C5 LDS Fluid

[Rhothgar]

Hi Guys,

Got back from Austria fine in Sylv's car but returned to a call from a friend whose C5 is sinking at the rear when switched off within 15 minutes so it loos as though his anti-sink valve may have gone but I haven't gone into it and checked elsewhere on the forum as yet and will do later.

Quick question as I have never looked at an LDS car before. How should it be topped up? The Manual states that it should be done by a Citroen Dealer. Another part of the manual suggest that it should be checked on low suspension.

Either on high or low, I cannot see any LDS above the filter cone in the reservoir?

[Peter.N.]

Don't really know but I top mine up so its somewhere near full, but I would suspect this needs to be done with the suspension on low or it could overflow.

Peter

[Rhothgar]

I've just quickly read a post on a Mk1 C5.

Now the link in that suggests there is two different methods of filling up.

His RP is 09649 which is greater than the 09064/09065 switchover. However, his car looks like a Mark 1 to me unless there were 3 marks and I am getting mixed up between Mk 2 and Mk 3.

I have noted that the system needs re-pressurising.

[Rhothgar]

Any further input on this?

I don't want to go with the intention of helping a mate out and end up causing his reservoir to explode through using the incorrect top-up procedure.

I have read some posts where steve (myglaren) states top of the short slots in the filler when suspension set on low. I've read another post where it states suspension setting on normal and looked at the C5-C8 guide on the Polish website which despite being 350 pages long contains NO information on how to top up the system and I've skimmed through it pretty much slowly enough.

[Gibbo2286]

I posted a reply to this in the wrong thread, senior moment http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... =3&t=46325

[Rhothgar]

That's a nice illustration Gibbo.

I couldn't find it anywhere in that manual on a Polish website I downloaded from a link on here!

I filled it up to the shorter slots in the reservoir whilst on low as illustrated by myglaren on another thread.

I cannot see through that seam. His reservoir is quite clean but nigh on impossible to see through as I say.

I add about 650ml of fluid so we now know his level to be correct but his rear suspension is still dropping.

Hopefully, with fluid now topped back up it will start leaking again so he can identify exactly where it is coming from. He looked the leaks on his drive and it appears to be coming from OS Rear.

It could be a pinholed gaiter but not having access to a ramp it is difficult to access. It seemed like there was fluid on top of the radius arm to the side of the sphere.

[KP]

It sounds like it could be a strut thats failing around the sphere to strut interface.

My advice if it is,

Get some small metal saw blades and gently cut the metal around the interface with the flat of the blade right up against the sphere. This will then cut away the soft corroded metal and allow you to get the sphere off. Otherwise the only way i've found is to drill into the sphere and put a lot of twisting force on it to get it off. You can not simply punch into the sphere of a C5 when working on the driveway as you cant get enough force to pierce thru the very very thick metal.

The end with the pushpin type clip needs lots of soaking in penetrating fluid to stand any chance of coming out easily