click click click

shanemarsh1 · Post by **shanemarsh1** » 04 Jul 2009, 15:04

Hi,a newby to this forum so hello people. My 99 1.9td xantia has started clicking once a second, its got worse gradually and i need to know which bit to replace. Another thing is that it never sinks overnight but when started, it drops like a brick, then a wait of about a minute for it to "resurface".sometimes i get to the end of the road and find no brakes or steering, allways wakes me up though. Any help would be great.

Post by **myglaren** » 04 Jul 2009, 16:06

Hi Shane and welcome to the FCF.
Your symptoms are typical of a collapsed accumulator sphere.
You can buy a new one from several places including GSF, Euro Car Parts and of course the dealers, where they are usually much more expensive.
You will also most likely need some LHM fluid to replace that lost when you remove the sphere.

This subject comes up very frequently here so fortunately there is plenty of advice on how to deal with it.

Have a look through this thread and if anything is still not clear by all means ask more questions until you feel satisfied that you can do the job.

Do read it carefully as there are one or two pitfalls that can catch you out, primarily the bleed nut where complete removal or overtightening could make you wish you had stayed in bed that day.

It isn't hard but can be a bit messy. If you are doing it on a drive it is as well to have some protection against spillages.

jonathan_dyane · Post by **jonathan_dyane** » 04 Jul 2009, 17:16

May I offer some (perhaps controversial) advise. Having (extensively) worked on and owned various hydropneumatic Citroens for over 10 years I have been meaning for most of those years to buy a sphere removal tool. One day I will buy one I'm sure (and there are some good budget models available on ebay, although the Pleidies version is unquestionably the best) I have always managed without, removing dead spheres by careful use of a sharp cold chisel on the sphere's centre line.

I feel I must point out that should there still be gas in the sphere and the sphere be deeply penetrated with the chisel there is a chance of bursting the thing with dangerous results, but provided you are careful the chance of this is virtually nil.

Post by **CitroJim** » 04 Jul 2009, 17:34

I've always been very wary of attacking a sphere with a cold chisel, more fronm the risk of damaging the speher bolck rather than the sphere itself.

I have a Pleiades tool and it was a very sound investment. It's never let me down on any sphere yet and can take some serious abuse if need be.

One very tight accumulator took an extension pipe on the end of the tool and a 4lb club hammer. The sphere cam off a treat...

shanemarsh1 · Post by **shanemarsh1** » 04 Jul 2009, 19:59

Thanks, great info.

red_dwarfers · Post by **red_dwarfers** » 04 Jul 2009, 20:54

Im with the twin chain wrench club, one on the sphere with constant pressure and a large hammer, if one of the blocks looks like its turning, stick the other chain wrench around that pulling the opposite way whilst hitting the other....making good use of legs and feet

It might be worth changing the rear brake accumulator at the same time while all the tools are out.