Xantia Rear Hydraulics Not Raising

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Reds_Water
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Xantia Rear Hydraulics Not Raising

Post by Reds_Water »

The Hydraulics on the front are raising, but the back will not raise at all. I am new to the citroens so don't realy have any idea what is what.
1.9 Turbo diesel VSX 1993/94
As far as i know the braking system and steering are all working.
I have no manuals or anyhting like that.
All help will be appreaciated.
Thanks
shaunthesheep
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Post by shaunthesheep »

reds,
did this happen suddelly? or did you notice over a couple of weeks?
same thing happen to me, failed height correcter was cause of it.
but there might be another cause for the rear not to raise at all.
hope this helps you to find out what the problem might be.
dom
MW
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Post by MW »

Sounds awfully familiar. I had a problem last year with some sort of a fluid distribution valve (maybe this is the height corrector that others have mentioned?). First the car wouldn't lift much at the back, then it seized completely in the low position. The most noticeable side-effect, for me, was that the back wheels instantly locked whenever I hit the brakes. (Rear brakes and suspension are linked on the Xantia).
Either way, it was not good, and really quite dangerous because the car was handling atrociously. I took the car to my Citroen dealer, who relieved me of £190 and replaced the valve. But I've heard since then that this adjuster thing can be freed up with WD40.
Can anybody tell me whether I'm getting it all mixed up?
Cheers
Mike
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Post by JohnD »

Have a look at the height corrector and see if the plastic clip is still in place.
pwatson
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Post by pwatson »

.....And then check that the linkages work. USE A PIT or support on axle stands. Under the car you will find a rod that goes from the height adjust lever to the rear height corrector. It goes through two brackets and then to a lever/pivot just near the height corrector.It's quite common for these to seize so a good spray with WD40 can free them. After a good spray get in the car and move the lever to raise car up and down a few times. If it then works - problem solved and then you could use some spray grease on the pivots to keep them free. The front of mine has been reluctant to rise recently so gave it this treatment this weekend and it seems much better. Otherwise it probably is the height corrector - though I've not had one go on two BX with 300,000 miles between them.
PhilW
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mseymour
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Post by mseymour »

Xantias with antisink are apparently more prone to this problem than BXs because the height corrector doesn't get much exercise.
I've been advised to move the suspension through it's full height positions regularly.. This is apparently goo
Ooooh blasted citroens....
hardmanm
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Post by hardmanm »

Had this trouble with mine once, all that was necessary was to WD40 the linkage to the height corrector and exercise the lever a few times.
The height corrector is something similar to a toilet ballcock which maintains the rear suspension height by adjusting the amount of hydraulic fluid allowed into the rear suspension cicuit. It regulates at a height set by the height lever beside the handbrake. The trouble is the mechanical linkage from the lever is crude and tends to seize up.
The height corrector is located on the central axis of the car in front of the rear suspension, ie under the floor, below where the middle passenger sits on the back seat. It has lots of pipes going to it, is connected to the rear anti-roll bar, and a metal rod coming from the height lever from the front of the car. Try emptying a large amount of WD40 over the linkage at the height corrector and then exercising the lever in the car through the full range few times.
Mark
alan s
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Post by alan s »

Check out this link. The bottom photo shows the height corrector & where it should be lubed during routine service. It will make it easier to understand the above postings when you see it.
The one shown is on a BX incidentally.
http://www.aussiefrogs.com/snippets/grease.htm
Alan S
Niek
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Post by Niek »

Hi,
If it's not the linkage of the height corrector, you probably have a clogged up height corrector. If they are the same as the Bx uses, you can dismantle and clean them. (done it twice for the girlfriend's Bx with very satisfying results.)
Just thought I'd add this,
Niek.
ds
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Post by ds »

Hi,
I'm having exactly the same problem with my Xantia ('95 1.9TD SX); the front is rising fine (and moves up & down as it should when I adjust the height), but the back refuses to rise at all. As I have no safe way of getting under the car, I'm going to have to take it to a garage, but is there anything I can try to get the rear to rise for the trip to the garage? (even if just a little bit). I don't really fancy the idea of driving it again with the rear so low if it can be avoided.

I had all four suspension spheres replaced on Thursday, and was told that the rear height correct was a bit slow, or something like that; and to be careful if I ever lowered it, as it'd take a while to come back up.
Then earlier today, I came back to it (looking much lower than normal before even starting it), and the back didn't rise when I started it. I left it for a fair few minutes, tried raising and lowering it, but the back didn't move at all :(
Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.
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