Citroen Xantia rear suspension - another question!

Acorn · Unread post by **Acorn** » 12 Aug 2011, 18:09

I've just had some wonderful help from another forum regarding my Renault RX4, and now I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction about my beloved Xantia.

She's a 1997 1.9TD LX estate and has covered a mere 220,000 miles. She's beginning to show some signs of ageing now (hence my reason for buying the RX4)but I am loathe to part with her just yet as she is so comfortable to drive and the engine / motor is all fine.

However...
problem 1) First thing in the morning she starts up fine after waiting till the glow plugs are out, but if I do short journeys (e.g school run / shops) she really struggles to start and turns over for a good 10 seconds or so before eventually kicks into life. One day I fear that the battery will just not be able to cope and I'll be stranded.

Problem 2) Rear suspension...I was going to take her to the shops yesterday but the rear suspension wouldn't rise - at all. I've had this happen once before before but it usually rises within a few minutes. Not this time! I put some LHM in today hoping that would resolve the problem but it hasn't. If I put her in the workshop position (i.e fully raised) she does eventually lift fully after 5 minutes or so. I then tried her in the fully lowered position which was fine, but the normal midway position was unresponsive and left the nose in the air with the rear end completely lowered. I then tried in the fully raised position again which she eventually managed, but now she won't lower down again.

Any advice on either / both of these problems would be greatly appreciated, as well as some guidance on how expensive the repairs / parts might be. Is it time to resolve myself to the idea that it's time for her to go?

My local garage is now closed for 2 weeks and I am not at all mechanically minded and won't attempt the job myself but if someone can let me know what sort of thing I can expect I would be very grateful.

Many thanks!

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 12 Aug 2011, 18:20

Hi, welcome to the FCF

What model RX4 have you got, a diesel? We had a petrol one a few years back, what an excellent funky car, shame it wasn't the diesel though as we would still have it.

The starting might well be a duff glowplug or two.

The suspension sounds as though the rear height corrector is getting stiff and lazy. If it has failed to move at all it cold be that the 'dog bone' has fallen off, which sounds the case. Its a cheap and easy fix if so but can mean the height corrector is seizing.

Both problems sound simple and not expensive, depending on what the starting issue is (though I can't see it being problematic) I wouldnt think about getting shot unless you want to

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 12 Aug 2011, 19:23

its not actualy the H/C that siezs up but the linkage/turrets,

were abouts are you located

regards malcolm

Acorn · Unread post by **Acorn** » 12 Aug 2011, 22:33

Many thanks for both of your replies. Hopefully not too major then, although if the linkages / turrets are seizing is that also quite simple for the garage to fix or does it involve major parts / labour? We're in rural France so I also need to translate all this to my local mechanic which should be fun!
Unfortunately the RX4 is quite a thirsty 2.0 16v petrol version (2001) but it seemed too good an opportunity to turn down, although I still prefer driving the Xantia (comfort and economy!)

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 12 Aug 2011, 22:58

You just need a can of spray grease, like white lithium.
Get the car on high, put axle stands under the rear jacking points to make it safe so in the very unlikely event that the car drops down you won't get squished. Set the car on low, the front will drop and the rear will rise, stop the engine.
Lie down at the back of the car with the spray grease.
Look in front of the spare wheel where the height corrector linkages are.
The metal rod from the lever in the cabin will be connected to the vertical linkage. The horizontal linkage is connected to the anti-roll bar by the white dogbone which can pop off and results in a loss of self leveling (normally you only have the extremes of high or low).
If the dogbone has popped off, push it back on (it should be tight, so if it's loose/wobbly then it's time for a new one, search the forum for dogbone for the Citroen part number), it should also have a metal clip on it that goes over the link to the anti-roll bar end, that needs to be in place.
Douse the linkages in spray grease.
Start her up, set her on high, remove the axle stands and do some citrobics (set on low, let it stay there for a minute or so, then set it on high, let it stay there for a minute or so, repeat several times).
This should work the grease into the linkages and help free them.

You don't need to be mechanically minded to sort out the rear height corrector.
Many garages will tell you it needs replacing at great cost but it just needs lubing.

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 13 Aug 2011, 07:46

the only way to free these of long term is remove them from the car and work and lub them on the bench till they are floppy loose/free,

but for a temparary fix use a penatrating oil before the spray grease, as this will get in further/easyer/quiker than the grease to sart things off,

regards malcolm

Acorn · Unread post by **Acorn** » 15 Aug 2011, 13:14

Thanks once again for your replies and help. I'll let you know how I get on.

Acorn · Unread post by **Acorn** » 19 Aug 2011, 13:34

Xac wrote:You just need a can of spray grease, like white lithium.
Get the car on high, put axle stands under the rear jacking points to make it safe so in the very unlikely event that the car drops down you won't get squished. Set the car on low, the front will drop and the rear will rise, stop the engine. Done - no problem!
Lie down at the back of the car with the spray grease.
Look in front of the spare wheel where the height corrector linkages are.
The metal rod from the lever in the cabin will be connected to the vertical linkage. The horizontal linkage is connected to the anti-roll bar by the white dogbone which can pop off and results in a loss of self leveling (normally you only have the extremes of high or low).
If the dogbone has popped off, push it back on (it should be tight, so if it's loose/wobbly then it's time for a new one, search the forum for dogbone for the Citroën part number), it should also have a metal clip on it that goes over the link to the anti-roll bar end, that needs to be in place. Done - no problem. The dogbone had indeed popped off and was quite tricky to get back on again
Douse the linkages in spray grease.
Start her up, set her on high, remove the axle stands. This is where we had a problem....Started her up, put her on high but she didn't raise up enough to get the axle stands out. Had to jack her up either side to retrieve them but when we loosened the jack she fell like a ton of bricks to the lowest position possible at the back, although the front was still raised and do some citrobics (set on low, let it stay there for a minute or so, then set it on high, let it stay there for a minute or so, repeat several times).
This should work the grease into the linkages and help free them.

You don't need to be mechanically minded to sort out the rear height corrector.
Many garages will tell you it needs replacing at great cost but it just needs lubing.

So since then she has raised up a couple of times and I managed to do one journey with the correct ride position. Since then, the same problems and yes, the dogbone had popped off again so I realize we need to take the linkage thingy off and lubricate it well, which we hope to do some time next week. BUT...she will not raise AT ALL at the rear now, not even in the high position...she is just sitting with her rear end at it's very lowest point while the front end goes up and down ok. She was given to me by my Dad in 2005 and he had all the spheres changed shortly beforehand. Is it likely to be the spheres as well or is just the dogbone / seized turrets still. Many thanks...again

Unread post by **myglaren** » 19 Aug 2011, 16:40

It would still rise even if the spheres were completely flat.
The fluid controls the ride height and the gas is the 'springs'.
No gas=rubbish ride comfort (and eventual damage to the hydraulics) but car would still rise.

Acorn · Unread post by **Acorn** » 19 Aug 2011, 17:06

Okay, thanks for that.
But now I'm confused as to why she won't rise AT ALL at the back. Does it sound more serious than the dogbone / seized linkage turrets now?

Unread post by **myglaren** » 19 Aug 2011, 20:47

WAG which will no doubt be refuted/corrected by someone who actually crawls under Xantias but I'd be inclined toward thinking that the rod connecting the lever to the rear suspension has come adrift.
Or the height corrector carriage is seized solid.