Picasso 1.6 HDI head gasket change

Hi, I've browsed this forum for some time and always had Peugeot Citroen Diesels as my work horses and found them very reliable...

I have been given (yes given) a 2012 C3 Picasso 1.6 HDI 92 DV6DTED (118k miles)that had a water leak and the owner decided simply to buy a new car as a retirement present...
The leak seems to be from somewhere behind the left exhaust heat shield and literally pour water in it drips instantly but impossible to see exactly where from...
Managed to drive it 30 miles home stopping frequently and topping up and the engine runs perfectly fine...

I can't find anything related to this type of leak either on this forum or searching via google....
A mechanic has suggested that there is a rubber seal that perishes and a head gasket change is required (he instantly said left hand side?) and said the fault was quite common.
There seems to be a total lack of manuals for the C3 Picasso, I do have a Haynes for a C3 XSARA, and I believe the 1.6 HDI engines are basically the same... Is the procedure basically the same for the Xsara 1.6 HDI?

I have all the front plastics off and will removing the Aux belt and be able to confirm the leak location... I will obviously doing the water pump and cam belt etc at the same time...

I know my way round a tool box and having done a 2.0 HDI gasket previously are there any problems I am likely to encounter?

Cheers Peter

Hi Bigvtwin996

Bigvtwin996 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2019 11:57 am
There seems to be a total lack of manuals for the C3 Picasso, I do have a Haynes for a C3 XSARA, and I believe the 1.6 HDI engines are basically the same... Is the procedure basically the same for the Xsara 1.6 HDI?

I would say you got it the wrong way around? The C3 picasso is a C3 for engines, so look at the haynes manual for the C3 and the blue one covers the 1.6 HDi engine found in the C3 Picasso (1.6 HDI 92 DV6DTED).

There is a lot of information about the younger brother the DV4TED4 - 16v 1.4 HDi in the C3 in other places too, and there is little difference between the 1.4 and 1.6 DV engines.

I have no idea what they put in the xsara but the DV engine found in the C3 was a ground breaking common rail back in 2002.

cheers for the pointer....

Reading up a bit more about these engines... seems the Xsara also has the DV6TED4 engine..
So guess the same procedures....
Anything to watch out for (other than the engine being literally under the dashboard....)

And what the hell is going on with the battery!!!!!
What happened to +ve and -ve terminals.... never seen so many connections....

many thanks...

Bigvtwin996 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2019 10:18 pm And what the hell is going on with the battery!!!!!
What happened to +ve and -ve terminals.... never seen so many connections....

It is a junction box fitted above the battery. Just remove the junction box (it slides off) and you will see a standard battery there

I thought I would give an update... there was no rush to do this, as the car was free I had other priorities...
(I know from other forums people come ask a question then that's it...)
So here is a summary of what I have done so far...

Well dismantled most of the front of the car.... dropped Power Steering pump and alternator..
that was just to get the heat shield covering the exhaust manifold..
Topped up with water... NO LEAK!!
It was possible to see water staining on the block..
Ran the engine up for for a while... NO LEAK!!!
the radiator wasn't getting too hot.. so decided, change the thermostat unit....

meanwhile... a mouse made it's home in the air filter housing....

Mouse removed... all hoses in place. undid all bleed valves, ... topped up..
Ran the engine...
Guess what.... of course no leak....
Rad was getting nice and warm, everything was getting nice and warm...
NO LEAK!

The prediction is when I put it back together... there will be a leak...

So today changed the oil and filter.... Really wish I had used a cheap oil or flushing oil and drained it after running it a few times..
Will do fuel filter next....
Then put it back together...
(did find that the pass side bumper/front support arm has rusted through)

Plan is.. provided the leak has disappeared...
Run it for about 5,000 miles then (as I am now an expert on dismantling the front of a Picasso....)
do a cam belt and water pump change...

Next those terrible locking wheel bolts..

Bigvtwin996 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 14, 2019 6:01 pm
(I know from other forums people come ask a question then that's it...)

Very true, thanks for the update.

Bigvtwin996 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 14, 2019 6:01 pm Mouse removed...

Why? You could use the extra horse power! LOL!

On a more serious note, the only thing I can suggest is to check the welch plugs for corrosion pin holes (if you already haven't).

well.. where are the plugs on the LHS front of the engine....?
Basically before it was stripped down, you could add water and it would drip out immediately
I could see no way any small pin hole could allow water to flow so fast....
it was (or appeared to) come from behind the LH exhaust heat shield...
I can't see anything there that it could leak from....
Have run it up for an hour twice,,,,
and not a drip...

Bigvtwin996 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 14, 2019 11:56 pm well.. where are the plugs on the LHS front of the engine....?

Mate, it was just a suggestion, seeing as you have tried "everything" and the leak is not coming from where it appears to be coming from. Since none of the symptoms you have described make any sense I would have thought any suggestion would have been considered. I understand you are frustrated but taking it out on me wont solve your problems.

If that's going to be your attitude, good luck with it...

Ozvtr wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 10:05 pm

Bigvtwin996 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 14, 2019 11:56 pm well.. where are the plugs on the LHS front of the engine....?

Mate, it was just a suggestion, seeing as you have tried "everything" and the leak is not coming from where it appears to be coming from. Since none of the symptoms you have described make any sense I would have thought any suggestion would have been considered. I understand you are frustrated but taking it out on me wont solve your problems.

If that's going to be your attitude, good luck with it...

No offence was intended...
I just replied quickly....
I was wondering if I had missed something on that side of the engine....

OK, no hard feelings.
I have encountered a lot of "Twilight Zone" moments in my life where what is happening is just not physically possible, and yet, there it is! I know your frustration.
Diesel's are not my forte, so it's all I had.
I am currently "putting back together" two 2003 C3 1.4 petrol auto sedans that I got "cheap", so I feel your pain, LOL! The only other opinion I might venture is, where practical, pull everything down to the bare bones. Assume nothing the previous owner did was right and that they fiddled with every part of the car.
Genuinely, good luck with it and please let us know how you get on.