I'll start with the easy one
, the puddle of fluid on top of the LHM reservoir. My 1998 Turbo D parts car (now stripped and scrapped) suffered from the same problem, in fact every Xantia I've looked at has the same problem. I checked the pipes carefully for breaks and cracks when I cleaned the filters, all looked well. I've kept the original clips as they seem to seal better than jubilee clips, they're all tight. I checked the seal between the filter block and tank and it seems fine but still had the puddle. I couldn't get a new seal so got several from the breakers, all looked good but didn't cure the problem. I changed the indicator level float thing but still got a puddle. I cleaned everything off with degreaser and blew it dry with an air line, started it up and watched and waited, no sign of a leak. I put the suspension on high and watched and waited, still not leaking. I left the engine running, went in and had a coffee and sandwich and an afternoon nap and when I came out still no leak. Took it for a drive and when I returned and looked still no leak. The following week when I checked the oil the puddle was back. I can't see where it's coming from and it never seems to leak when I'm watching. I suspect this is a common problem, can anyone help? I did wonder if the reservoir is distorted, I saw a new one on ebay which was expensive, especially if it doesn't cure it.The next problem is how on earth do I change the front metal brake pipes, the ones that run either side of the cross member under the engine? I noticed several of these are badly rusted in several places so joining isn't an option, even if I did have room to get in and do it. The only reason it hasn't failed it's MOT is the pipes are hidden by the splash guard.
I noticed the problem last year when I had to change the front flexi brake pipes. I've had an advisory for the last four years that they were slightly deteriorated but hadn't got any worse. Jobsworth at the test centre said he failed it because I'd ignored his previous advisories. The reason I hadn't changed them was that when I tried to undo the flare nut (using the correct size 6 point flare nut spanner) the hexagon fell apart as a pile of rust. After this no spanner of any size was going to shift it so I left it not wanting to disable the car. When I had to change it I resorted to pipe grips, then mole grips and finally stillsons. Stilsons made a real mess of the flare nut and just to help it was rusted onto the pipe. I would have cut the pipe and made up a new one (I've got the flaring tool) but I couldn't see or feel where the pipe goes let alone get a spanner on it. Took the pipe off the Turbo D but then realised it doesn't have ABS, Hdi does. Taking the pipe off the Turbo D was bad enough and it had no engine or gearbox. Looks like the pipes are fitted to the subframe before fitting to the car and fitting the engine. Has anyone replaced these? Does the engine have to come out or do I have to drop the subframe? I managed to get the pipe back into the new flexi pipe but couldn't get it very tight. It's not leaking but I really would like to replace it and the other corroded pipes for safety. Didn't have this problem with my BX, engine oil leaks kept pipes well oiled!
Last problem for now is spheres, I changed the four wheel spheres and accumulator in 2010 and changed the fluid which was brown, like new engine oil. I couldn't get hydraflush so it didn't get flushed and I couldn't get hydroactive spheres or anti sink so they are the original (17 years old!) I used the car with a trailer to pick up another car and when I realised the trailer was riding over the speed humps better than the car I realised a sphere change is overdue.
I got the spheres from aep with free next day delivery but I know at least one is wrong. I've tried to cross reference part numbers on line but even when I go back to the Citroen part number the various lists seem to contradict each other. Tried some links from old posts but they don't work now. The anti sink is a C5 type sphere (I refer to it as a squashed sphere) but the one they sent is a normal green one, is that correct and are they interchangeable? I've read on here that the squashed ones have a different thread and need an adapter which I assume I need to remove to fit a green sphere. I've read about the pipe on the anti sink and have ordered a 9mm 6 pointed flare pipe spanner which I hope will give me some chance of removing the pipe intact. Tomorrow and for the next few days I will be soaking everything in WD40 hoping it will make the job easier.
I asked aep to mark the spheres on the invoice so I know where they go. I gave them the vin number so they should be correct but I got the impression they were struggling as they don't get asked for anti sink or regulator spheres very often.
Here is what they sent me, can somebody PLEASE tell me if I have the correct ones or if not the part numbers of the ones I need. The original spheres were in my garage until a few weeks ago when I threw them in the back of the scrap Xantia and took them to the scrap yard. I wish I'd written down the numbers for reference. The spheres they sent are made by I.F.H.S. and the Citroen reference numbers are from their invoice so may be wrong.
2 X front suspension spheres SSXA45FL Citroen Ref. 527176
2 X rear suspension spheres SSXA40RT Citroen Ref. 527238
2 X Anti sink sphere SSXA50RU Citroen Ref. 529303
Front Regulator sphere SSXM75FQ Citroen Ref. 95669124
Rear Regulator sphere SSXM50AR Citroen Ref. 96045530
My concerns are as follows;
1. They sent me 2 x anti sink spheres, these are round but mine is a squashed sphere, like the C5, are they interchangeable? Which is best?
2. They've not sent an accumulator sphere, think they got confused and sent 2 anti sink. I think Accumulator should be RP62DP is that correct?
3. Regulator (electrovalve) spheres they sent have a prefix XM and not XA, does this mean they're XM spheres not Xantia or are they the same?
4. I'm told the front spheres should be changed (or re gassed) every 3 years, the rear every 4 years but how often for the accumulator, antisink and regulator (electrovalve spheres). I'm sure I read on here that the squashed spheres last a very long time. Is it necessary to change mine, it is the original and over 17 years old.?
Is it best to flush the system before or after changing the spheres, I assume cleaning the filters should be done after flushing? I don't do a lot of mileage these days so reaching the 1000 - 1500 miles with Hydroflush in may take some time will it do any harm if the Hydroflush is left in for a long time?
I know there's a lot here, for which I apologise, but hope someone will have the patience to help as I really like the car. Trouble is if I don't get some of these problems fixed it'll be following the Turbo D to the scrap yard. Perhaps then I'll buy something simple, like a Ford model T!
