Help please? xantia estate suspension cold weather issue

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 18 Dec 2009, 19:49

Hi,

this year martin at pleiades has flushed my suspension with hydraflush and refilled with new LHM fitted all new six spheres to my Mk2 1998 estate
it is a non-hydractive car.

Martin lubed all linkages with silicone spray and the car even went back when I dicovered a small LHM leak.

all has been fine until the temps drop to minus five at night.

last night I raised the suspension to the first notch above normal driving level to put an external heater I have made against the main fuel tank because I am now running on a blend of filtered WVO and diesel.

the car when lowered this mornning dropped back to normal driving level on the front but the rear suspension was stuck fast, I tried pumping the break pedal for a while and the rear suspension released after about 5 mins of pumping the pedal and returned to normal height during the time I was pumping the pedal the brakes became difficult to apply without quite a lot of pressure and a short delay before they actually bit the disks.

once all returned to normal I was able to drive around for about a couple of hours and the suspension and brakes behaved as they did yesterday perfectly fine.

I decided to do some late shopping at my local supermarket
after leaving the car in the car-park for about two hours and temperatures dropping steadily, I returned to the car to find that the suspension although at normal height was rock solid on the rear of the car.

can anybody please throw some light on this problem? I am wondering if the hydraflush cannot stand low temperatures and could there be some left in the system? perhaps freezing? all heights are selectable after some fiddling with the height adjuster but the suspension just acts as though the spheres are knackerd. the fult seems to be intermittant.

your advice would be gratefully appreciated.

thank you in advance Nigel.

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 18 Dec 2009, 19:54

If the suspension is solid and you suspect knackered sphere's, a quick check of the LHM level will be useful as if a diaphragm has ruptured then the LHM level will have fallen slightly.

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 18 Dec 2009, 19:57

DickieG

already check the lhm level the orange disk is between the two centre lines whilst the suspension is in top notch.

pretty much where it was when the suspension was ok. so if its not a ruptured diaphram what eles could it be please?

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 18 Dec 2009, 20:16

I've never heard of a problem running with Hydraflush, if the car is at normal ride height but the suspension is stiff then the obvious answer is that the sphere's are below pressure/flat (or a suspension arm is siezed, but I've not heard of that one personally) the only sure way to test sphere's is with a pressure tester. If a sphere is below pressure/flat then that will always be the case i.e. not intermittent.

Are you sure the height corrector isn't getting intermittently stuck in certain positions as that would certainly cause a stiff ride if the suspension is too high or too low.

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 18 Dec 2009, 20:29

DickieG

Theres no hydraflush in the car now it was flushed out by pleiades when the new spheres were fitted.

I just wondered if any residue might freeze, that was all.

However I did forget to mention that the nearside rear arm bearing is starting to go, although the camber is only very slight and there is no play in the bearing with the car on axle stands.

Pleiades also checked for play in the bearing for me whilst the car was up in the air.

regards Nigel.

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 18 Dec 2009, 20:41

falling-out-with-my-car wrote:However I did forget to mention that the nearside rear arm bearing is starting to go, although the camber is only very slight and there is no play in the bearing with the car on axle stands.

Unless you disconnect the anti roll bar you won't be able to detect any play on the rear arm bearings and even then its not easy. Do you get any squeaking from the rear suspension?

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 18 Dec 2009, 20:53

DickieG

yes there is a little squeak every now an then from the rear suspension again its intermittant not all of the time.
i forgot the rear arms were connected by the anti-roll bar the nedle rollers could have gone making the rear end seize couldn't they?

regards Nigel.

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 18 Dec 2009, 21:20

falling-out-with-my-car wrote:yes there is a little squeak every now an then from the rear suspension again its intermittant not all of the time.
i forgot the rear arms were connected by the anti-roll bar the nedle rollers could have gone making the rear end seize couldn't they?

If one or other bearing is knackered it certainly won't help matters.

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 19 Dec 2009, 13:25

Oh well Thanks DickieG,

thats it then parked for Christmas, only thing is I dont fancy walkin in all this snow.

I'll get in touch with pleiades after crimbo and book her in, wish I was a bit more able bodied and had the tools to do it myself.

deian · Post by **deian** » 19 Dec 2009, 13:46

knackered spheres would also give bubbles in the lhm resevoir, just a sidenote

Old-Guy · Post by **Old-Guy** » 19 Dec 2009, 14:05

How about slush freezing around the rear swinging arms so that they can't move? Slush that becomes soft when the temperature rises a bit and then freezing even more solid when it plummets?

Just a thought.

lexi · Post by **lexi** » 19 Dec 2009, 14:50

Does sound like rear height corrector is freezing up with slush. Is the dogbone there? . Only thing that would freeze in hydraulic system is water . As LHM aint Hygroscopic there shouldn`t be any moisture in there. The Lhm will be flushed out the rear brake lines anyway?

One of them little 12 v car heater fans plugged into ciggy lighter might be enough to thaw it out under the car away from home if this was the case.

It might let you know anyways. Shouldn`t be any issues with fumes. Usual warnings with under the car and also careful with heat.

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 19 Dec 2009, 19:14

Well thanks for trying everyone but most are miles off.

I have been digging around under the car today (yes I know its icy out there I must be mad). there is a metal arm that comes down somewhere from the centre of the rear end above the accumulator it is attached to a plastic clip that moves to set the height adjustment.

at least thats what it looks like the metal u shaped arm has sheared in half and the plastic connector it is attched to is floppin around all over the place.

I seem to remember my dad replacing one of these on a bx years ago but cant remember what its called can anyone shine some light on the matter for me please?

apparently it is a common thing to break. aaahhh spotted something in lexi's post about a dog bone could this be it???????

Post by **myglaren** » 19 Dec 2009, 19:59

The 'dog bone' is the plastic connector.
That part sheared of mine, new part cost £1.70, although that was a few years ago now

lexi · Post by **lexi** » 19 Dec 2009, 20:05

spotted something in lexi's post about a dog bone

WOOF WOOF