C5 X7 Suspension Pipe Leak

[GiveMeABreak]

Funny you should say that, my sisters fiancé has a Ford KA and that too has just been welded for the MOT too, and is back having more done as of posting!

[Stickyfinger]

Kac ?

BIG Tip.....SELL it NOW !

[GiveMeABreak]

I've told them to dump it ASAP. A money pit.

[GiveMeABreak]

Update: Just had confirmation that it is pipe number 3 on the diagram after chatting with the After Sales Manager yesterday. He said that they rarely have any issues with these newer pipes (unlike back in the Xantia days and earlier, where they used to keep yards of pipe in stock and actually made these up as needed for local mechs).

He said that where the pipe is rolled in manufacture, there is a 'seam' along the length of it, and where this turns at a corner, it has actually weakened and split - not so much corrosion, but where this was already weak, it has hastened the deterioration. When it goes in this afternoon, he will look at the state of the other pipe on the opposite side to see if that showns any signs of similar problems.

[Hell Razor5543]

Sounds like a conscientious A/S Manager, the sort of person who actually cares that his customers get the right level of support. He will help Citroen to retain customers.

[GiveMeABreak]

He is James - I've always taken my car wherever he has worked as he knows Citroens. He was with Citroen for many many years as a head technician and left to work in several other garages, but has recently come back to the main delaer he was with as a Manager now. He has excellent knowledge of Citroens, both old and new, so I always take my business wherever he works! He also has a loyal customer base that move their servicing wherever he goes too! It is so hard to find somebody that you can trust these days.

[Sloppysod]

I should of said, mine's only done 65k, that's why I was surprised!

Its not always the mileage that counts it is where it has spent its time that maters, near the coast, up a mountain, near a chemical factory...... to name a few danger zones!.

Thanks for making us aware.

[GiveMeABreak]

I've owned it since 20k Stu, and I'm not on the coast, but quite high up on the Welsh hills. I feel a bit better now they've told me it wasn't corrosion as such, but a defect in the manufacturing process in the kink of the 90 degree pipe bend that weakened it. They are keeping it overnight so will pick it up tomorrow and I'll know what the opposite pipe is like too then. Fingers crossed.

One lesson here though I suppose - is sometimes over-explaining the issue to the warranty company can confuse the issue leading to initial refusal. Lesson - keep it simple, "knackered suspension pipe"!

[GiveMeABreak]

Well, picked the car up after road test, which needed to have 2 litres of LDS fluid in not covered by the warranty (ouch!). The opposite pipe was fine - no signs of any damage / wear / corrosion at all . Front height corrector was also fitted, so suspension had to be callibrated again.

I'm not sure if Jeremy Clarkson is gainfully employed elsewhere since being sacked from Top Gear, but it could well of been him that just road-tested my X7, given that when I picked it up, the driver's seat was flat to the floor, and stretched back to the rear seat, with the backrest at a 45 degree angle! Another plus for memory seats!

[Stickyfinger]

Make a note of the time and date: look out for speeding tickets

Glad it is all done and fine

[GiveMeABreak]

Good point and thanks - so far so good