Bouncy Bouncy.

Post by **user_3150** » 17 Jun 2004, 10:58

Hi everyone my Xantia estate HDi has a very bouncy front end as if,like on normal suspension the shock absorbers had gone. I hadn't really worried too much about it before as I had seen other Xantia's doing the same on the road, but last night coming home in the dark my headlights were going up and down the car in front of me which must have really peed this bloke off. Any suggestion's? It has always had a main dealer service and only done 45'000 miles

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 17 Jun 2004, 11:55

looks like your front spheres have failed and need to be changed. You can do the job yourself - loads of advice on here - try a search.
jeremy

Homer · Post by **Homer** » 17 Jun 2004, 13:18

I think you will be pleasantly suprised at the cost, unless you go to a Citroen dealer.
The spheres in question are the two big green balls either side of the engine compartment.

kafkaian · Post by **kafkaian** » 17 Jun 2004, 14:21

Yes saw this the other day with a woman in an R Reg saloon near my home in Birmingham. She was pleasantly surprised when I told her the cost of a DIY job (no innuendo please) and gave her the number of GSF near Star City. Good samaritan for the day

made me feel really warm that she didn;t have to get ripped off at the nearest franchise.

tomsheppard · Post by **tomsheppard** » 17 Jun 2004, 18:16

45000 miles is a good lifespan for a pair of front spheres. You will be able to feel a huge difference when they are renewed. GSF will leave change from £50 in your wallet for the pair. While you ate at it, check how long the time is between ticks of the hydraulic system. Schools of thought vary on this but if it is below 20 seconds, I would change the accumulator sphere, too. If you haven't had a Citroen before, this is straightforward routine maintainance, little more complicated than changing a plug. The spheres just unscrew.

NiSk · Post by **NiSk** » 17 Jun 2004, 18:28

"The spheres just unscrew", well the front ones usually do - the rears can be a trifle more obstinate - and the accumulator can be well nigh on impossible to get at (depending on your model).
//NiSk

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 17 Jun 2004, 19:26

A hammer and chisel will shift the most stuck sphere.
Some people don't like hammering pressurised vessels and I don't blame them for it...

tomsheppard · Post by **tomsheppard** » 17 Jun 2004, 19:41

I agree. The accumulator sphere is better replaced than recharged and as such, it is a sacrificial part. A good smite with hammer and chisel is the guaranteed solution. With the pressure released there is no danger at all but you may find that once the sphere starts to move, it is a good idea to hammer the burr from the chisel down again 'cos if you have an alloy sump, the dratted thing fouls and won't undo. Hammering a pressurised vessel isn't a good idea but the pressurised part has a rubber wall within so you won't be hit with bits of flying steel if you go whacking spheres. Incidentally, Andre Citroen made his fortune making grenade cases in WW1 (and lost it making cars!).

Post by **user_3150** » 17 Jun 2004, 21:50

Thank you all for the advice I will probably do it this w/end as it's that easy will let you know how I got on.

tony42 · Post by **tony42** » 18 Jun 2004, 05:45

dont forget the pressure release nut on the pressure regulator. It has to be released before unscrewing spheres. See common fixes section of site for full instructions. Failure to release pressure in the system would be disasterous for you. Wouldnt like to be hit by round metal ball as it heads for orbit
tony

Post by **user_3150** » 18 Jun 2004, 11:04

Cheers Tony, I will be searching the forum tonight to gather all the info needed. But that was something I didn't know about.

Post by **user_3150** » 18 Jun 2004, 11:27

I assume the accumulator sphere is changed at the same time as the front spheres i.e on lowest setting and de-pressurised?

Richard Gallagher · Post by **Richard Gallagher** » 19 Jun 2004, 03:03

Yes thats correct.

kafkaian · Post by **kafkaian** » 19 Jun 2004, 15:39

For me the front spheres were a dream, the rears were a veritable nightmare causing me to curse upon curse.

ItDontGo · Post by **ItDontGo** » 19 Jun 2004, 17:43

If you are going to use a hammer and chisel you need to do it as close to the thread as possible for it to be most effective. If you hit it in the middle the impulse will diminish along the length of the sphere and so the magnitude will be low at the thread.
Pressure vessels usually rupture in the direction of a crack absorbing lots of energy as the crack propogates. So usually PVs dont explode they just burst as all the energy goes into making a new crack face.