new car, first question...wierd noise?

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 04 Jun 2008, 23:12

ok guys, its a 96 VSX for anyone who missed the new car post earlier.
So its got the hydractive system.

I have driven it about 200 miles today with no strangeness.....well no more then normal

Anyway....i decided to do some Citaerobics to make sure all is as it should be........first couple of up and downs...no problemo, all smooth and serene. After that i got a whistling sound from the front passenger side sphere area. it did it a few times but still rose and dropped no problems.

i drove it home (i was in a car park nearby), and then rose it again and dropped it again and no whistling. I didnt drop it to the floor though only drive to maintenance and back to drive again a couple of times.

Anyone come across this before? if so whats the whistling noise al about?

Thanks

Unread post by **myglaren** » 05 Jun 2008, 02:04

Could it be air/gas in the hydraulics being bled back to the reservoir?

Mandrake · Unread post by **Mandrake** » 05 Jun 2008, 02:25

A whining/whistling noise will most likely be the whine of the Hydractive electrovalves - particularly noticable when parked inside an enclosed garage.

If you put the bonnet up and just after turning the engine off with all doors closed, go and listen down near the left hand end of the radiator and you should hear a high pitched whine - which will stop about 30 seconds later.

If so, that's what it is, nothing to worry about.

Regards,
Simon

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 05 Jun 2008, 07:41

It was night time in a deserted carpark so it was quiet.....im glad it doesnt sound like anything nuts though....

Anyway, its time for work so im off to the magic carpet right now 8) 8)

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 05 Jun 2008, 19:03

Spoke to our Citroen expert at work today, he reckons that when peforming Citaerobics any air in the system will expand due to the heat build up and vent out. Its either that or air trapped in the strut bellow being forced out or sucked in....either way.

Unread post by **aerodynamica** » 09 Jun 2008, 00:20

Did it only ever make this sound on one occasion and never repeat it?

There are often owners of Mk1 Xantias, Mk1 and 1.5 Xms and all PAS BXs complaining about a loud, intermittent hissing that just won't go away no matter what they do" - trouble is it's completely normal characteristic of models fitted with a flow distributor unit and is actually a sign of health not a fault (if it made lots of short successive hisses only then suspect accumulator sphere on those models)

If yours is a '96 it probably has the second system with no FDV valve so not the same issue.

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 09 Jun 2008, 20:14

check that the nut that releases the pressure from the accumulator sphere is closed properly, this is where the only wheezing noise can come from that you describe, it would happen when the car is fully up and the pump still pumping building pressure when the struts are full.

To locate this nut (size 12mm i think), find the accumulator sphere... facing outwards towards the side of the passenger side, quite low down near the radiator. Where the sphere is screwed on is a valve, on the front side (facing the radiator) is the hydrualic block, which will have 4 bolts, the top left one (i think, someone confirm this) releases the pressure from the system after lowering the car.

Be careful that it's not over tightened, as the bolt just pushes against a brass ball bearing (which is softer than the steel bolt).

Whats the LHM level like?

A word of caution... a citroen expert does not necessarily mean he is an expert in the hydraulic systems (he may well be thought), I 'm no expert either, just sharing what I think it is.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 09 Jun 2008, 21:23

Your thought about the bleed valve Dai, got me thinking...

My early MK1 (admittedly with the FDV) hisses a lot and I put it down to a slightly poor seal on the ball bearing valve inside the pressure regulator being a tad leaky. For the past few years now I've been meaning to reseat it with a brass punch but it is one of those jobs I've never quite got round to as it is not causing any other problems expect for a shorter than desirable tick rate from the Pressure Regulator.

Vince, How long is your regulator tick rate at low, normal and high suspension settings? If the noise is related to a small internnal leak, it may show up as a change in tick rate at different height settings. Particularly on high when pressure demand is greatest.

Also, it is worth checking the suction side of the LHM pump is not drawing air at some point. Look in the LHM reservoir and observe the return flow of LHM from the pressure regulator. If it is all bubbly and foamy you may have an air leak on the big pipe between the reservoir and pump. It'll never leak LHM as it is under suction but it will leak air very easily in the same way as a dodgy diesel fuel pipe will.

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 09 Jun 2008, 21:55

You seem to understand my juggled thoughts Jib.

I know what I'm trying to explain in my head, but explaining some things in word can be hard sometimes.

I'm Dai, are you Jib? lol

Regards,
Dei

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 09 Jun 2008, 22:03

deian wrote: I'm Dai, are you Jib? lol

Sorry Dei, my apologies. It's all down to FFS (Fat Finger Syndrome)

You must have noticed by now every post of mine has at least one sprelling errer

I'm still searching for a keyboard taht can spell....

Unread post by **myglaren** » 09 Jun 2008, 22:41

[orf topic]
Firefox has an inline spellchecker Jim.
Not that it does me any good as I'm generally too stupid to look before I leap with teh "Post and be buggered" button.

I use Safari for this site too, which doesn't help any but I swear the kids shift the keys around when I'm not looking
[/ot]

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 09 Jun 2008, 23:23

The ticking, when it does tick, is just audible, but doesnt seem to tick hardly at all....thankfully.

The high pitched whistling noise (doesnt sound like a hiss) only happens when you move the height lever from bottom to a higher setting. it then lasts only a short time before the car begins to rise and never happens at any other time, including when its on top height.

Tomorrow its going to Citroen to see a mechanic friend of mine who is a Xantia and Hydraulic expert.....he is going to bleed the hydraulic system and refill it with new Citroen LHM (supplied by me) whilst cleaning the supply and return filters..all for the princely sum of £10 on his dinner hour

Dont know when it was last done

I presume he will notice any problems if any exist.

Thanks for your replies / help.

Unread post by **myglaren** » 10 Jun 2008, 00:55

Perhaps too late to be practicable but a Hydraflush probably would have been a good thing to do before refilling with LHM.

Unread post by **aerodynamica** » 10 Jun 2008, 18:29

For the past few years now I've been meaning to reseat it with a brass punch

Hi Jim, how would you go about reseating this? Do you use the punch to hit the ball? or is the punch specially shaped to reform the seat with the ball removed. I'd like to do this too on the CX.

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 10 Jun 2008, 20:15

The noise has officially gone.....

Went to Citroen, got the LHM changed, filters cleaned, engine steam cleaned due to excessive LHM spillage (it was topped to the brim) and all for the princely sum of.....NOWT