Xantia suspension frozen in one position

[charentejohn]

Can anyone help clarify what this means please.
I am in France and looking to buy a Xantia described as 'suspension won't raise or lower' but need to know what could cause this. I will have a French friend call to ask questions but need to know what questions to ask. I have asked elsewhere but no clear answer yet.

I assume that as the seller said 'won't raise or lower' they mean the whole suspension, not just front or rear.

So, assuming that is true, if I ask them if the rear drops the levels itself if a load is added (same for the front but independently) then this means it is just the raise / lower part (whatever that is) that has a problem.

I was told that if the rear levelling unit failed or (cheaper option) the linkage had come loose / broken then this would stop the entire car raising or lowering. Is that true or does it just stop the rear raising or lowering, I am a little confused on this point.
Possibly if the front or rear linkages / sensors have a problem it affects the whole car but I would have assumed it would just affect the end in question, front or rear ?

The brakes and steering work ok so we are just talking raise / lower.
Best case for me is that the fault is only this and that the solution is simple, but is that true ?

Any help appreciated.

[KennyW]

Welcome to the forum, Find out if the car has been sitting unused for any length of time.
Remember there 2 height correctors front and rear.
IS it the front or rear not moving or both as a car sitting for long time will seized up.
The problem may be as you suggested the small plastic link cup at the height corrector broken or loose But it also could be a seized height corrector.
There is a stripe down and rebuild of the height correctors on the forum, I can't remember where.

Kenny

[davek-uk]

If it was just the hight control links come off front and back the car would still rise up and down with the cabin height lever - the linkages are set to the running height.

You need to know if it is at normal running height or fully lowered. If it’s at running height it could just be the cabin height lever disconnected. But I suspect it’s down and can’t get up.

If the brakes and steering work then there is fluid and pressure in the system - but do they seem to work at 2mph on the drive or at 50mph on the road? And is the pressure and fluid level correct?

My Xantia sat for nearly 2 years on it's bump stops and still worked when started up - although I did have to prime the system by releasing and retightening the pressure regulator valve. There has to be something fundamentally wrong for the car not to raise – I’d be very surprised if it just happened to have both front and rear height controller problems.

You really need more information, but even if it seems a bargin you can spend a lot of money and time replacing and reconditioning parts if you buy blind.

Dave

[charentejohn]

Thanks for the helpful info, just what I was looking for.
Pictures of the car are here - http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/199379192.htm?ca=20_s
No laughting at the prices though as they are expensive here 1.5k Euros is right for one with high miles or a problem, otherwise it would be about 3k.

Seems to be at normal running height, so could be the lever is disconnected ?
Comes from La Rochelle so near the coast and with low miles, less than 100k, for here so siezing up a possibility. Usually greater distances between places here, higher miles are not terrible as not too many stop start journeys unless it is a city car.

Photos show the car in a filling station just after a run through a car wash so must be driving ok. The equivalent of the Mot here is strict but more of a safety check, so it would pass even if it didn't go up or down as not unsafe. So no rush to fix the problem if it is just height only.

If it is just the cabin height lever is there an easy way to tell, I assume it is cable operated, could I find the cable while under the car on the street.

Thanks again.

[boristhespie]

Whereabouts in Charente are you?