Xantia 2.0HDi X Reg 2000 model (Spheres)

[kentc5]

Helo guys,

I couldn't resist a very good deal so I bought a Citroen Xantia today lol
It is a Sept 2000 X reg model
Estate
SX model
86.000 miles on the clock and genuine (supported by the MOT's)
Demo and 1 owner from new.
The condition of it is close to perfect.
2.0HDi engine , I do not know if it is the 110 or the 90?? But the engine pulls nice and strong
The fuel gauge was not working... so I tapped it a few times and it has been working fine since. (the car was not used for a few months, so more likely... lack of use)

Now a strange question... what colour do the spheres are meant to be ??? (front ones)
There is one Green and one Grey (the grey has the Citroen Logo on ,the Green one does not seem to).
The suspension on the front is bouncy!!!! seems to be one of the sides to be hard and the other side soft and the suspension is fighting it. I cannot figure out which side.
But I think I will go an buy a sphere tomorrow and change it, I found it for 26.50+VAT new from a local retailer.

The retailer suggested the spheres for my model should be Green ...
What do you think?

[kentc5]

The spheres are in the engine bay just on top of the struts... forgot to mention that.
I don't know if... but I think this car only has 4 spheres in total right?

[CitroJim]

Congratulations on buying a lovely car there Easy way to tell if it's a 110 - there'll be a big rubber boost pipe running parallel with the airbox. The 110 has an intercooler and the 90 doesn't... The pipe in question is one of the ones that go to the intercooler.

Late Xantias did indeed have grey spheres from the factory. All replacements though will be green but basically as long as they're the right spec. it does not matter. Some late Xantias even had C5 'saucer' spheres in some places...

Bouncy at the front will definitely be poor spheres. The hard side will be the duff one but to make sure they're both equal - unless you have access to a pressure tester - I'd be inclined to replace them as a pair.

Late instruments were prone to being a bit iffy and a tap on the dash is the accepted method to fix until such times as it gets really bad. Then you need to have the instruments out and dismantle the assembly to clean the spring contact fingers between the gauge proper and the printed circuit board behind - it's tricky and delicate work.

[CitroJim]

but I think this car only has 4 spheres in total right?

Nope, it'll have six. Front and rear corners, main accumulator and rear brake accumulator normally erroneously known as an anti-sink sphere.

The main accumulator will be attached to a sphere block on the front of the gearbox and the rear accumulator will be on a bracket in the middle of the rear subframe - there's a special method of changing this sphere as it has a pipe going into the back of it on a small union.

There's a good 'sticky' thread on replacing Xantia spheres that will tell you all you need to know about replacing them.

[stevestix8]

Hi kentc5,

Sounds like you've done well getting a near perfect 2.0l H.D.i.

I have got almost the same car. Mine is 'S' reg, but is a 2.ol HDi Sx Xantia (110bhp). Have had it about 3 and abit yrs and had a 1.9 td xantia for 4 yrs before. They are good cars.

I have replaced my front 3 spheres recently. I paid about same price as you (Amtex make). All mine are green. The 2 side spheres and the 3rd central sphere (different to others). You can read my previous threads for instructions on the tool needed and process. You will find that yous has 3 front spheres and 3 rear. You may not need to replace all 3 spheres but they do have a relative life span and are common and easy to change.

The way to tell if you have the 110 bhp or the 90 bhp is to take the wheel off and measure the brake disc. If I am right your disc will measure 288mm meaning you have got yourself a 110 bhp.

Steve

[Hell Razor5543]

There should be 6 spheres. 1 per wheel, an accumulator sphere down low in the front of the engine, and an anti-sink sphere at the back between the rear wheels, hidden by the spare.

I have found a (slightly) simple way to find out which engine you have got. Euro Car Parts will ask you to enter the reg on their home page to ensure you get the right parts. Enter it, and then select Brakes/Brake Discs. If the Pagid front discs are £33, you have the 110HP variant, otherwise you have the 90HP car (disks cost £20:10). I have just tested this to make sure it works, and it selected the right ones for each Xantia I had (the blue was 110HP, while Gracie is 90HP).

The 110HP HDi engine has bigger disks, as there is more power and weight to contend with, hence the increased cost.

http://www.eurocarparts.com/car-parts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you can find the right plate (wherever it is), it shows the gearbox fitted. The 110HP has the ML5T box, but the 90HP has a BE3 box.

I would STRONGLY suggest that you get a pair of spheres to make sure they are balanced. You don't know how good/bad the pair in the front are.

I think that the grey sphere is likely to be for a C5, but I feel certain that an expert will correct me if I am wrong.

[kentc5]

There should be 6 spheres. 1 per wheel, an accumulator sphere down low in the front of the engine, and an anti-sink sphere at the back between the rear wheels, hidden by the spare.

I have found a (slightly) simple way to find out which engine you have got. Euro Car Parts will ask you to enter the reg on their home page to ensure you get the right parts. Enter it, and then select Brakes/Brake Discs. If the Pagid front discs are £33, you have the 110HP variant, otherwise you have the 90HP car (disks cost £20:10). I have just tested this to make sure it works, and it selected the right ones for each Xantia I had (the blue was 110HP, while Gracie is 90HP).

The 110HP HDi engine has bigger disks, as there is more power and weight to contend with, hence the increased cost.

http://www.eurocarparts.com/car-parts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you can find the right plate (wherever it is), it shows the gearbox fitted. The 110HP has the ML5T box, but the 90HP has a BE3 box.

I would STRONGLY suggest that you get a pair of spheres to make sure they are balanced. You don't know how good/bad the pair in the front are.

I think that the grey sphere is likely to be for a C5, but I feel certain that an expert will correct me if I am wrong.

EuroCarParts say 33.00 so without going out in the dark.
But Doh.... I just looked the delivery sheet from the car (Guarantee Certificate and it also says there it is 110bhp)

[kentc5]

I will more likely by the spheres as a pair ... as I am not sure which one will be the duff...
From what I seen on a Youtube clip it should take about 10mins to change a sphere on the front corner... everything going to plan ofcourse.

I have a oil filter change tool should be big enough for the sphere hopefully...

I am annoyed with my self... as I bought this car to run for a bit and then sell it on. But I LOVE IT!!!!
But I do love the C5 as well... being the 2.2HDi it has more power on the run
But the Xantia does pull really well from stand still.

[Hell Razor5543]

The oil filter tool may be big enough, but it probably won't do the job. The spheres can be EXTREMELY tight! I have had to use a hammer and chisel to get them loose in the past, writing them off. If you look for Xac on the forum, he has a link to a DIY Sphere Removal Tool in his signature that I have made and used, and when it works, it is invaluable (even it can't handle spheres that have seized on tight!).

If circumstances allowed, I'd hang onto the Xantia as a second car (or would it be third or fifth?). You may well promote it to the primary car.

[citroenxm]

There's an easyer way to find out what engine you have which you have ALL missed.. never mind piddleing about taking wheels off and all that crap.. a 90bhp engine has RHYL in the Vin number and a 110bhp has RHZ .. so it will read.. VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff]........ for a 110 or VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff] ..... for a 90..

the Vin number on your mot or under the drivers side bonnet shut onto of the wing.... lift the bonnet and have a read...

[Hell Razor5543]

I didn't know that VIN code, but I do now.

[kentc5]

Yeap triple checked it is an RHZ
Now one more question on the guide I watched if one front top strut sphere is replaced apparently the system does not need "bleeding",
Just do a few all the way up and all the way down of the suspension and everything should be OK they say....

One more thing, since the breaks of the Xantia are not the same with the C5 .... how should the Xantia pedal feel in comparison??? It does feel like an on / button lol is that correct?
And when the pedal is pressed all the way down... seems all ok, when released it makes a breathing noise... is that normal?

[DickieG]

All replacements though will be green but basically as long as they're the right spec. it does not matter.

All new genuine Citroen sphere's are now grey Jim.

[Hell Razor5543]

Hello KentC5,

The up and down movements are known as "Citrobics" (I've probably got the spelling wrong), and will help to get any air back out to the reservoir (and out of the loop). When I do a full cycle at home, I tend to take the breather cap off the reservoir so I can see what the fluid is doing as she drops back down to bottomed out. You may spot some foam at first (air in the lines), but after a while the foam should go, so time to lift her back up and do it again. After a few cycles there shouldn't be any foam. I think that the recommended time for a full set of "Citrobics" is half an hour, so take a book to occupy the time.

Gracies' brakes feel progressive. There may be a reason for the on/off feel, but I don't know what it is. I'm sure somebody will, though. I can't speak for the noise, as I haven't noticed it (but I may have got used to it, if it exists).

EDIT. Yep, she does the breathing noise as well; I'd got so used to it I no longer noticed it.

[lurchy666]

all my xantias have had the breathing noise as you put it when the brakes have been put on hard,

and all my xantia brakes have been very on or off, it just seems to be a xantia hydrolic trait, ive just learned to live with it, everyone else who drives my xantia trys to catapult them self through the window when they first put the brakes on (serves them right a lot of the time), it just takes getting used to,