Xantia rear stuck in high postion.

Barbarian · Post by **Barbarian** » 17 Sep 2007, 14:31

I moved my xantia into high position then when I tried to put it back to the central position the front end came down but the rear end remained high, So I
left it over night and when I went out in the morning the rear end was still high, so I started the car up and it tried to level itself out But this caused the rear end to sink to its lowest position and remain their. So I Put it back in high mode and the both ends raised up but the rear end wouldn't go back down to the central position again!.

I am I looking at knew spheres or what? What sort of price range am I looking at a repair from a small back street garage?

cheers

KP · Post by KP » 17 Sep 2007, 14:48

I'd guess your hieght corrector is siezing up towards the end of its life

You can try spraying WD40 and the like on it to loosen it up and move the leaver in the centre console back and forth while the lubricant is being sprayed and see what happens. If this fails then its time to get it replaced

Also be carefull as the car can drop very quickly without warning as well so dont go under an unsupported car!

rory_perrett · Post by **rory_perrett** » 17 Sep 2007, 15:03

Or the plastic link between the height corrector and the roll bar clamp has come off.

Rory

Barbarian · Post by **Barbarian** » 17 Sep 2007, 15:46

how do u access the height corrector?

Post by **CitroJim** » 17 Sep 2007, 17:29

Jack up and support on axle stands (VERY IMPORTANT for the reasons stated), crawl under and looking in the middle you'll see the height corrector attached to the end of the linkage from the height lever. It looks like a cylinder with a rubber end cap. On the other end of it you'll see a white plastic balljoint link going to the anti-roll bar. This is the link that has most likely hopped off because the height corrector mechanism is seized.

Douse the mechanism in WD40, exercise it and then grease it well. Pop the link on (if it has popped off) and see if normal operation is restored. The clip may be broken/ cracked but is very cheap to replace. It is a dealer-only part though.

The height corrector mechanism corrodes badly and a replacement height corrector may be required.

Monkeyfeet · Post by **Monkeyfeet** » 17 Sep 2007, 17:36

Had this happen to the front of mine last year, exactly same symptons - bought a new ball joint for a quid or so.BUT as as citrojohn pointed out, if you're not used to working on these cits you must have it supported 'cos moving that height corrector only a tiny amount causes large suspension movements (ouch).

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 17 Sep 2007, 18:30

All what they said above

SUPPORT THE CAR WITH AXLE STANDS because if it decides to lower itself IT WILL SQUASH YOU otherwise.

It was the first problem I noticed when I got this xantia and it all seemed confusingly difficult to tackle but it really isn't if you can get over the worry of the car crushing you!

If you do a search for "plastic" you should find numerous relative (and probably irrelative) threads but there are some pictures to give you an idea of what you're looking for.

The plastic clip popping off is the most common reason though it's usually due to either wear or seizure. I was lucky as the front clip had simply worn and it cost me £1.99 for a new one. It was easy to fit as my corrector was not seized and I just had to lever the spring loaded joint back and on it popped. Make sure you add a little lubrication to each cup and soak the little felt washers in oil to keep them lubed.

deian · Post by **deian** » 17 Sep 2007, 18:43

So if you accidentaly get it working by chance it will drop with no warning. Your circumstance are exactly the kind of conditions a Citroen needs to kill you, fiddling with the 'height corrector'. So be clever! Support with axle stands!

Post by **admiral51** » 17 Sep 2007, 18:46

try this link
http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... or+linkage

try searching" height corrector linkage"
hope this helps

colin