xantia suspension

[bill hughes]

Hi All, the front end on my 1994 Xantia 1.9 td has started bouncing up and down like a yoyo on bumps and at rest with the engine not running it seems to sit higher on the front than the rear, the car has done 251,000 miles, the front spheres were changed at 175,000 miles and the rear at 216,000, the fluid level is correct, please excuse my ignorance but I have no idea how long spheres should last, any suggestions will be welcome thanks

[xantia_v6]

First check the ride height. There should be 3 finger widths of gap between the top of the front tyre and the wing (1 for rear tyres). If the front is significantly too high, search the forum for 'dog bone'

[Xaccers]

First check the ride height. There should be 3 finger widths of gap between the top of the front tyre and the wing (1 for rear tyres). If the front is significantly too high, search the forum for 'dog bone'

...with the engine running

Too high or too low can cause a harder ride than it should, just as spheres low on pressure can.

[Peter.N.]

If that is OK bounce each corner with the engine running, you should have 2"-3" movement on the front and 4"- 5" at the rear, if you get no movement at all the sphere has failed, very little movement and it needs replacing

Peter

[bill hughes]

Thanks everyone for your replies but there seems to be more than a 3 finger gap on the front, the car is behaving like a standard suspension car does when the front shock absorbers are knackered and its bouncing on the springs, don't know if that throws up any ideas, many thanks

[Hell Razor5543]

If the gaps are off the suspension can be jittery. Gracie was over 4 fingers at the front, and the suspension was off. Now it is within tolerance the suspension is behaving properly.

[isisalar]

If your spheres are ok and the car has started to ride too high the most likely culprit would be something in the front height corrector mechanism, they can seize up mechanically and get blocked up hydraulically and either problem can mess up the height setting and the ride, not to forget the plastic dog bone which can crack or wear out.
Been fighting this battle with mine recently and the thing that was affecting the suspension the most was the blocked height corrector, luckily, Jim has done this very useful guide and for the cost of some brake cleaner and 1/2 hour mine is now working as it should.http://www.eastment.net/hcrefurb/index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Prior to doing this it wasn't possible to adjust the height correctly at all and the car was riding like a go cart, mostly.
If you have a Citroen indy near you get them to check it out, a dog bone costs about £2 and takes minutes to fit, you may be lucky. Well worth getting a professional opinion.
Best of luck with it.
Cheers
Paul

[bill hughes]

Thanks Paul for replying, Jim's guide is brilliant ,not sure if that is my problem as you said your car was riding like a go cart which ride very low, mine is just bouncing, but I'll give it a go,
cheers mate
Bill

[isisalar]

Hi Bill
Make sure you've eliminated the spheres from the equation but a good clean up and lube of the cradle as well and a new dog bone as a precaution won't do any harm. Wear in the pivots on the cradle can be a problem too.
I'd be checking the spheres as 75000 miles on the fronts is a lot. The genuine Citroen ones on the rear of mine have just gone flat at 40000.
Cheers
Paul

[bill hughes]

Hi Paul, its just occurred to me that I topped up the reservoir with Bendix lhm a few weeks ago as I couldn't get the citroen oil, it said on the tin that it was suitable for citroen systems marked green, also do you need to change the fluid regularly as you do engine oil, excuse my ignorance as its my first citroen

cheers Bill

[Hell Razor5543]

The LHM fluid needs to be changed about every 36,000 miles, and on every 3 change (about 108,000 miles) a Hydraflush cycle is recommended, in order to clean out the pipework. The Hydraflush should not be left in for more than 3,000 miles, as it is not as 'greasy' as LHM, so, while it cleans out the system, if left in for too long things could start to seize.

In order to top off the LHM you park the cark on level ground, raise it to service high (height lever to full back position), and then, once things have settled down, check the LHM level in the little glass bubble on the top of the reservoir. The orange disk (not the brass one) should be between the two rings.

[isisalar]

Welcome to the fold Bill, Citroens with hydraulic suspension are an addiction, seemingly very complex but in fact fairly simple. If you search through the forum you'll find a wealth of information on maintenance, repair, and fault finding. Check the supersticky section.
The LHM deteriorates over time and does need changing regularly, likewise the hydraflushing, as Hellrazor has said. A lot of cars have never had the LHM changed and the tank filters and the system generally can become very clogged up. If your LHM is not bright green it needs replacing, preferably after a hydraflush.
The spheres also deteriorate over time gradually, eventually going completely flat and providing no springing or damping at all. If the spheres are ok you have suspension, if they're flat you haven't.
Again Jim has done an excellent guide to doing this work http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 22&t=24595" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
If the LHM level dropped suddenly and there have been no visible leaks, that almost certainly would indicate a sphere blowing and filling with the missing LHM, about 1/2 litre?
Don't forget the center sphere(s).
Where are you Bill?
Best of luck with it.
Cheers
Paul

[Hell Razor5543]

Something else to check is the accumulator sphere. This is used to provide backup pressure should the main pump fail. What you do is to park the car on level ground, leave the engine running, and pop open the bonnet. If you listen carefully there should be an occasional clicking sound. This, ideally, should be over 30 seconds between clicks (the longer the better), indicating the sphere is good. If it is less than 30 seconds it should be replaced (as should the anti-sink sphere at the back, near the spare wheel holder), as it is not holding enough pressure. Something else the accumulator sphere does is to damp out the pressure waves generated by the pump. If the sphere has failed then these pressure waves can cause damage to the regulator and pipework.