Xantia Noobie:- 4 sec hydraulic click, alarm and clonking Q

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JohnTurbo
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Xantia Noobie:- 4 sec hydraulic click, alarm and clonking Q

Post by JohnTurbo »

Hi everyone!

I have used the search feature, which has given me some idea on my three questions, but this is such a well attended forum its hard sometimes to find the specific problem....so i hope you'll forgive me a new post...

Ok, well regarding my 1993 1.9D (non turbo) Xantia:-

1) The pause between hydraulic system clicks is about 4 seconds. In the morning after a cold night the stop is out in about 25 seconds...though sometimes needs the steering wheel playing with to achive this. The suspension is up usually in about a min. When warm, both are much much faster. From what i can tell, this might mean the accum sphere is totally dead? Is this right?

2) Alarm light doesn't work, nor does remote locking. - i had a leaking matrix, now solved, and wondered if the water in the passenger footwell might be behind this problem? I have a pair of plips which are currently doing nothing at all! Can anyone tell me where the ecu for the alarm is?

3) There seems to be a 'clonk' over bumps from a front wheel....left i think. Is this likely to be a droplink?

Many thanks for any help offered!

John
Citroens have more spheres.
mezuk04
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Post by mezuk04 »

Im no expert compared to the others but ive learned a lot but others should be able to confirm and offer other options

1) Defo get the accumulator sphere replaced, £18.50 +vat +P&P from GSF website. Maybe a LHM change might be a good idea regarding the STOP light (but its a cheap and simple thing to do so hence its suggestion to remove a possible problem) ooww and filters cleaned in the LHM reservoir

2) Couldnt tell you!

3) Most likely a drop link and probably the cheapest fix to try, if your doing one side since their cheap (bout £14 each) you may aswell do the other side since the car will be up and supported, very easy to replace.
Volkswagen Golf 59' 1.6TD S :(
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

Yes definitely accumulator sphere. If you raise the car to full height it should slow a bit as the suspension spheres function as accumulators!

With a good accumulator you should be able to sit in the boot and the car should sink a long way then after about 30 seconds - rise again to its original height. The car should have achieved normal height at the start - and its best to let it idle for a couple of minutes - then turn it of and perform the test.

When you have fitted the new sphere your ticking should be 30 seconds or more. If it is not the non-return ball valve may need re-seating but do the sphere first.

The suspension noise may well be the drop link. These are available from GSF and Eurocarparts, are not very expensive and are notoriously difficult to diagnose. They do however operate the anti-roll bar and are therefore not really under load when both front wheels hit a bump at the same time - eg a ridge in the road or a speed hump. This may help you work out what is wrong.

Dont know about the alarm. Is it genuine? On some the control for the locking is somewhere around the handbrake and it should operate with the key as well as the plip. The plip may need programming - its easy and instructions are on here, as are the instructions for dealing with the locking control unit which is prone to getting wet.
jeremy
DaveW
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Post by DaveW »

Plips.

Might sound a bit basic, but have you checked the batteries.
Mine came with two plips and when I checked, one was minus batteries and the ones in the other were too low to work.

Dave.
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Post by Peter.N. »

I have a special card that is sensitive to IR light which is for checking TV remote controls,(shows up as visible light) if you know a TV engineer, not that there are many left now, ask if you can borrow one. I believe you can also hear the output on a medium wave radio, but that of course doesn't tell you if the photo diode is actually emmitting. The radio plips are easier to check, well if you are a radio ham they are, as you can hear the output on 433mhz.
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Post by jeremy »

I think there's a posting here to the effect that the IR plips can be tested for output with a digital or video camera. Suppose you could try with the TV one - probably quicker than searching!
jeremy
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Post by PowerLee »

Yeah the digital camera or camera phone can be used to test IR plips.

Just point the plips transmitter towards the lens on the camera, look at the screen & press the plip button.

A big white flash on the screen means the plip is transmitting a signal :wink:
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JohnTurbo
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Post by JohnTurbo »

Thanks everyone, i'll nip over to Eurocarparts at some point to pick up a sphere, and will investigate the droplinks.

I have to change my lucas injector pump for a bosch next week...that should be fun, as i have no way of timing it.


As for the plips, they both work, i tried the camera trick to make sure. I've also tried to program them to the alarm, but the alarm itself seems to be dead...which is why i was asking where it is.
Citroens have more spheres.
PowerLee
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Post by PowerLee »

Seeing as you have IR plips I would check the remote receiver unit in the roof consul hasn't got wet.

The seal around the roof aerial leaks & the control unit gets wet & stops working.

Removing the roof aerial & adding a little silicone sealant around the hole before refitting works a treat.
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