Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
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Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
I half-expected bad news when I took the car to a local garage (a Citroen 'specialist', but with main dealer-ish prices). All parts prices are standardised throughout France.
The car is a 2009 Tourer exclusive, so it has Hydractive III+. The front passenger side (car is LHD) knocks when I go over a pothole - only a small one will do it - and I was also aware of a leak in that same corner, from the top of the suspension leg.
The knocking comes from the bush that is inside part of the suspension leg. The mechanic showed me and said the hydraulic oil leaking onto the bush had probably caused it to fail.
Here's the rub. The bush is not available as a separate part - it's all in the suspension casting and has to be replaced as a unit. €339 part, €158 labour (2.8hours at €56/hour).
He says no chance to repair the oil leak in the leg. The suspension leg, fitted, will be €430.
At the way rates are going, you can say total cost would be £809.
Any comments (or donations)?
The car is a 2009 Tourer exclusive, so it has Hydractive III+. The front passenger side (car is LHD) knocks when I go over a pothole - only a small one will do it - and I was also aware of a leak in that same corner, from the top of the suspension leg.
The knocking comes from the bush that is inside part of the suspension leg. The mechanic showed me and said the hydraulic oil leaking onto the bush had probably caused it to fail.
Here's the rub. The bush is not available as a separate part - it's all in the suspension casting and has to be replaced as a unit. €339 part, €158 labour (2.8hours at €56/hour).
He says no chance to repair the oil leak in the leg. The suspension leg, fitted, will be €430.
At the way rates are going, you can say total cost would be £809.
Any comments (or donations)?
- Stickyfinger
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Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
Which parts ?
Alasdair
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In the past: Renault 16 (in about 1977, for a year). With front pass. seat out transported full bathroom suite from Cambridge to Derby!)
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Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
I guess he means '1' for the suspension leg.
It's the bush at the bottom of 'B'.
It's the bush at the bottom of 'B'.
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2011 C4 Picasso excl. - shaping up to be a disaster, bought June 2019. P/X'd
2009 Citroen C5 X7 exclusive, auto, LHD, 207500km (129000miles) now sold
Citroen Xsara Picasso excl. 2004 2.0 Hdi, RHD, 64000miles. (sold)
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Two Xantias, one petrol, one diesel. sold.
In the past: Renault 16 (in about 1977, for a year). With front pass. seat out transported full bathroom suite from Cambridge to Derby!)
Renault 4TL (in 2011, for a year) - x 9
Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
I have found and ordered a bush, so it's just a matter now of finding a suspension leg from (maybe) a damaged car?
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Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
Can you be more precise about the location of the leak? Is it from the bellows, or higher up?
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Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
Seems to be from the very top (when you look up inside the wheelarch, that's how it looks).
- Stickyfinger
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Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
Have they been lifting the car off the ground without the LDS cap removed ?
Alasdair
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Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
No point going for one from a damaged car unless they offer you a couple years of warranty. Cheapest you will find is about 200 euros so just get a new one.rogerlebeuil wrote:I have found and ordered a bush, so it's just a matter now of finding a suspension leg from (maybe) a damaged car?
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Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
Failure of the front struts is quite common - and as noted expensive; think over £300 in the UK. Another reason why I'm not having a hydraulic C5 X7......
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Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
rmunns wrote:...Here's the rub. The bush is not available as a separate part - it's all in the suspension casting and has to be replaced as a unit. €339 part, €158 labour (2.8hours at €56/hour).
He says no chance to repair the oil leak in the leg. The suspension leg, fitted, will be €430....
I'm confused, do you both have the same problem with a similar car or you're one person with 2 forum accounts??? Either way it sounds bloody expensive. Could the leak not be as simple as a sphere seal if you were very lucky?rogerlebeuil wrote:I have found and ordered a bush, so it's just a matter now of finding a suspension leg from (maybe) a damaged car?
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Two Xantias, one petrol, one diesel. sold.
In the past: Renault 16 (in about 1977, for a year). With front pass. seat out transported full bathroom suite from Cambridge to Derby!)
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Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
See posting from me 23 jan 08:35 UK time (09:35 here in France).
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Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
Aha, not just me going round the twist then lol. Any more news on where the leak could be from or is it definitely the strut itself that's buggered?
A bit of a retrograde step for Citroen to have gone from Xant/XM struts that were so oil-tight they sometimes needed lubing to smooth their action, to these C5 struts that seem to be fairly common leakers I highly doubt there's an easy way to swap between the two but if the earlier units could be made to fit....
A bit of a retrograde step for Citroen to have gone from Xant/XM struts that were so oil-tight they sometimes needed lubing to smooth their action, to these C5 struts that seem to be fairly common leakers I highly doubt there's an easy way to swap between the two but if the earlier units could be made to fit....
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Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
Probably less than half the price for Citroen to buy though, assuming the X7 is made with cheap Chinese manufactured parts, rather than more expensive European ones.ekjdm14 wrote: A bit of a retrograde step for Citroen to have gone from Xant/XM struts that were so oil-tight they sometimes needed lubing to smooth their action, to these C5 struts that seem to be fairly common leakers I highly doubt there's an easy way to swap between the two but if the earlier units could be made to fit....
Manufacturing cost rules at PSA these days...
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2018 C4 Pic2 Spacetourer auto. Seems nice so far.
2019 C4 Cactus manual. Didn't like it, lots of niggling points. sold.
2011 C4 Picasso excl. - shaping up to be a disaster, bought June 2019. P/X'd
2009 Citroen C5 X7 exclusive, auto, LHD, 207500km (129000miles) now sold
Citroen Xsara Picasso excl. 2004 2.0 Hdi, RHD, 64000miles. (sold)
Citroen C3 Picasso excl. 2016. sold.
Two Xantias, one petrol, one diesel. sold.
In the past: Renault 16 (in about 1977, for a year). With front pass. seat out transported full bathroom suite from Cambridge to Derby!)
Renault 4TL (in 2011, for a year) - x 9
Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
Still here, still undecided. I got the bush that is for the bottom of the arm 'B' but the garage will not fit it. Warranty, etc. So I will have to find an independent.
Has anyone removed the old bush and pressed a new one into this leg 'B'? Indeed, is it going to be difficult to get the leg 'B' out?
I don't know if anyone else has lifted the car, wheels hanging, without taking off the LDS cap. Certainly I have (ashamed, didn't know) but the leak was there when I bought the car so it wan't me, guv. Or at least, not all me.
Since I like the car so much and want to keep it, I guess I'm just gonna have to pay up for the shocker and it's fitting. But I hope I can do the bush myself.
Thanks to all who have helped, I am grateful.
Has anyone removed the old bush and pressed a new one into this leg 'B'? Indeed, is it going to be difficult to get the leg 'B' out?
I don't know if anyone else has lifted the car, wheels hanging, without taking off the LDS cap. Certainly I have (ashamed, didn't know) but the leak was there when I bought the car so it wan't me, guv. Or at least, not all me.
Since I like the car so much and want to keep it, I guess I'm just gonna have to pay up for the shocker and it's fitting. But I hope I can do the bush myself.
Thanks to all who have helped, I am grateful.
- Stickyfinger
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Re: Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs
I would not rebuild it without replacing the lower joint (14), these wear and I wonder if it is worth trying to refit it anyway considering you have the lower apart for the strut anyway.
https://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/ ... hp?t=50744
https://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/ ... hp?t=50744
Alasdair
Activa, the Moose Rider
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Activa, the Moose Rider
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