xm V6 front suspension hard - replace + acc?
Moderator: RichardW
xm V6 front suspension hard - replace + acc?
I did the standard suspension test yesterday since I noticed the car having an increased tendancy to buck around on poor road surfaces. The front comes up ok but it is totally hard cannot push either corner down at all. I looked through the receipts and have found the front 2 supension spheres were replaced in 1994. Although the cars only done about 30,000 miles since then I guess they're knacked. All the back were replaced in 2001 and seem to be ok. Should the accumulator sphere be replaced for the front also?
Hi Paul,
If it doesn't bounce at all you should definetly replace the wheel spheres (on top of the struts) and probably the hydractive (third) sphere as well which lives underneath the car near the front. (Only if you have hydractive, but you most likely will because I think it was standard untill 1996) Replace the acc. sphere if the pressure regulator is working overtime, ie if it clicks more than every 30ish seconds(?? anyone?)
If it doesn't bounce at all you should definetly replace the wheel spheres (on top of the struts) and probably the hydractive (third) sphere as well which lives underneath the car near the front. (Only if you have hydractive, but you most likely will because I think it was standard untill 1996) Replace the acc. sphere if the pressure regulator is working overtime, ie if it clicks more than every 30ish seconds(?? anyone?)
Hi Paulxmski
I had few months ago also hard suspension,original dealer told me it should cost 750 EUROs only parts to replace everything.So I went to another garage(Belgium), they tested all spheres off the car for minimum residual pressure 15 bars, front ones passed the test and get refilled , back ones and accumulator sphere were renewed(they prefer to renew always the accumulator sphere for safety = spare brake pressure in case of engine cut-out). my car drives like new now, total cost including ECU read-out 468 EUROs.
I had few months ago also hard suspension,original dealer told me it should cost 750 EUROs only parts to replace everything.So I went to another garage(Belgium), they tested all spheres off the car for minimum residual pressure 15 bars, front ones passed the test and get refilled , back ones and accumulator sphere were renewed(they prefer to renew always the accumulator sphere for safety = spare brake pressure in case of engine cut-out). my car drives like new now, total cost including ECU read-out 468 EUROs.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by XM-V6</i>
Hi Paulxmski
I had few months ago also hard suspension,original dealer told me it should cost 750 EUROs only parts to replace everything.So I went to another garage(Belgium), they tested all spheres off the car for minimum residual pressure 15 bars, front ones passed the test and get refilled , back ones and accumulator sphere were renewed(they prefer to renew always the accumulator sphere for safety = spare brake pressure in case of engine cut-out). my car drives like new now, total cost including ECU read-out 468 EUROs.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Can you tell me the name and the location of that garage in Belgium ?
Hi Paulxmski
I had few months ago also hard suspension,original dealer told me it should cost 750 EUROs only parts to replace everything.So I went to another garage(Belgium), they tested all spheres off the car for minimum residual pressure 15 bars, front ones passed the test and get refilled , back ones and accumulator sphere were renewed(they prefer to renew always the accumulator sphere for safety = spare brake pressure in case of engine cut-out). my car drives like new now, total cost including ECU read-out 468 EUROs.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Can you tell me the name and the location of that garage in Belgium ?
Hi all,
Well I think I've got to the bottom of the ECU problem since I discovered by attritional elimination that the chugging problem was centred on the ECU. When I disconnected and reconnected it the chugging stopped and the car drove normally. However as mentioned previously the chugging returned in of course a lashing thunderstorm. The chugging has returned twice since then and now I just unplug and replug the ECU as a temporary measure. Next job is to swap it for the good ECU from the other car. IT was lucky I was able to buy it back from the insurers for £75 as I would now be looking at quite a bill for replacement or repair. I suppose it is possible that the ECU is reacting to an engine problem and dropping into limp mode, but I'm not sure the XM has this feature??
With regards to the spheres, I noticed when I bought the car and mentioned it in other posts that the front was rocking about a lot on the Cotswalds country roads. So I deduce from this and what you have kindly advised me that since I can't induce any bounce on the front wings a pair of front spheres would certainly be beneficially since the current ones are ten years old.
Thanks everybody and anymore ideas will be gratefully received (in plain chant).
Well I think I've got to the bottom of the ECU problem since I discovered by attritional elimination that the chugging problem was centred on the ECU. When I disconnected and reconnected it the chugging stopped and the car drove normally. However as mentioned previously the chugging returned in of course a lashing thunderstorm. The chugging has returned twice since then and now I just unplug and replug the ECU as a temporary measure. Next job is to swap it for the good ECU from the other car. IT was lucky I was able to buy it back from the insurers for £75 as I would now be looking at quite a bill for replacement or repair. I suppose it is possible that the ECU is reacting to an engine problem and dropping into limp mode, but I'm not sure the XM has this feature??
With regards to the spheres, I noticed when I bought the car and mentioned it in other posts that the front was rocking about a lot on the Cotswalds country roads. So I deduce from this and what you have kindly advised me that since I can't induce any bounce on the front wings a pair of front spheres would certainly be beneficially since the current ones are ten years old.
Thanks everybody and anymore ideas will be gratefully received (in plain chant).