Hi guys,
Happily sitting nice and warm with the car idling outside supermarket shattered by a ping from the instrument cluster and red air suspension warning light accompanied by caption “STOP SAFELY, SWITCH OFF ENGINE.” Oh no!
Warily looked underneath expecting to see ruptured hydraulic line (they are heavily corroded) and saw the hydraulic leak coming from the big nut in the picture. Fluid was dripping steadily (that yellowish dot on the nut is fluid dripping) just wondering if that nut is a drain plug, possibly like an oil sump plug with sealing washer which may have failed. May I also ask what that unit that the nut is screwed into is please? Hydraulic lines join in at the front and out at the rear of the unit.
Any thoughts as always gratefully received. My Autel AP200 also gave the fault code in the other photo.
Thanks.

Alloy part of the valve block above the plug has corroded away, causing the o ring to pop out and dump its fluid

Got you. So I’m guessing that the o ring should sit in a shallow recess? I’ll whip out the nut tomorrow and have a look. Thanks for your input.

Yep, hats off to Disco_Mikey. Spot on diagnosis. Block is corroded at the rear of the plug. Is there any other fix for this than a new block valve assembly. I’m tempted to take it off the car, get some weld put on there then re-machined a bit like a curbed alloy wheel repair. Or there’s eBay, couple on there sub £200 but that’s still £200 I don’t have at the moment.
Any and all suggestions gratefully received..
Thanks.

The issue there, is your highly unlikely to find anyone to repair in situ (without bodging)

Realistically, the block needs removing from the car, which involves releasing the front and rear pipes which will likely be seized in the block, and probably quite fragile due to corrosion on the pipework

It's a whole can of worms

I was in your situation a couple of months ago. Again my pipes are rotten and need replaced too. Looking at near on 1000 quid for parts alone I tried a bodge to keep me going until I can gather parts. I fitted a new seal and wrapped PTFE tape round the threads.
I've done a few hundred miles and no leaks so far, I have also got a 2nd hand valve block and new rear pipes in my shed and am planning to get the fronts ordered soon. I'm realistically thinking it'll be the new year before I need to bother though.
It's not repaired and I know that but it makes the car useable just now

Thanks gents. I would be removing the block valve to get it repaired but just looking at my rusted hyd lines make me wince. It is a real can of worms indeed! I’ll get a new seal and PTFE tape and give the temporary repair a go. And then as you did, start saving and collecting parts for a repair when I can afford it. Huge invoice though for the lines, block valve and labour of the body/chassis split. Won’t expect much change out of £4k for that lot. Ouch!

In my old toolmaking days we would have made a tool like a bolt that screwed in but had a simple rotating collar with a cutter to re-seat the face. The loss of half a millimetre or so of the threads would be negligible. We used to regularly make as a sideline, valve re-seating cutters.
Other option is to use a soft metal washer (copper or aluminium) that may compress enough, but retain mechanical strength to resist the hydraulic pressure. Looking at the seating face, I dont think a 'Dowty' type washer would work, but also worth a try. RRS HSE Dynamic SDV6 2014

Nemo mortalium omnibus horus sapit

Those are both great suggestions, thanks, I’ll make enquiries to see if I can make one of them work. Especially like the tool for re-seating the recess a bit deeper.

Mccolganm4 wrote:

I was in your situation a couple of months ago. Again my pipes are rotten and need replaced too. Looking at near on 1000 quid for parts alone I tried a bodge to keep me going until I can gather parts. I fitted a new seal and wrapped PTFE tape round the threads.
I've done a few hundred miles and no leaks so far, I have also got a 2nd hand valve block and new rear pipes in my shed and am planning to get the fronts ordered soon. I'm realistically thinking it'll be the new year before I need to bother though.
It's not repaired and I know that but it makes the car useable just now

Good news about the leak. I think it is pressure related but should so off with a top off and a drive. Mine did anyway. Good luck

Thanks man, I’ll top it up and take it for a drive and let you know how I get on. Oh, and I’ll make sure I’ve got some spare fluid which I’ll carry in the car. Thanks again.

Here is my pennies worth , I had the seal pop out , so I found a large dowty seal for the face while using loctitw hydraulic on the threads, I think I posted this