Xantia in love with my Drive !

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Paulee
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Xantia in love with my Drive !

Post by Paulee »

Hi
this is probably covered elsewhere but I need my mind putting at rest !
my recently acquired 93 Xantia VSX TD has fallen in love with my drive.
It drives perfect but seems a little harsh over bumps (sports mode switch in normal)and a few seconds after stopping it drops about an inch at the rear.
After being left overnight it is really kissing the ground.
On starting it is back in the air after 10 seconds and all the various heights work fine .
according to the history it had 2 front spheres and an accululator at 65.000 and 2 rear spheres at 76.000.
The milage is currently only 77.000
Should I be worried ....my ZX does not do this !!!! lol any idea's !
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

I'd be worried on your ZX that does not do that - does it leak LHM [:D][:D]
It's the common rear sink problem on 1. generation hyd Cit's you have.
The reason is the rear suspension hydraulic pressure is tapped for the rear brakes circuit - through the brake master (pedal) valve.
The brake valve is known to leak - especially after many years in service. If you can identify the rubber/plastic return hose from the brake valve down there behind the engine - and find it's connection at reservoir - you may try unplug it to test for leak-flow.
Engine should be running and normal height selected.
As you're standing there outside car - not touching the brake pedal - the brake valve should have no reason to leak anything back in the return.
If it does so - then you know.
The initial 1 inch rear dropping is a bit mysterious though - but could be related to sticking HC linkages on the rear - a VERY common problem.
This problem added to the fact that when you leave the car - then the rear jumps up a bit - and corrects back the height because the linkages now moves a bit - i.e. the linkage does in fact move but not in a smooth action.
Lube the linkages first with a spray to penetrate any rust - then apply a dap of grease to all moving joints you can see.
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Kowalski
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Post by Kowalski »

A 93 Xantia won't have anti-sink will it or did the Hydractives always have it?
guzzidom
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Post by guzzidom »

Xantia VSX'S got anti-sink in 1995 along with the rest of them so its perfectly normal for them to lower themselves prior to that date, as for the firm ride, my '94 VSX is the same and I suspect our problem is the centre spheres as, like you, I've replaced all four of the outer ones but the centres have never been touched (68k) and as these are the ones responsible for the ride comfort (or overall spring rate on a conventional car) thats probably it. Does your 'sport' button actually have any effect on ride quality in a straight line? because it should act in two ways, one, it cuts in the hydractive valves earlier on the relevent side when cornering cutting down on body roll and, two, it lessens the pressure on the two centre spheres thus stiffening the suspension overall (and lowering the car slightly) if it is working in the anti-roll function but not tangibly on ride quality then the button/switching is probably ok and your centres are so flat that it can't lower the pressure (as there already is none), if on the other hand it doesn't make any difference when cornering hard either (you may have to go out at night and find an unpoliced roundabout to test this!)then the electrics to the hydractive valves has a fault. so probably best to change the spheres first anyway (one under l/h/s headlamp and one centrally mtd by rear axle beam).
You may notice when reading the threads in this forum that there are a lot of people advising that the vsx is always bumpier than standard Xantias, this is only slightly true and brought about entirely by the wider alloys fitted, in normal use there is no reason why it shouldn't be as comfortable as any other Xant as the Hydractive bit only actually applies when cornering.
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