xantia stuck at highest lever can't sink down

[canntan88]

Hi guru's help is need, my xantia 1.9td hydractive with 8 sphere cannot sink down at all after i ask my mechanic replace accumulator valve seal in the plastic cap with the car set to highest for better roomy and a big mistake didn't unscrew the 12mm bolt which cause a high burst when unscrew the plastic cap screw.
Now that the seal done but car cannot build up pressure at all running an hour,
Any info is very much appreciate, thanks

[chinkostu]

If he's messing with stuff when the systems pressurised and on high he's INCREDIBLY lucky to be here. theres a lot of pressure in the hydraulics, especially if you think the charge in the spheres for the nitrogen is 65bar in the accumulator!

I take it you've replaced the seal behind the plastic cup thats attached to the pressure regulator? has the stop light gone out on the dash?

[canntan88]

yup you are right chinkostu 1 of the cap screw bended, anyway the stop light didn't off at all, today try to replace used accumulator valve and hope will work.

[furriegurrie]

If the light is on there probably is not enough pressure in the system te make the hydraulics work. You need to make sure that the pump is actually pumping lhm. If there is air in the suction hose from the tank to the pump it will not work...

[chinkostu]

You won't have enough pressure building up to open the antisink valves, so you'll have to work out why its not building pressure. It could be you've wrecked the regulator, or theres not enough LHM left after the mechanic had a bath in it!!

[Stickyfinger]

or purchase a Haynes book on the Xantia and present that to the "mechanic" ?

Bet it is low level LHM

[white exec]

Yes - It is essential that your mechanic fully understands Xantia's hydraulic wokings. Working blind can cause more problems than are solved!

If in doubt, you can always overfill the LHM tank by even a litre, to be sure of adequate fluid. Best to set it to correct level though, by the correct procedure.

Slacken the pressure relief bolt on the regulator by just one turn; do not remove it. Run the engine. This will allow fluid to be pumped straight back onto the reservoir without pressurising or going round the system. You should be able to see some returning circulation in the tank, if the pump is doing its stuff.
Re-tighten the pressure relief bolt, after a few minutes of running.

Check to see whether there are any air bubbles, large or microscopic, in the fluid in the reservoir. Do this by taking a sample of the fluid in a small transparent container, dipped into the fluid, while the engine is running. There should be no bubbles in the fluid. If there are, then air is getting into the system.

Also make sure that the nylon filters in the reservoir are ok and correctly fitted. These have the important job of removing any significant bubbles in the returning fluid before it reaches the pump.

Usual source of troublesome air ingress is the suction pipe from reservoir to pump. Usual cause is disturbed or poorly fitting pipe clips, usually at the reservoir end. Normal stout jubilee clips are not recommended for these joints, as they distort the pipe, and give a poor seal. Use thin and genuinely circular clips.

Excluding air ingress from the pump pickup pipe is essential, because the pump will not behave well with air in the fluid. Air in fluid will also interfere with proper operation of brakes, steering and suspension.

When air ingress has been excluded from the system, you should bleed the system by bleeding fluid off at the brake calipers. These are "dead legs" where air can lurk. Bleed off in the correct order (could be RR, RL, FR, FL - but check for Xantia), and expect to bleed off about 1litre at the first one, which will purge a good bit of the system. Less at other wheels. Bleed off until air-free fluid emerges. Keep reservoir topped to compensate while doing this.