new car, first question...wierd noise?

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
vince
Posts: 1409
Joined: 22 May 2008, 22:29
Location: oldham
My Cars:
x 13

new car, first question...wierd noise?

Post by vince »

ok guys, its a 96 VSX for anyone who missed the new car post earlier.
So its got the hydractive system.

I have driven it about 200 miles today with no strangeness.....well no more then normal :P


Anyway....i decided to do some Citaerobics to make sure all is as it should be........first couple of up and downs...no problemo, all smooth and serene. After that i got a whistling sound from the front passenger side sphere area. it did it a few times but still rose and dropped no problems.

i drove it home (i was in a car park nearby), and then rose it again and dropped it again and no whistling. I didnt drop it to the floor though only drive to maintenance and back to drive again a couple of times.

Anyone come across this before? if so whats the whistling noise al about?

Thanks
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25362
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Post by myglaren »

Could it be air/gas in the hydraulics being bled back to the reservoir?
User avatar
Mandrake
Posts: 8615
Joined: 10 Apr 2005, 17:23
Location: North Lanarkshire, UK
My Cars:
x 664

Post by Mandrake »

A whining/whistling noise will most likely be the whine of the Hydractive electrovalves - particularly noticable when parked inside an enclosed garage.

If you put the bonnet up and just after turning the engine off with all doors closed, go and listen down near the left hand end of the radiator and you should hear a high pitched whine - which will stop about 30 seconds later.

If so, that's what it is, nothing to worry about.

Regards,
Simon
Simon

1997 Xantia S1 3.0 V6 Auto Exclusive in Silex Grey
2016 Nissan Leaf Tekna 30kWh in White

2011 Peugeot Ion Full Electric in Silver
1977 G Special 1129cc LHD
1978 CX 2400
1997 Xantia S1 2.0i Auto VSX
1998 Xantia S2 3.0 V6 Auto Exclusive
vince
Posts: 1409
Joined: 22 May 2008, 22:29
Location: oldham
My Cars:
x 13

Post by vince »

It was night time in a deserted carpark so it was quiet.....im glad it doesnt sound like anything nuts though.... :)

Anyway, its time for work so im off to the magic carpet right now 8) 8)
vince
Posts: 1409
Joined: 22 May 2008, 22:29
Location: oldham
My Cars:
x 13

Post by vince »

Spoke to our Citroen expert at work today, he reckons that when peforming Citaerobics any air in the system will expand due to the heat build up and vent out. Its either that or air trapped in the strut bellow being forced out or sucked in....either way.
aerodynamica
Donor 2023
Posts: 1299
Joined: 26 Dec 2007, 18:10
Location: Glasgow
Lexia Available: Yes
My Cars: 2008 C5 Exclusive Tourer
1993 Xantia 1.9 TD VSX Mk1 Sinker A.K.A Slugmobile 13'
'Old Katy'
previous convictions: totaling 52litres of LHM in one go:
1968 ID19B 'Old Polly' Stellar white
1993 Xantia 1.9 TD SX Mk1 Sinker Silver
1992 XM 2.0 SEi Turbo Manual Anthracite Grey
1982 CX 20 Pallas 'Old Goldy'
1993 XM 2.1 SD Auto Light blue
1993 Xantia 1.9 TD SX Mk1 Sinker light Blue
1982 BX 16 TRS 'Cyril' Vallelunga Red
1995 Xantia 1.9 D SX Auto Dark green
1977 CX 2400 Pallas C-Matic 'Aphrodite' Regatta Blue
1982 GSA Pallas SE Silver Pearl
1980 CX 2000 Reflex Vallelunga Red
1978 CX 2400 Pallas C-Matic 'Prometheus' Midnight blue
1984 BX 14E 'Cecil the slugmobile' Maroon
1987 Fiat Panda 'the mighty panda'
x 97

Post by aerodynamica »

Did it only ever make this sound on one occasion and never repeat it?

There are often owners of Mk1 Xantias, Mk1 and 1.5 Xms and all PAS BXs complaining about a loud, intermittent hissing that just won't go away no matter what they do" - trouble is it's completely normal characteristic of models fitted with a flow distributor unit and is actually a sign of health not a fault (if it made lots of short successive hisses only then suspect accumulator sphere on those models)

If yours is a '96 it probably has the second system with no FDV valve so not the same issue.
Graeme M
2008 C5 Exclusive Tourer 2.0 HDi
deian
Posts: 1729
Joined: 26 Feb 2006, 10:53
Location:
My Cars:

Post by deian »

check that the nut that releases the pressure from the accumulator sphere is closed properly, this is where the only wheezing noise can come from that you describe, it would happen when the car is fully up and the pump still pumping building pressure when the struts are full.

To locate this nut (size 12mm i think), find the accumulator sphere... facing outwards towards the side of the passenger side, quite low down near the radiator. Where the sphere is screwed on is a valve, on the front side (facing the radiator) is the hydrualic block, which will have 4 bolts, the top left one (i think, someone confirm this) releases the pressure from the system after lowering the car.

Be careful that it's not over tightened, as the bolt just pushes against a brass ball bearing (which is softer than the steel bolt).

Whats the LHM level like?

A word of caution... a citroen expert does not necessarily mean he is an expert in the hydraulic systems (he may well be thought), I 'm no expert either, just sharing what I think it is.
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49518
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 6156
Contact:

Post by CitroJim »

Your thought about the bleed valve Dai, got me thinking...

My early MK1 (admittedly with the FDV) hisses a lot and I put it down to a slightly poor seal on the ball bearing valve inside the pressure regulator being a tad leaky. For the past few years now I've been meaning to reseat it with a brass punch but it is one of those jobs I've never quite got round to as it is not causing any other problems expect for a shorter than desirable tick rate from the Pressure Regulator.

Vince, How long is your regulator tick rate at low, normal and high suspension settings? If the noise is related to a small internnal leak, it may show up as a change in tick rate at different height settings. Particularly on high when pressure demand is greatest.

Also, it is worth checking the suction side of the LHM pump is not drawing air at some point. Look in the LHM reservoir and observe the return flow of LHM from the pressure regulator. If it is all bubbly and foamy you may have an air leak on the big pipe between the reservoir and pump. It'll never leak LHM as it is under suction but it will leak air very easily in the same way as a dodgy diesel fuel pipe will.
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
deian
Posts: 1729
Joined: 26 Feb 2006, 10:53
Location:
My Cars:

Post by deian »

You seem to understand my juggled thoughts Jib.

I know what I'm trying to explain in my head, but explaining some things in word can be hard sometimes.

I'm Dai, are you Jib? lol

Regards,
Dei
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49518
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 6156
Contact:

Post by CitroJim »

deian wrote: I'm Dai, are you Jib? lol
Sorry Dei, my apologies. It's all down to FFS (Fat Finger Syndrome) :oops: :lol: You must have noticed by now every post of mine has at least one sprelling errer :roll:

I'm still searching for a keyboard taht can spell....
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25362
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Post by myglaren »

[orf topic]
Firefox has an inline spellchecker Jim.
Not that it does me any good as I'm generally too stupid to look before I leap with teh "Post and be buggered" button.

I use Safari for this site too, which doesn't help any but I swear the kids shift the keys around when I'm not looking
[/ot]
vince
Posts: 1409
Joined: 22 May 2008, 22:29
Location: oldham
My Cars:
x 13

Post by vince »

The ticking, when it does tick, is just audible, but doesnt seem to tick hardly at all....thankfully.

The high pitched whistling noise (doesnt sound like a hiss) only happens when you move the height lever from bottom to a higher setting. it then lasts only a short time before the car begins to rise and never happens at any other time, including when its on top height.

Tomorrow its going to Citroen to see a mechanic friend of mine who is a Xantia and Hydraulic expert.....he is going to bleed the hydraulic system and refill it with new Citroen LHM (supplied by me) whilst cleaning the supply and return filters..all for the princely sum of £10 on his dinner hour :) Dont know when it was last done :?

I presume he will notice any problems if any exist.

Thanks for your replies / help.
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25362
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
Location: Washington
My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX
x 4888

Post by myglaren »

Perhaps too late to be practicable but a Hydraflush probably would have been a good thing to do before refilling with LHM.
aerodynamica
Donor 2023
Posts: 1299
Joined: 26 Dec 2007, 18:10
Location: Glasgow
Lexia Available: Yes
My Cars: 2008 C5 Exclusive Tourer
1993 Xantia 1.9 TD VSX Mk1 Sinker A.K.A Slugmobile 13'
'Old Katy'
previous convictions: totaling 52litres of LHM in one go:
1968 ID19B 'Old Polly' Stellar white
1993 Xantia 1.9 TD SX Mk1 Sinker Silver
1992 XM 2.0 SEi Turbo Manual Anthracite Grey
1982 CX 20 Pallas 'Old Goldy'
1993 XM 2.1 SD Auto Light blue
1993 Xantia 1.9 TD SX Mk1 Sinker light Blue
1982 BX 16 TRS 'Cyril' Vallelunga Red
1995 Xantia 1.9 D SX Auto Dark green
1977 CX 2400 Pallas C-Matic 'Aphrodite' Regatta Blue
1982 GSA Pallas SE Silver Pearl
1980 CX 2000 Reflex Vallelunga Red
1978 CX 2400 Pallas C-Matic 'Prometheus' Midnight blue
1984 BX 14E 'Cecil the slugmobile' Maroon
1987 Fiat Panda 'the mighty panda'
x 97

Post by aerodynamica »

For the past few years now I've been meaning to reseat it with a brass punch
Hi Jim, how would you go about reseating this? Do you use the punch to hit the ball? or is the punch specially shaped to reform the seat with the ball removed. I'd like to do this too on the CX.
Graeme M
2008 C5 Exclusive Tourer 2.0 HDi
vince
Posts: 1409
Joined: 22 May 2008, 22:29
Location: oldham
My Cars:
x 13

Post by vince »

The noise has officially gone.....

Went to Citroen, got the LHM changed, filters cleaned, engine steam cleaned due to excessive LHM spillage (it was topped to the brim) and all for the princely sum of.....NOWT :P
Post Reply