine may not fix the problem as it's often related to the plastic engine cover itself and that incorporates various parts to control oil vapour recovery. If it leaks, spend your money on a new engine cover, which comes with the gaskets and is not a big job to change. If it's leaking oil elsewhere and looks like the sump, also have a look at the oil feed pipe for the turbo, assuming it's a turbo engine.
 
David S - you lost me there, know nothing about changing the cover entirely I was told the parts are not the expensive part, it's the labor and it is quite a job to remove bits and pieces to get to the o ring (presumably) and then to put humpty dumpty back together again. It's detail and needs a lot of time and is intricate. If you think replacing the whole damn cover is better wonder what price would that be, it's not a mirror shell, it's plain old plain old and when I mention sourcing it from a 2nd hand place was met with a bit of a frown as the savings is not that great. However, I was told labor is $400 so the part is $600 (new) meaning replacing a working mirror (joystick works, can hear motor whirring) on the LHS that does not fold is 1k
I thought it seemed expensive for twenty four hundred however I know nothing about these things and I am sure the dealer would be worse, don't you think?
Seasink what is a 3 potter?
Armadillo- actually believe it or not this is one of my most reliable cars I have ever owned - coming from Jap which was far worse as they start to age
 
I don't know which 'o-ring' would result in a $2,400 repair by itself. The rear crankshaft seal (sort of an 'o-ring' but probably not your issue) could come to that sort of cost because you'd need to remove the gearbox to get to it.
Dealers are not necessarily always the most expensive option. I was trying to provide some context on 4 or 5 different repairs you raised, but presumably that was too much information in this case. Hopefully, you will get it repaired for a fair price.
 
thanks for that but it appears there are a few things to be done, pocket seal plus rover cover gasket plus possible sump reseal- they also say they will flush the coolant. They were supposed to do it today's service but did not as it would be repeated Today's service was run of mill oil change with spark plugs and CTP and check mirror though that came to 1.1k you suggested changing the entire cover will perhaps be less? I may have to check around prices shame as I have been to this place from day zero and not sure why they want to charge me that much. There's such limited availability of many qualified and trusted Pug service tech. It's such a nightmare to have to doubt prices when one has been there for yonks, just saying...and todays' service was the shortest time ever- dropped at 10 ready at 1
 
I asked AI to explain to me what your response was and this was what it told me:

This passage is discussing potential causes and solutions for oil leaks in an engine, specifically in relation to the oil filter housing and vacuum pump cover. The author is addressing a situation where a Peugeot-Citroen (Pug-Citroen) vehicle is experiencing oil leaks.
  1. The oil cooler seals: The first potential source of an oil leak mentioned is around the oil cooler at the oil filter housing. The author suggests that some seals might not be available from Peugeot-Citroen, so it may be necessary to look for Mini or aftermarket alternatives. The parts catalogue may recommend purchasing a new oil cooler that comes with the necessary seals, but the author questions whether this is the cause of the $2,400 repair cost mentioned.
  2. Vacuum pump cover o-ring: Another potential source of an oil leak is the vacuum pump cover o-ring. The author notes that the cover seal isn't sold separately by Peugeot-Citroen, and there might be different sizes for turbo and non-turbo engines. They mention that BMW/Mini supply the o-ring for non-turbo engines. The seal might be a square-section seal or an 'X' ring, which looks like two o-rings joined together.
  3. Rocker cover gaskets and engine cover: The author suggests that replacing the rocker cover gaskets on an EP6 engine might not resolve the oil leak issue, as the problem could be related to the plastic engine cover that incorporates parts for oil vapor recovery. If the engine cover is leaking, it's recommended to purchase a new engine cover, which includes the gaskets and is not difficult to replace.
  4. Sump and oil feed pipe for the turbo: If the oil leak seems to be coming from the sump, the author suggests checking the oil feed pipe for the turbo (if the engine is a turbo engine).
In summary, the passage discusses various potential sources of oil leaks in a Peugeot-Citroen vehicle and offers advice on how to address these issues. The author questions whether the mentioned $2,400 repair cost is justified, given the potential solutions provided.
 
I then ask AI what it's opinion was of David's response:

The author's explanation appears to be well-informed and detailed, with a focus on providing practical advice for diagnosing and addressing oil leaks in a Peugeot-Citroen vehicle. They discuss various potential sources of oil leaks and offer suggestions on how to resolve these issues, often considering alternative parts and suppliers if the original manufacturer does not provide certain components.

The author is also considerate of the cost implications, questioning the necessity of a $2,400 repair cost, and providing cost-effective solutions where possible. Their explanation demonstrates a strong understanding of the technical aspects of vehicle engines and the specificities of Peugeot-Citroen models.

However, it's important to note that the passage contains some jargon and technical terms, which might make it difficult for someone without prior knowledge of automotive engines to fully understand. Despite this, the author's explanation remains valuable and informative for those who have experience with or are familiar with the mechanical aspects of cars, particularly Peugeot-Citroen vehicles.
 
If only every service place explain everything to you that thoroughly, given I pay good money I would have thought something of this kind of explanation is not unreasonable
 
Don't 208s have the 1.2 three cylinder engine? Some of this discussion feels like references to the 1.6 EP engine to me.
 
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