1996 Xantia 1.9 LX TD estate O/S/F sphere gushing LHM..HELP!

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Pikeyxantia
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1996 Xantia 1.9 LX TD estate O/S/F sphere gushing LHM..HELP!

Post by Pikeyxantia »

Hi all, any help and suggestions will be greatly welcomed.
I bought my first Xantia yesterday, drove it home, all well, suspension hard and bumpy so I resigned myself to new spheres and have been reading up on here you recommendations on how to do it.
I went out and did the Citroaerobics, and noticed steam coming up from under the bonnet. I turned the engine off immediatly and opened the bonnet up and found the O/S/F sphere had popped the yellow cap off the end and was gushing LHM out from the stub that the cap covered.
I replaced the cap, and started the engine, again the cap popped off and LHM flew everywhere.
The height selector is in the High position, but the car is on the floor.
What do you recommend I do to fix the problem, I am mechanically minded, but I am a Ctiroen virgin!
Many thanks, in advance, Jim
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Post by lurchy666 »

well the cap on the end is for repressuring the spheres but i'd say its behond regassing, replacement is prob the only way to go, the folowing site has a sphere table so you can get the right ones, i'd suggest gsf car spares for them

also theres is the instructions for changing spheres on there

http://www.attfield.dircon.co.uk/xantia

that is old-guys page,
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Post by Xaccers »

Sounds like they're old regassed spheres and the regas valve that has been fitted has broken down.
Order new sphere's from GSF (about £22 each), get a sphere removal tool from Pleidies or make your own using the guide in the hints and tips section on here.
Use the tool to remove the old spheres (following the guides on here) and screw on the new ones by hand making sure you don't pinch the large o-ring seals that they come with.

What colour was the LHM that came out?
If it wasn't bright green, then it would probably be an idea to order some hydrorincage (we refer to it as hydroflush) which is about £20 for 5L, follow the instructions in the BoL (haynes manual) to replace the LHM with hydroflush, it's a cleaning agent, give the filters in the LHM resevoir a gentle clean with an old toothbrush and some petrol tool. Drive on hydroflush for 500-1000 miles, and then repeat the process to replace the hydroflush with new LHM.

I've had a bad experience with the same type of regassed spheres as you've described, I was sold them when I first did a sphere change, even though I'd asked for new spheres and was charged the same price as what GSF charge for their new spheres (at the time I didn't know of GSF).
Within a month several of them had split inside.
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Post by Pikeyxantia »

Many thanks for that p reg,

I'll call GSF in Thurrock tomorrow and order them in. Do you have any advice on how to get around the not being able to get the suspension raise issue? As it has clearly burst will the pressure already be released from the affected sphere, meaning it will come off without damage to any of the pipe work?
Should I do both front suspension spheres, then pressurise the system, allowing the back to be raised, then change the back ones?
Your advice is greatly appreciated.


Jim
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Post by Pikeyxantia »

Thanks to you too xac,

Was getting worried that it was going to be a nightmare. Knowing it's happened to someone else and that it isn't is reassuring.

The guy I bought it from told me he'd had them replaced 2 years ago..... they look very old!!

The fluid is almost luminous green, very bright, and very clear, would you still hydroflush to be safe?

Jim
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Post by xantia_v6 »

If the fluid in the tank is a nice bright green AND the filter screens in the LHM tank are only moderately dirty, then I would probably just clean the filters, bleed the brakes and not bother with Hydroflush.
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Post by Xaccers »

I'd hydroflush as it's only £20 and gives you a view of the state of the filters in the resevoir. Oh tip for removing it as there's a spike out the bottom which fits tightly into a gromet and makes it hard to remove without spilling LHM, remove the airbox, then use a wide screwdriver or prybard under the resevoir and twist to pop it free of the grommet (once you've removed the two retaining nuts at the back of course) making it dead easy to just lift out.

Replace both front spheres. Don't drive the car until you have.

Top up with LHM, do plenty of citrobics and see how the suspension is (if the rear strut spheres are the same type as the front I'd change them too).
If it's hard and bouncy at the back, then it's time to replace the spheres.

Depending on the trim level and age of the car it depends on how many spheres there are in the system. LX and SX have 6, VSX and Exclusive have 8, and Activa have 10. Early sinkers have one less as they're missing what is known as the anti-sink sphere (it's in the middle at the back, behind the spare wheel and acts as a rear accumulator storing pressure).

Once you've got the suspension sorted, with the engine idling, listen at the front for a ticking/clicking noise. If there's less than a minute between ticks, then it's time to replace the accumulator sphere, and if that needs replacing, then it's probably best to do the anti-sink sphere at the back as a matter of course, unless you're sure it's new and ok.
For the anti-sink, you'll need a 9mm flare spanner (you'll need an 8mm flare, ring, or socket to bleed the brakes btw). Unlike the other spheres which screw into sockets which the pipes then screw into, the anti-sink has the pipe screw straight into it.
The sphere itself screws into a bracket/socket so it doesn't need the o-ring that comes with it, but I use it to stop the sphere rusting to the bracket.
Easiest way to remove it is loop the flare spanner onto the pipe nut, then unscrew the sphere from it's bracket, which will also unscrew it from the nut. Replacement is reversal, screw the sphere into it's socket just enough to hold it in place, screw the nut into the sphere a bit, then holding the nut in place with the spanner, screw the sphere home, then nip up the nut if required. Nearly forgot, you'll need a new pipe seal from gsf (you can't get them from Citroen).

Don't forget, if you're working under the car, always support it with axle stands, the can drop down suddenly and people have been squished, which always puts a downer on xmas.
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Post by lurchy666 »

basically on the fronts put suspension in low undo the 12mm bolt near the accumalotor sphere on the regulator body (that is on front of engine) to release pressure (altho i should think that the pressure is alraedy gone due to the sphere leaking,) undo sphere take old seal out of strut top body, dip new seal (which you should get with new sphere) in some clean new lhm (the stuff the suspension runs on) put it in the strut top then screw new sphere on hand tight, do up the 12mm bolt and then get engine running and do a good sesion of citarobics (ie, fully up , fully down a few times to get all the air out the system, you might need to do brakes i'm not sure, if you go on that site i said earlier its got the full instructions on how to do brakes and spheres or on main forum there is a sticky at the top of the page telling you how to do it,

yes do the fronts first then you can rise car up as you need pressure on the back ones to get them undone with outs screwing the pipes,


as soon as the sphere/spheres are repaired the car should rise and do what it should,

always have the car suported by axle stands if your going under neath it as it can sink on you
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Post by Pikeyxantia »

Guys, thanks so much for all of the advice, I'll get the parts this week and will carry out the repairs next weekend. I'll let you know how I get on.

I am VERY appreciative of the time you've taken to help me out and give me the information and thereby, the confidence to tackle this repair myself.

I've guessed from reading the other post on this forum that it is an absolute no-no to do any work under these cars without having it raised sufficiently to allow for room when the car lowers to it's minimum setting, and thank you for driving this fact home, like the wife said, "there's not much point having a half fixed car on the drive and a squished fella"!!

All the best to you both, many thanks, and I'll let you know how I got on next weekend.

These forums are a great place for help and advice, but only if the likes of you two take the time and effort to help new boys like me out. Keep it up guys, it means loads to people like me.

Many thanks, and kindest regards,

Jim
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Post by CitroJim »

Jim,

Welcome to the forum :D I have nothing more to add to the excellent advice given except to say welcome from another Jim...
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
lurchy666
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Post by lurchy666 »

just spotted i cocked up a little bit when you undo the 12mm bolt only undo it 1 and ahalf turns max, cause there is a ball bearing inside according to haynes and that can get lost
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Post by Pikeyxantia »

Guys, thanks for all your help and support, I now have a Xantia that has a lovely smooth ride. I could not get the recommended tool, however, found that some special oil filter mole grips managed to bind in tight enough to take a little persuasion with a hammer, and the rear spheres were changed in under 15 minutes!!
Xac, Lurchy and Citrojim, many thanks to you.

Jim
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