Xantia Suspension Leak (near regulator)

[flygirl757]

Hi Guys and Gals,
Got an L reg (94) Xantia 1.9TD. I love the car (sad, isn't it?) yet seem to have developed a leak somewhere around the Regulator at the front of the car. All 5 spheres have been professionally replaced. Citroen say they do not use pipe-seals on early Xantia models. Surely this can't be right (how do they stop leaks?). Any information as to whether this is a common problem gratefully received. A crew of Aircraft Engineers can't wait to get their hands on it (lol - don't be rude). Apparently a new regulator costs about £200 so - HELP! Thanking you all in advance.
Love, Michelle

[Mandrake]

Hi Guys and Gals,
Got an L reg (94) Xantia 1.9TD. I love the car (sad, isn't it?) yet seem to have developed a leak somewhere around the Regulator at the front of the car. All 5 spheres have been professionally replaced. Citroen say they do not use pipe-seals on early Xantia models. Surely this can't be right (how do they stop leaks?). Any information as to whether this is a common problem gratefully received. A crew of Aircraft Engineers can't wait to get their hands on it (lol - don't be rude). Apparently a new regulator costs about £200 so - HELP! Thanking you all in advance.
Love, Michelle

Hi Michelle,

When you say all the spheres were replaced, was that recently or quite a while ago ? Could it have started leaking around the time the change was done ?

Theres not really much that can go wrong with the regulator and they very seldom go wrong so don't panic too much about the cost of replacing one.

Theres only really a few places its possible to leak -

Where the accumulator sphere is screwed on, if the seal is missing or damaged or incorrectly fitted,

On one of the high pressure pipes - these are the large steel pipes that they've told you have no seals on them - on some models of the regulator they do indeed not have any seals, they use a tapered fitting instead,

And on the low pressure overflow pipe, which is a large black hose.

I guess you're getting oil dripping on the ground ? Once the oil has been leaking for a while it can be nearly impossible to figure out where it came from until it is cleaned up first, so you might need to wipe the under area of the regulator clean and then check it again the next day to see exactly where its leaking from, and take it from there...

Be careful not to go underneath the car unless the front is supported by stands or jacks, in case the suspension were to drop and squash you...

Regards,
Simon

[marpate1]

Hi Guys and Gals,
Got an L reg (94) Xantia 1.9TD. I love the car (sad, isn't it?) yet seem to have developed a leak somewhere around the Regulator at the front of the car. All 5 spheres have been professionally replaced. Citroen say they do not use pipe-seals on early Xantia models. Surely this can't be right (how do they stop leaks?). Any information as to whether this is a common problem gratefully received. A crew of Aircraft Engineers can't wait to get their hands on it (lol - don't be rude). Apparently a new regulator costs about £200 so - HELP! Thanking you all in advance.
Love, Michelle

On mine, (same year/model), one of the pipes on top of the regulator was loose. Only took tightening with a 10mm spanner (I think).

If you look at the regulator from above, there is a pipe on the right (passenger side) which comes out vertically. Just check that the nut on this into the regulator is tight.

Hope this helps,
Mark

[flygirl757]

VERY VERY late with this reply (7 years actually - lol) - my apologies. The problem was the regulator itself. The chap who changed the sphere (I was watching) wrenched at it too hard and obviously damaged the regulator as the leak ended up being from the other end from the sphere. My bf inspected it after removal and the inner bit had turned a little. Again, sorry for late reply and the moral of this tale is - when you remove spheres, do it gently - lol Michy

[citronut]

VERY VERY late with this reply (7 years actually - lol) - my apologies. The problem was the regulator itself. The chap who changed the sphere (I was watching) wrenched at it too hard and obviously damaged the regulator as the leak ended up being from the other end from the sphere. My bf inspected it after removal and the inner bit had turned a little. Again, sorry for late reply and the moral of this tale is - when you remove spheres, do it gently - lol Michy

a leak at this end is caused by a flat accumulator sphere, or sometimes rust in the end of the regulator were there is an O ring,
there is no way the guy fitting the sphere could have caused this as the regulator has two bolts going through it into the clutch housing and a third into the end that is/was leaking, so the regulator cannot move in the slightest on changing a sphere,

the O ring can be replaced but you have to remove the regulator from the car then compressed the end cap ( i use a large valve spring compressor ) as it has a very strong spring behind it, once compressed pick out the snap ring which retains the end cap and release what ever you compress the end cap with,

fit new O ring and reassemble

[IrfanIbrahim]

mine had the same problem last few weeks, found out the o ring was okay, and the leak was from the pressure regulator. not really sure how it leaked but it is from the pressure regulator, so you might double confirm where the leak are. replaced mine with a second hand and only cost me a fraction but on top of that, there are no more leak.

Irfan

[citronut]

found out the o ring was okay, and the leak was from the pressure regulator. not really sure how it leaked but it is from the pressure regulator
Irfan

how did you prove the O ring was ok on your regulator,as i think by the the time you get at the O ring you will almost certainly damage it,

[flygirl757]

It all makes sense now, Citronut. It must have been coincidence that the leak started about the same time the sphere was replaced. Thank you all for your input. I hate things hanging. Michy

[Old-Guy]

Sounds as though you've still got your much loved Xantia, Michelle. This year, our '95TD has sprung a number of LHM leaks. A well-split leak-off pipe will produce a huge volume of fluid regardless of how much it normally carries because most of the leak-offs join at the reservoir manifold just below the highest point of the return path so all the leak-off flow comes out of the break.

I've had 3 pressure gland nuts come slightly loose - once they get beyond weeping, high pressure LHM sprays everywhere making leaks very hard to pinpoint as Simon said.