Hi all,

going through my new 306 and unpicking the tapestry of disaster that is the previous owners' efforts on it, now moving on to the cooling system.

The lower drivers side rad outlet has a kind of connector I am unfamiliar with; you push together the pipes then use what looks to be a large 'cir-clip' to prevent them bursting apart.

My lower radiator pipes are missing this cir-clip and have popped apart emptying the coolant! Charming!

So I'm wondering if anyone has one, or knows the name of it or something so I can buy one?

Looks an easy job to sort, just need the bit!!

Thanks in advance
Andy

Ok 6-minutes, that's pretty fast response!!

Thanks I will get a couple ordered I reckon

Hi again guys,

I've found that actually the circlip on the bottom of the radiator had not popped off! It's a bugger of a location to get near! I assume the bumper coming off makes this a whole load easier??

Actually looking at is closer, the hose pipe that comes down the drivers side and goes through the chassis into the radiator, has 3 little bumps on it. These push in to the radiator which has 2 slits on it, the circlip goes in to the slits and holds the bumps in place?

It looks like the hose is just at the wrong angle because the bumps are hidden from the grooves, when the circlip goes on, it doesn't find a bump to hold on to?

Anyone seen this before? If so which to change - the radiator or the hose?

The radiator has been replaced at some point but they removed the automatic fan activation circuit and replaced it with a switch in the car! It's a right nightmare! But will fix that bit later, now I need to get this hose in and held on

Any ideas you guys?

Cheers
Andy

i can't rate brake cleaner enough. it's like £2 a can and it's literally magic in a can. buy some and clean it all up properly. you will need bumper and washer bottle out though for a proper nosey in there - again not hard, just 4 10mm bolts or so and the 2 from the washer bottle

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306 rallye reproduction decals (full sets/individual decals) | 306 b-pillar textured vinyl weatherstrips
306 slam panel esso stickers | 306 yellow / orange / pension fund red side door badges
gti6 inlet manifold badges | 306 rear boot badges (p2/p3)
winner of Extraction of toys from prams with outstanding vigour award 2009 [source: gti6 owners club]

The circlip is now off and in *lovely* condition! The pipe I've pulled back through the chassis and taken off the rubber gasket and cleaned, it's the re-assembly - the 3 locking humps on the pipe connector don't line up with the slots in the Radiator-side plastic connector; that's why it popped off in the first place dumping the coolant

I was just wondering is the hose or the radiator are the most likely causes of the mis-alignment, if anyone has experienced this before, or whether actually it should stay in at any angle?

I'll have the bumper off tomorrow, it's lashing it down in Hampshire today!!

/googles for images of radiator!

So I got my bumper off, all the bolts sheered off, the 2 holding the washer bottle, the 2 x 10mm ones holding the bumper on, the 2 inner headlight TORX bolts (took headlights off as they were 'glued' to the bumper with black glue)

Complete nightmare

My car is shocking, there looks like there should be some electrical gubbins in between the fans in a little cubby hole, there are just clipped wires, and lots of 'other' wiring in there, total disaster, I am very disillusioned

I also find out that the key that does the ignition doesn't do the boot or either of the doors, or the glovebox very unhappy

I guess I can change the radiator for the correct one, replace the lights (the headlamp adjusters are rounded off and stuck), change the bumper, and inner arch liners is it all worth it though perhaps I should just break it??

There should be relays in the the triangular box located in the middle of the rad :shock

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cherry p1.....SOLD (regreting this)
blaze p2.....why did i buy this SOLD
Black p3

I think getting the radiator/hose to line up correctly, which probably means a new radiator, would go a LONG way to getting me going, then I'll look at the wiring because it's not that great either

I'm not overly concerned about getting a new slam-panel, arch liners, bumper and grill if the water-works and electrics are sorted, because really other than this the car is pretty good! The engine is strong and not a 'tapper', I've got new driveshafts and wheel bearings up front so it's just 'nice' in that respect.

Anyone know of a decent 'proper' radiator which will fit me? It's a Phase 2 I think, R reg but with the later lights