Life expectancy of LHM Please???

[falling-out-with-my-car]

I recerntly noticed that my rear suspension was dropping every time I got out of the Xantia when in the past it held pretty steady at least for a while anyway, I also noticed that the suspension was getting a little hard at the rear end, Xantia estates seem to be a little better with some weight in the boot.

so I checked the LHM only to find it was dark brown in colour, the last complete flush was done about three years ago, I syphoned out about 3/4 of a litre and replaced it with fresh LHM, after lifting and lowering the suspension several times then going for a test drive the suspension seemed better and even the steering seems a little lighter.
at this point I couldnt blame the spheres at 2 years old although they may have been low on gas from the start because I couldnt be sure wether my mobile citroen mechanic was fitting new or recon spheres he said they were new but I have my doubts at the extreemly low price he was charging, £22 each fitted.

does anyone have any advice on the life expectancy of the LHM please?

thanks in advance.

regards Nigel.

[Xaccers]

LHM should be changed every 36K miles, with a hydroflush (labelled hydrorincage) at 72K if memory serves.
It's often missed by dealers even if the car has a full service history, likewise with the accumulator and anti-sink spheres.
Get onto GSF and order 5L of hydroflush and a book of lies (haynes manual) as it actually covers the process quite well.

Once you've got as much old LHM back in the resevoir as possible, undo the two nuts at the back, then remove the airfilter box and using a wide flat bladed screwdriver or pry bar, stick it under the resevoir and twist to pry the resevoir out of it's retaining hole underneath (basically it has a stub out the bottom that fits in a tight hole).
Otherwise if you just try to pull the resevoir out, you'll probably end up spilling LHM.
Gently clean the filters, I soak them in petrol and brush them with a soft toothbrush, then using some duster gas at a safe distance from the filter, blow it through.
Bleed your brakes and you're done.

As hydroflush is only about £20 for 5L it's worth using it at every LHM change.
Drive on it for around 1000 miles and then repeat the process with nice bright green new LHM.

[Stempy]

Changing the LHM regularly is a good idea, as is cleaning the filters. Hydroflush if changes have been neglected. Mine gets changed regularly and the last time I hydroflushed it the filters cams out virtually as clean as the went in.

[Old-Guy]

Once you've got as much old LHM back in the resevoir as possible,

Without wishing to insult anyone's commonsense, for the benefit of any newbies reading this post, Xac means "out of the system and back into the reservoir", thus:

With the engine running, put the suspension in Service Low (control lever fully forward) and let the car sink to the floor, open the relief valve (no more than ½ turn!) and wait a minute or two for the system to completely de-pressurise. Nip the valve up again. Don't over-tighten or you'll damage the valve!

The pressure relief valve is the only 12mm bolt head on the regulator body (the bit on the front of the engine that the Accumulator sphere screws into).

Taking the tank out is a lot less daunting than it sounds; it's easier than trying to suck all the LHM out of the tank AND you can clean the tank and filters properly.

As the brake lines are 'dead-ends' they get full of overheated and crappy old LHM, that stays there until the pads are changed when some of it gets pushed back into the main system. It's important to thoroughly bleeding the brakes (easy on a Xantia) starting from the rear O/S caliper. The rear braking system holds an amazing amount of LHM.

Personally, I think a session of Citarobics immediately before changing the LHM is a good idea to stir up any fine silt that may have settled in the hydraulic lines so that it's suspended in the old LHM.

There's no need to buy a Haynes manual, the whole subject is comprehensively covered in the Sticky Spheres, Hydraflush and Brake Bleeding

[citronut]

in the days of CX's and G's citroen used to say replace the citro blood (LHM) every 60K, but we used to clean filter at intervals inbetween this,

before liftting the tank out disconect all the pipes comming to it, gently uncip them

regards malcolm