Frozen front suspension

smiffy47 · Unread post by **smiffy47** » 22 Dec 2002, 22:02

Xantia 1.8i N Registration.
I have a problem with a 'frozen' front suspension. I've just changed the front spheres and drained & bled hydraulic system. The front suspension now moves to to the higher & lower maintainence positions OK. Trouble is when I try to put it into the ride height the front goes up too far and stays there leaving me with a frozen suspension again. Anyone know what's going on here?
I note that there's a sphere type object near the pressure release screw (lower, front middle of engine compartment), should I have changed this as well as the front one's?
I read the manual and seem to have done all I can. I followed the instructions re draining & bleeding the system & fitting the spheres to the letter and am sure I did everything OK.

shaunthesheep · Unread post by **shaunthesheep** » 22 Dec 2002, 23:00

the sphere at the middle bottom front of the engine is the accumulator sphere, you only need to change it is when you hear more than 1 click per minute, otherwise i would be inclined to leave it alone.
as for the front raising & staying there, could be sticky linkages or a worn height correcter.
happy christmas & happy new year
dom <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

JohnD · Unread post by **JohnD** » 22 Dec 2002, 23:01

The sphere in the middle behind the radiator is the accumulator. It acts as a reservoir for hydraulic pressure, and relies on the pump to keep up the pressure. If you can hear a clicking noise every few seconds as the engine ticks over, it is a sign that the accumulator needs replacing. Since brakes, suspension and steering all rely on reserve pressure in the event of a pump belt snapping, it's as well not to neglect changing it. Try opening and closing the release valve a few times.

smiffy47 · Unread post by **smiffy47** » 22 Dec 2002, 23:21

Thanks for the info re accumulator. At least I know it's not responsible for my current problem. As I say, the front will drop down & rise up to mainatinence positions but goes too high on the 'ride' or driving position & it is not at all 'springy' but very hard. When driving it seems the rear suspension is over-compensating & the car bounces around like a bugger (hit my head on the roof a couple of times). I'm getting a bit worried about this tbh as I have no idea what it couls be and hate going to a garage & saying that as you see the pond signs light up in the mechanics eyes, (apologies to any genuine meccies out there!)

Dave Burns · Unread post by **Dave Burns** » 23 Dec 2002, 00:05

You need to get it up some ramps to check out the height corrector, sounds like it has become disconected from the roll bar, check the plastic link as they often pop off when worn, check also the roll bar ball link clamp, they can break off.
Make sure the clamp has not come loose and is free to rotate round the roll bar.
Dave
Edited by - Dave Burns on 22 Dec 2002 19:06:24

Unread post by **alan s** » 23 Dec 2002, 00:05

Sounds very much as though the front height corrector is allowing the car to rise too high. There is a clamp fitted to the front sway bar that is used to set & adjust the height of the car by swivelling on the bar itself and at times this can slightly slip & cause a problem such as this. The sway bar (stabiliser bar) on BXs can also move slightly sideways after a period of time which then also creates a set of circumstances that will duplicate this same symptom.
It is not a difficult job to adjust the suspension on these but extreme caution has to be taken when working on them as a touch in the wrong direction & the car can drop on top of you so it all needs to be done over a pit, on a hoist or up on a set of ramps.
If you can get the car up on or over the items I listed above, slide under the centre of the car & look along the sway bar & you'll see what appears to be a piece of heavy wire clamped to the bar. Look straight up from there & you should see the height corrector.
If you check out this link (below, scroll to the last photo & you'll find a rear height corrector. To the left of the height corrector on the sway bar you'll see the clamp for adjusting as well as all the linkages. The front looks very similar to this & this should act as a guide.
http://www.aussiefrogs.com/snippets/grease.htm
DON'T TOUCH if the car is not well up on something such as a ramp to keep it from falling on you....funerals are buggas of things around Christmas!!
Alan S

smiffy47 · Unread post by **smiffy47** » 24 Dec 2002, 02:37

Thanks for this. Am leaving it 'til after Chrimbo n e way. A couple of things tho'. The manual I got (Haynes) says that the spheres should be tightened by hand IE to hand tight. Bit of a mistake that & I lost a lot of fluid thanks to it! Also the seals supplied dont really work; I had a very fine spray leak with them. In the end I took the spheres off again and put some plumbers sealant round the face of the component and since then no leaks. Curiously after I fixed a leak on one of the spheres at a motoeway station the front suspension went down and the car suspension was working a treat. I park up at home thinking all's hunky dory & sorted, decide to nip out for a bit & f*** me if the damn front suspension doesn't go & rise up & lock itself in its now usual position & I'm back to a vehicle that should be an adventure ride at a funfair (might be an idea to get back some of the dosh I've shelled out!). N e way I'm gonna give up on self-service for the time being & get it fixed at a garage. I must say, (and i'm shooting into the wind here) but it seems to me that some valve or other mechanism is sticking and that the pressure in the front is too much & doesn't settle down. BTW, are the front spheres meant to move when you turn the steering?
Have a good holiday people.
Smiffy

JohnD · Unread post by **JohnD** » 24 Dec 2002, 23:59

I've never had a seal which was supplied with a new sphere not work, and yes! they should be done up hand tight (well! maybe just a wee bit more!) Did you put the seal on the sphere and then fit it. If so, that's wrong. You should clean out the groove, fit the new seal into the groove and be careful that you don't dislodge it as you fit the sphere.

alexx · Unread post by **alexx** » 25 Dec 2002, 02:30

Front spheres are moving when turning the steering wheel, because the front wheel's steering axis is not equal to the front suspension cylinder axis. When you turn the steering wheel, the bottom of cylinder moves around the steeering axis, so the spheres also move slightly.