hi,
i was hoping some one might be able to help me,
i have brought a activa from ebay, thinking it would be a cheap runaround. the problem is the suspension seems to have a mind of its own when stopped with the engine running. it can get very jolting at times.
when driving its not so bad.
does any one have any ideas?
thanks for any help given
nick
activa problems
Moderator: RichardW
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DickieG
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It depends on what you meam by jolting. If it's the common Activa problem of shuffling from side to side when stationary then it's almost certainly down to worn bushes on the roll corrector linkage which are found on the front subframe. The good news is that the bushes, part no 5273 60 cost just £2.46 each and are really easy to change
Click on the following link for pictures http://www.quinophex.org/car/suspension.html the relevant bush is item B1 in the first photo.
Click on the following link for pictures http://www.quinophex.org/car/suspension.html the relevant bush is item B1 in the first photo.
13 Ram 1500 Hemi
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14 BMW 535D Tourer
19 BMW i3s
06 C3 Desire 1.4
72 DS 21 EFi Pallas BVH
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CitroJim
- A very naughty boy
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An Activa as a cheap runaround 
The Activa suspension is very complex and quite demanding of attention. That said, even when perfect the Activa does not give a particularly soft or comfy ride as normaly expected of a Hydropneumatic Citroen. It is baissed in favour of handling and performance, not comfort. Handling is out of this world but you do pay
Against that though, it should not be "jolting". I suspect that you may have two problems:
Worn out spheres
Failed Hydractive Electrovalves
You have ten spheres on an Activa and the suspension spheres themselves (those on the ends of the suspension struts) are very hard indeed. Being Hydractive you also have a Centre Hydractive Sphere at each end which is much softer. This latter sphere only comes into play when the suspension is in soft mode. In hard mode the centre spheres are isolated and only the suspension spheres work.
I suspect you have one or two failed Hydractive Electrovales which have the unfortunate effect of putting the suspension into permanant hard mode. This is very uncomfortable
They are easy to test. Start the car, allow the suspension to pressurise and then switch off. Get out and shut all doors. Bounce the front and it should be soft, very soft. If you listen very carefully in the vicinity of the battery you should hear a quiet humming/buzzing sound for approximately 30s whereupon the buzz will stop with a loud click. The suspension should go really hard now. The buzz and the click is the electrovalve operating. Repeat for the rear by opening an closing a door to force a switch to soft mode and bouncing at the rear, listening for the buzz and click and seeing if the suspension goes hard when it clicks.
What is happening is that opening and closing the door forces soft mode and the electrovales will operate, as signified by firstly a click, then a hum which is a low holding current which will last for 30 seconds. At the end of 30s the suspension will switch back to hard mode (signified by the hum ending with a loud click) to prevent battery drain in keeping the electrovalves open. The electrovalves switch the centre hydractive spheres in and out and thus select either hard or soft mode.
If these checks prove the Hydractive electrovalves are not working properly, report back and we'll direct you further. Electrovale failure is very common and is caused by nothing more than a duff diode or two and is cheap and easy to fix.
Also, these cars are sensitive to LHM condition and need Citarobics performing regularly. The Activa suspension has a lot of other quirks too.
Anyway, welcome to Activa ownership. It can be very rewarding and fun if not a little expensive at times
There are a number of us Activa enthusiasts here and help is only a post away!
The Activa suspension is very complex and quite demanding of attention. That said, even when perfect the Activa does not give a particularly soft or comfy ride as normaly expected of a Hydropneumatic Citroen. It is baissed in favour of handling and performance, not comfort. Handling is out of this world but you do pay
Against that though, it should not be "jolting". I suspect that you may have two problems:
Worn out spheres
Failed Hydractive Electrovalves
You have ten spheres on an Activa and the suspension spheres themselves (those on the ends of the suspension struts) are very hard indeed. Being Hydractive you also have a Centre Hydractive Sphere at each end which is much softer. This latter sphere only comes into play when the suspension is in soft mode. In hard mode the centre spheres are isolated and only the suspension spheres work.
I suspect you have one or two failed Hydractive Electrovales which have the unfortunate effect of putting the suspension into permanant hard mode. This is very uncomfortable
They are easy to test. Start the car, allow the suspension to pressurise and then switch off. Get out and shut all doors. Bounce the front and it should be soft, very soft. If you listen very carefully in the vicinity of the battery you should hear a quiet humming/buzzing sound for approximately 30s whereupon the buzz will stop with a loud click. The suspension should go really hard now. The buzz and the click is the electrovalve operating. Repeat for the rear by opening an closing a door to force a switch to soft mode and bouncing at the rear, listening for the buzz and click and seeing if the suspension goes hard when it clicks.
What is happening is that opening and closing the door forces soft mode and the electrovales will operate, as signified by firstly a click, then a hum which is a low holding current which will last for 30 seconds. At the end of 30s the suspension will switch back to hard mode (signified by the hum ending with a loud click) to prevent battery drain in keeping the electrovalves open. The electrovalves switch the centre hydractive spheres in and out and thus select either hard or soft mode.
If these checks prove the Hydractive electrovalves are not working properly, report back and we'll direct you further. Electrovale failure is very common and is caused by nothing more than a duff diode or two and is cheap and easy to fix.
Also, these cars are sensitive to LHM condition and need Citarobics performing regularly. The Activa suspension has a lot of other quirks too.
Anyway, welcome to Activa ownership. It can be very rewarding and fun if not a little expensive at times
There are a number of us Activa enthusiasts here and help is only a post away!
Jim
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
activa problems
hi thanks for the reply,
done what you said, the front did get harder although i couldnt here any clicking, but the back was just a bit softer until it all switched off then it went hard.
the jolting that i am getting is in the up and down movment of the front susp. when driving its not to bad, but at standstill it can get quit scary.
on top of all that the rad has now decided to leak. lol
it does seem to be the front thats is causing the problem,
any more idea's would be most welcome.
as i am not sure wheather to just break it/sell it on or keep it.
thanks
nick
done what you said, the front did get harder although i couldnt here any clicking, but the back was just a bit softer until it all switched off then it went hard.
the jolting that i am getting is in the up and down movment of the front susp. when driving its not to bad, but at standstill it can get quit scary.
on top of all that the rad has now decided to leak. lol
it does seem to be the front thats is causing the problem,
any more idea's would be most welcome.
as i am not sure wheather to just break it/sell it on or keep it.
thanks
nick
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CitroJim
- A very naughty boy
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Hi Nick,
Firstly, don't scrap or break it please. Activas are getting rarer. Your problems are not serious and a bit of work will see it good. Keep it. It is a fantastic car to drive and enjoy.
The easy bit first: Rads springing leaks are very common. Replacement is straightforward if not a little tricky and time-consuming in parts. Like a lot of Activa related tasks, it looks complicated and impossible but it's not. I can give you a blow-by-blow guide
GSF do rads for Activas but not obviously. They're actually the same as used in the 2.1TD. In fact if you look at an Activa as a 2.1 you'll not go far wrong
Suspension: I think you need to do a complete appraisal of the whole system in a concise way to nail this. Firstly, your front electrovalve looks as if it is showing the classic sign of diode failure by not giving a distinct click on the ransition from soft to hard mode. A gentleman on e-bay produces a very good easy-fit repair kit and now does an Activa-specific one if you don't feel happy about fitting new diodes yourself.
So, if I read right, the front jumps up and down when stationary.
Give the whole system a full check as follows:
Prelimanary: Does the car settle out with a lean when left parked overnight? A very small lean is tolerable but if it looks like a ship listing you have a problem. Quite a simple one though! (see later)
1. Start up and allow the system to pressurise. Time how long it takes for the STOP light to extinguish after an overnight rest. 30s is about right as it has 10 spheres to pump up. A very quick extinguish points to a problem, as does a very long time to extinguish. If it does take a very long time to extinguish this points to the suspension and Activa Spheres being weak and near their lives end.
2. Listen for your pressure regulator "ticking", signifying it cutting in and out to regulate the hydraulic pressure. A tick interval of less than 30s signifies that either the main accumulator sphere is flat or you have a big internal leakage problem. A flat accumulator will also give itself away by the STOP lamp very quickly extinguishing.
Set the suspension on low. Does the car fall to the lowest setting nicely at both ends? It does not sink particularly quickly.
Once low is reached, set the height to high. The car should slowly and evenly rise up to maxium height. It is normal for the STOP light to illuminate whilst the car is rising. Once full height is reached, check your LHM level. The orange disk should be between the two rings on the sight gauge. Top up if necessary. Check the condition of the LHM. It should be a nice bright neon green. If it is yellow, brown or dirty, flush the system using Hydraflush and then after about 600 miles, replace with new LHM.
Listen as the car rises. Can you hear any creaks? Does it go up in jerks? If it does, your front strut rams need lubricating.
3. Return the lever to normal ride height. Do both ends fall back down nicely? If not, you'll need to check over your height correctors. (see later)
4. With the car at normal ride height, check the Activa system. To do this, look in the rear of one front wheel arch and you'll see the ball joint of one of the Roll Corrector linkages. Grasp the top of the balljoint and pull it toward you. The car should lean toward you as the roll corrector does its work to correct the "roll" you have given it. Now push the balljoint away from you. The car should lean in the opposite direction. When you let go of the balljoint the car should level itself out. The link posted by DickieG shows this balljoint very clearly.
5. Give your Height Correctors and Roll Corrector a check and lubricate. get the car up on axle stands to do this. It is VITAL for safety as playing with height correctors on an unsupported hydraulic Citroen can cause the car to suddenly drop and kill you.
Look at the rear height corrrector and ensure the little plastic link between it and the torsion bar is in place. Give the height corrector linkage mechanism a good dousing in WD40 and liberally grease it.
Repeat for the front height corrector. This will be found buried in the back of the front subframe. next to it you'll find the Roll Corrector which looks like a height corrector on its side. Give this a good clean and lubricate in the same way as you woukd a height corrector.
Whilst you are looking at the roll corrector, follow the linkages back until you come to the little plastic guide blocks on the subframe. these are the ones DickieG refrs to in his first post. disconnect each linkage at the wishbone end and then remove the guide blocks, give them and the linkage rod a good clean-up and apply some grease. Reassemble. This work will do a lot to prevent it from listing when parked.
Whilst you are under the car, have a look at the Activa Rams themselves and check them for leaks. A little dampness is normal but drips are not!
Hope that helps a bit Nick.
Firstly, don't scrap or break it please. Activas are getting rarer. Your problems are not serious and a bit of work will see it good. Keep it. It is a fantastic car to drive and enjoy.
The easy bit first: Rads springing leaks are very common. Replacement is straightforward if not a little tricky and time-consuming in parts. Like a lot of Activa related tasks, it looks complicated and impossible but it's not. I can give you a blow-by-blow guide
GSF do rads for Activas but not obviously. They're actually the same as used in the 2.1TD. In fact if you look at an Activa as a 2.1 you'll not go far wrong
Suspension: I think you need to do a complete appraisal of the whole system in a concise way to nail this. Firstly, your front electrovalve looks as if it is showing the classic sign of diode failure by not giving a distinct click on the ransition from soft to hard mode. A gentleman on e-bay produces a very good easy-fit repair kit and now does an Activa-specific one if you don't feel happy about fitting new diodes yourself.
So, if I read right, the front jumps up and down when stationary.
Give the whole system a full check as follows:
Prelimanary: Does the car settle out with a lean when left parked overnight? A very small lean is tolerable but if it looks like a ship listing you have a problem. Quite a simple one though! (see later)
1. Start up and allow the system to pressurise. Time how long it takes for the STOP light to extinguish after an overnight rest. 30s is about right as it has 10 spheres to pump up. A very quick extinguish points to a problem, as does a very long time to extinguish. If it does take a very long time to extinguish this points to the suspension and Activa Spheres being weak and near their lives end.
2. Listen for your pressure regulator "ticking", signifying it cutting in and out to regulate the hydraulic pressure. A tick interval of less than 30s signifies that either the main accumulator sphere is flat or you have a big internal leakage problem. A flat accumulator will also give itself away by the STOP lamp very quickly extinguishing.
Set the suspension on low. Does the car fall to the lowest setting nicely at both ends? It does not sink particularly quickly.
Once low is reached, set the height to high. The car should slowly and evenly rise up to maxium height. It is normal for the STOP light to illuminate whilst the car is rising. Once full height is reached, check your LHM level. The orange disk should be between the two rings on the sight gauge. Top up if necessary. Check the condition of the LHM. It should be a nice bright neon green. If it is yellow, brown or dirty, flush the system using Hydraflush and then after about 600 miles, replace with new LHM.
Listen as the car rises. Can you hear any creaks? Does it go up in jerks? If it does, your front strut rams need lubricating.
3. Return the lever to normal ride height. Do both ends fall back down nicely? If not, you'll need to check over your height correctors. (see later)
4. With the car at normal ride height, check the Activa system. To do this, look in the rear of one front wheel arch and you'll see the ball joint of one of the Roll Corrector linkages. Grasp the top of the balljoint and pull it toward you. The car should lean toward you as the roll corrector does its work to correct the "roll" you have given it. Now push the balljoint away from you. The car should lean in the opposite direction. When you let go of the balljoint the car should level itself out. The link posted by DickieG shows this balljoint very clearly.
5. Give your Height Correctors and Roll Corrector a check and lubricate. get the car up on axle stands to do this. It is VITAL for safety as playing with height correctors on an unsupported hydraulic Citroen can cause the car to suddenly drop and kill you.
Look at the rear height corrrector and ensure the little plastic link between it and the torsion bar is in place. Give the height corrector linkage mechanism a good dousing in WD40 and liberally grease it.
Repeat for the front height corrector. This will be found buried in the back of the front subframe. next to it you'll find the Roll Corrector which looks like a height corrector on its side. Give this a good clean and lubricate in the same way as you woukd a height corrector.
Whilst you are looking at the roll corrector, follow the linkages back until you come to the little plastic guide blocks on the subframe. these are the ones DickieG refrs to in his first post. disconnect each linkage at the wishbone end and then remove the guide blocks, give them and the linkage rod a good clean-up and apply some grease. Reassemble. This work will do a lot to prevent it from listing when parked.
Whilst you are under the car, have a look at the Activa Rams themselves and check them for leaks. A little dampness is normal but drips are not!
Hope that helps a bit Nick.
Jim
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
activa
hi jim
wow thanks for the indepth reply,
you have given me alot to think about.
tried the test to see if the active rams are working, the good news is they are.
the front of the car raises faster than the back,the front seems to be sticking as it comes up.it comes up in jerks.
the back seems softer than the front.
when i sat in the back the car went down but tried to raise back up, but couldnt do it.
the stop light does go out quickly, and she dosnt lean if left overnight.
would i be wise to change the accumulator first?what about lubricating the front strut rams, how? lol
are the spheres on the top of the struts and the rear ones percific to the activa or will the other modles fit?
sorry for all the qustions
nick
wow thanks for the indepth reply,
you have given me alot to think about.
tried the test to see if the active rams are working, the good news is they are.
the front of the car raises faster than the back,the front seems to be sticking as it comes up.it comes up in jerks.
the back seems softer than the front.
when i sat in the back the car went down but tried to raise back up, but couldnt do it.
the stop light does go out quickly, and she dosnt lean if left overnight.
would i be wise to change the accumulator first?what about lubricating the front strut rams, how? lol
are the spheres on the top of the struts and the rear ones percific to the activa or will the other modles fit?
sorry for all the qustions
nick
-
CitroJim
- A very naughty boy
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- Contact:
Hi Nick,
No worries on the questions, just keep 'em coming
If the front is jerky and stiff coming up than you've found the main cause of your problems The cure is to lubricate your front struts and it is eas, no need evn to take the wheels off. Simply raise the car to its high setting and above each front wheel you'll see the gaiters surrounding the strut rams. Gently pull the gaiter down from the top, off the ring around the bottom of the strut top and the ram will be exposed. Clean the whole length of the shiny ram with a clean rag dampened with petrol or a similar gentle solvent and then liberally smear it with clean LHM. I use LHM but some others may recommend a light grease. Ensure the gaiter is very free to rotate around its bottom ring and then reattach it to its top ring. Job done.
Using LHM as a lubricant means it has to be done fairly regularly. A more greasy lubricant may last longer.
Doing this and going over the height correctors should resolve the problem.
Yes, I'd be tempted to replace the accumulator sphere as a matter of course. They're only £20 from GSF and it is the only standard sphere on the whole car as far as I recall. To replace it, set the suspension on low, depressurise the system by turning the 12mm bleed bolt on the regulator about 1/2 a turn. You'll hear a whooshing sound for a second or two as the system depressurises. DON'T remove the bolt as behind it is a small ball-bearing.
Then get a strap wrench around the sphere and unscrew it. When installing the new one, use a new washer. Dip it in LHM and place it carefully in the annular groove on the regulator face and screw up the new sphere just hand-tight. It does not have to be tightened very tightly at all to seal and not going mad on it will make it easier to remove next time. Nip up the bleed screw and start up. Perform "Citarobics" a few times by taking the suspension through 5 or 6 full low to high cycles to expel any trapped air in the syatem and then bleed the brakes. They are bled with the engine running and with a light pressure applied to the brake pedal to open the brake doseur valve. Open each front nipple in turn until clean, non aerated LHM runs through. Note that the front nipples are not easy to get to, being hidden on the rear of the front of the calipers.
The rears need to be bled with the suspension on high. If you are careful, the bleed nipples can be reached through the wheel holes if you have the standard wheels fitted. You need to bleed at least half a litre of LHM through the rears to fully expel any trapped air as the rear lines are very long. They go from the rear suspension to the brake doseur valve at the front and then back again!
Ther rear should be softer than the front so that is OK. The front in soft mode should be very soft in soft mode and very hard in hard mode. The difference is very pronounced. If it is not then the suspects are the electrovalve followed by the front hydractive sphere.
Every other sphere except the main accumulator is Activa specific. GSF had stocks of all except the Activa accumulator recently and I'd be tempted, over the next few months to replace the whole lot. The most important ones are the centre hydractive spheres front and rear as they have the most pronounced effect on ride comfort. Then the Activa balancing sphere and finally the suspension spheres. Note that the rear suspension, hydractive and Activa balancing spheres are very difficult to remove (because they are invariably corroded tight and access is poor)and the genuine Pelaides (SP?) tool is the only one that can do the job.
The unavailable Activa Accumulator can be substituted for an Anti-Sink sphere if necessary. It is not perfect but it will do. GSF publish a list of Activa spheres:
http://www.gsfcarparts.com/downloads/activaspheres.pdf
To get a good understanding of how the suspension works, read this:
http://www.tramontana.co.hu/citroen/guide/guide.php
This is the "bible" and a standard reference work. It goes into good detail on all aspects of Citroen Hydraulics, including the Activa system.
Sorry for the long Posts Nick!
No worries on the questions, just keep 'em coming
If the front is jerky and stiff coming up than you've found the main cause of your problems
The cure is to lubricate your front struts and it is eas, no need evn to take the wheels off. Simply raise the car to its high setting and above each front wheel you'll see the gaiters surrounding the strut rams. Gently pull the gaiter down from the top, off the ring around the bottom of the strut top and the ram will be exposed. Clean the whole length of the shiny ram with a clean rag dampened with petrol or a similar gentle solvent and then liberally smear it with clean LHM. I use LHM but some others may recommend a light grease. Ensure the gaiter is very free to rotate around its bottom ring and then reattach it to its top ring. Job done. Using LHM as a lubricant means it has to be done fairly regularly. A more greasy lubricant may last longer.
Doing this and going over the height correctors should resolve the problem.
Yes, I'd be tempted to replace the accumulator sphere as a matter of course. They're only £20 from GSF and it is the only standard sphere on the whole car as far as I recall. To replace it, set the suspension on low, depressurise the system by turning the 12mm bleed bolt on the regulator about 1/2 a turn. You'll hear a whooshing sound for a second or two as the system depressurises. DON'T remove the bolt as behind it is a small ball-bearing.
Then get a strap wrench around the sphere and unscrew it. When installing the new one, use a new washer. Dip it in LHM and place it carefully in the annular groove on the regulator face and screw up the new sphere just hand-tight. It does not have to be tightened very tightly at all to seal and not going mad on it will make it easier to remove next time. Nip up the bleed screw and start up. Perform "Citarobics" a few times by taking the suspension through 5 or 6 full low to high cycles to expel any trapped air in the syatem and then bleed the brakes. They are bled with the engine running and with a light pressure applied to the brake pedal to open the brake doseur valve. Open each front nipple in turn until clean, non aerated LHM runs through. Note that the front nipples are not easy to get to, being hidden on the rear of the front of the calipers.
The rears need to be bled with the suspension on high. If you are careful, the bleed nipples can be reached through the wheel holes if you have the standard wheels fitted. You need to bleed at least half a litre of LHM through the rears to fully expel any trapped air as the rear lines are very long. They go from the rear suspension to the brake doseur valve at the front and then back again!
Ther rear should be softer than the front so that is OK. The front in soft mode should be very soft in soft mode and very hard in hard mode. The difference is very pronounced. If it is not then the suspects are the electrovalve followed by the front hydractive sphere.
Every other sphere except the main accumulator is Activa specific. GSF had stocks of all except the Activa accumulator recently and I'd be tempted, over the next few months to replace the whole lot. The most important ones are the centre hydractive spheres front and rear as they have the most pronounced effect on ride comfort. Then the Activa balancing sphere and finally the suspension spheres. Note that the rear suspension, hydractive and Activa balancing spheres are very difficult to remove (because they are invariably corroded tight and access is poor)and the genuine Pelaides (SP?) tool is the only one that can do the job.
The unavailable Activa Accumulator can be substituted for an Anti-Sink sphere if necessary. It is not perfect but it will do. GSF publish a list of Activa spheres:
http://www.gsfcarparts.com/downloads/activaspheres.pdf
To get a good understanding of how the suspension works, read this:
http://www.tramontana.co.hu/citroen/guide/guide.php
This is the "bible" and a standard reference work. It goes into good detail on all aspects of Citroen Hydraulics, including the Activa system.
Sorry for the long Posts Nick!
Jim
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
activa
hi jim,
i can not thank you enough for the information that you have given me regarding the activa.i owe you a few very large drinks
I am sure the prob;em is caused by sticking front struts, but
what i have done is brought another activa .
this one is a 2000 model with 72000 miles.
it has a leaking ram on the front.
the stop light is on most of the time on the dash,
the fliud is very low.
also the rear susp seem reluctant to rise, i assume this could be down to low fluid/pressure cased by the leaking ram.
the work that has been done already is,
both front and rear hight correctors have been replaced,
the valve that is attached to the bottom of the rad has also been replaced.(dont know what this is called)
the plan is to take the activa ram from the first red cad car and replace it on to the second car.
is there some where i can identife the parts, i;e which valve is called what etc.
all the best
nick
i can not thank you enough for the information that you have given me regarding the activa.i owe you a few very large drinks
I am sure the prob;em is caused by sticking front struts, but
what i have done is brought another activa .
this one is a 2000 model with 72000 miles.
it has a leaking ram on the front.
the stop light is on most of the time on the dash,
the fliud is very low.
also the rear susp seem reluctant to rise, i assume this could be down to low fluid/pressure cased by the leaking ram.
the work that has been done already is,
both front and rear hight correctors have been replaced,
the valve that is attached to the bottom of the rad has also been replaced.(dont know what this is called)
the plan is to take the activa ram from the first red cad car and replace it on to the second car.
is there some where i can identife the parts, i;e which valve is called what etc.
all the best
nick
-
CitroJim
- A very naughty boy
- Posts: 49661
- Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
- Location: Paggers
- My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
- x 6204
- Contact:
Hi Nick,
Pleased I have been of some help
Buying another is one good way of obtaining some spares. What are you going to do ultimately with the other one?
Right, yes, you seem to have very low hydraulic pressure and/or a massive leak if the stop light stays on most of the time
How much is the front ram leaking? If it is really spurting out then that may account for the low pressure but if it is just gently dripping then it may not. Commonly rams leak from their working return line (excess fluid return) and not on the high-pressure side.
If the LHM level is very low this can cause the stop lamp to remain on even after pressure has built up due to the stop lamp also registering a low LHM level. The little brass disc in the LHM reservoir sight-glass is in fact part of the level warning switch. It falls and shorts two contacts, bringing on the stop lamp when the level is low. Isolate this by disconnecting the wires on the top of the reservoir by the sight-glass.
First tasks will be to swap the ram if it is leaking really badly and take it from there.
What does the LHM look like? If it is not a nice bright neon-green it needs to be changed and the system flushed with hydraclense. Dirty brown or yellow LHM is a sure sign it has had it and it can cause all kinds of problems.
The rear being reluctant to rise is often just the anti-sink sphere being flat. It is cheap and easy to change.
If the pressure is still low and the rear remains reluctant to rise, we'll then go into a logical routine to discover the cause. There are a few suspects that can cause low pressure but as they're all inter-linked and inter-related, it can be tricky to nail the cuplrit down.
Before you start too much investigation, have a good read of the techinical guide I directed you to so that you have a really good understanding of how all the hydraulic bits work. If you break ito into logical groups of Pressure Generation, Basic Suspension, Brakes, Hyractive II, Anti-Sink and Activa it is not too bad. To try and understand it all in one go though is too big a chunk to bite off and you'll be lost. I spent a week on holiday with the guide as bedtime reading
A section every evening worked a treat.
The valve under the radiator is in fact the front Hydractive block carrying the hydractive sphere and the front hydractive electrovalve. Just across from this sphere is another sphere, upside down and under the battery tray almost. This is the Activa Accumulator Sphere. The sphere attached to the engine block is the main accumulator attached to the pressure regulator block.
If it all gets really difficult Nick, it may be best for one of us to have a look. Where are you located?
Pleased I have been of some help
Buying another is one good way of obtaining some spares. What are you going to do ultimately with the other one?
Right, yes, you seem to have very low hydraulic pressure and/or a massive leak if the stop light stays on most of the time
How much is the front ram leaking? If it is really spurting out then that may account for the low pressure but if it is just gently dripping then it may not. Commonly rams leak from their working return line (excess fluid return) and not on the high-pressure side. If the LHM level is very low this can cause the stop lamp to remain on even after pressure has built up due to the stop lamp also registering a low LHM level. The little brass disc in the LHM reservoir sight-glass is in fact part of the level warning switch. It falls and shorts two contacts, bringing on the stop lamp when the level is low. Isolate this by disconnecting the wires on the top of the reservoir by the sight-glass.
First tasks will be to swap the ram if it is leaking really badly and take it from there.
What does the LHM look like? If it is not a nice bright neon-green it needs to be changed and the system flushed with hydraclense. Dirty brown or yellow LHM is a sure sign it has had it and it can cause all kinds of problems.
The rear being reluctant to rise is often just the anti-sink sphere being flat. It is cheap and easy to change.
If the pressure is still low and the rear remains reluctant to rise, we'll then go into a logical routine to discover the cause. There are a few suspects that can cause low pressure but as they're all inter-linked and inter-related, it can be tricky to nail the cuplrit down.
Before you start too much investigation, have a good read of the techinical guide I directed you to so that you have a really good understanding of how all the hydraulic bits work. If you break ito into logical groups of Pressure Generation, Basic Suspension, Brakes, Hyractive II, Anti-Sink and Activa it is not too bad. To try and understand it all in one go though is too big a chunk to bite off and you'll be lost. I spent a week on holiday with the guide as bedtime reading
A section every evening worked a treat. The valve under the radiator is in fact the front Hydractive block carrying the hydractive sphere and the front hydractive electrovalve. Just across from this sphere is another sphere, upside down and under the battery tray almost. This is the Activa Accumulator Sphere. The sphere attached to the engine block is the main accumulator attached to the pressure regulator block.
If it all gets really difficult Nick, it may be best for one of us to have a look. Where are you located?
Jim
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...