Peugeot 306 (1993 - 2001) - 96 1906 Coolant leaks into the passenger foot well

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
View Threaded
Tue 2 Sep 2008 16:32
96 1906 Coolant leaks into the passenger foot well - markiewarkie
Hi all
I have a N reg Peugot 306 DXT which fills up with water in the driver's and passenger wells. The water smells of anti-freeze and the loss seems to correspond with the amount of water lost out of the radiator. Some days the water is 10cm deep in the wells slopping around soaking all passengers (3 litres lost) sometimes never leaks a drop.
(same journey every day)

The engine temperature never exceeds 82 degrees in moving traffic and the water system never gets to pressure unless in stationary traffic for 30 minutes in which case the high level fan kicks in at 96 degrees which takes it back down to 91 until the car moves again.
There are visible signs of weater hoses going through the firewall so
HOW CAN WATER LEAK INTO THE CAR ? WHERE IS It COMING FROM PLEASE


slt - shouting ammended

Edited by Pugugly on 02/09/2008 at 18:39

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 2 Sep 2008 16:35
96 1906 RADIATOR LEAKS INTO INSIDE OF CAR` - Screwloose

It's coming from a leaking heater matrix. They're water radiators.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 2 Sep 2008 16:59
96 1906 RADIATOR LEAKS INTO INSIDE OF CAR` - oilrag
"There are visible signs of weater hoses going through the firewall"

if you are desperate with this and can live without a heater for a while, you could just bridge those hoses with copper pipe and jubilee clips.

Most cars need the dash taking out to get at the heater radiator. Not sure about yours though.

Why not try a can of Rad sealer first?

Edited by oilrag on 02/09/2008 at 17:01

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 2 Sep 2008 18:26
96 1906 RADIATOR LEAKS INTO INSIDE OF CAR` - markiewarkie
I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT 27 VIEWS AND 2 REPLIES IN 90 MINUTES !
A profound Thank you for your profanely speedy reply confirming my worst fear. Dismantling the dashboard to get to the heater matrix is not finacially viable proposition at present , so I will try Radweld first , and if not I will use some plumber's piping and jubilee clips. I need to find where they go through the firewall though.




no need to shout !

Edited by Pugugly on 02/09/2008 at 18:40

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 3 Sep 2008 22:33
96 1906 RADIATOR LEAKS INTO INSIDE OF CAR` - Martin1981
As far as I know, replacing the matrix is a dash out jobbie on one of these. Pretty much a whole day's work which would no doubt end up in the £400 plus mark.

It is unlikely that Radweld will help given how bad it seems to be leaking. Best bet is to bypass the matrix in the short term by joining the 2 pipes together as you say. The pipes go through the firewall towards the left of the engine bay.

I would advise that this is done as a matter of urgency as losing too much coolant easily results in a blown head gasket on these engines, the repair costs of which would exceed the value of a 12 year old car.

Martin
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 4 May 2015 20:10
96 1906 RADIATOR LEAKS INTO INSIDE OF CAR` - vmturbo

The bad news is that it might be the head gasket! Seriously speaking the exact same fault can occur on the Peugeot 405 1.9 GLD. Pressure builds up and makes the pipe on the heater matrix leak.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 5 May 2015 14:56
96 1906 RADIATOR LEAKS INTO INSIDE OF CAR` - Gibbo_Wirral

Considering this thread is from 2008 I guess the OP has long sorted it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide