Soggy Carpets - Activa Brake Control Valve?

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petef
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Soggy Carpets - Activa Brake Control Valve?

Post by petef »

So the red stop lights illuminate on the dash and LHM level is very low......but no puddles underneath. Further investigation finds a dirty stain on the carpet in the drivers footwell. Sure enough footwell is swimming in LHM. After considerable contortions discover fluid is entering around the brake rod behind pedal. So must be the brake control valve? Question is: how easy a job is this on a series 1 Activa? Given the added complexity of the plumbing on an Activa, is it as straight forward as Haynes suggests for other Xantias? Mine is LHD so I know the LHM Reservoir has to come off but how about accessibility to the valve itself? And are repair kits still available? Can't find any links anywhere.
I understand that I might just get away with replacing the rubber boot which might not need complete removal of the valve, but I don't want to have to do the job again in another year or two, so probably need to replace 'o' rings and pipe seals too? Any pointers to parts and advice on the repacement gratefully received.
When the car is going well, which it did all summer, I really enjoy it ; so much so that I treated it to a set of Uniroyal Rain Experts. But I suppose after 22years in the heat of Southern Spain and now the Dordogne, rubber bits are bound to fail. Not rusty though.....
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Re: Soggy Carpets - Activa Brake Control Valve?

Post by xantia_v6 »

The rubber cap and retaining ring are still available. I would suggest that you should not go deeper into the valve. Do check the condition of the rubber return hoses while you are there.
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Re: Soggy Carpets - Activa Brake Control Valve?

Post by petef »

Thanks for this. Think I have found part number for the cap. Do you know if it can be replaced without completely removing the valve, ie having to disconnect the hp lines? I have replaced a lot of the return rubber tubing in that area anyway - original tubing became hard and brittle and just broke when you tried to move it.
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Re: Soggy Carpets - Activa Brake Control Valve?

Post by RichardW »

Malcom reckoned that he could do them by just pulling the valve back and rotating it a bit with the pipes connected.

I had a look on service.citroen, and although it reports the part numbers, and they are not listed as NFP, it has a fit when you put them in the basket, saying they are unknown....
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Re: Soggy Carpets - Activa Brake Control Valve?

Post by xantia_v6 »

RichardW wrote: 15 Nov 2018, 12:04 Malcom reckoned that he could do them by just pulling the valve back and rotating it a bit with the pipes connected.

I had a look on service.citroen, and although it reports the part numbers, and they are not listed as NFP, it has a fit when you put them in the basket, saying they are unknown....

And here is the quote from Malcom:
citronut wrote: 11 Sep 2011, 19:42 no need to swap the dosure valve just fit these two parts,

Part Number Description Quantity Price excl. VAT Price incl. VAT Total incl. VAT Selection
5424455 CNTRL-UNIT RING 4.82 GBP 5.78 GBP 5.78 GBP

95640067 BRAKE PROTECTOR 7.99 GBP 9.59 GBP 9.59 GBP

it will be the rubber protector/cap that has split, then the retaining ring sometimes gets damaged on removal,


you can get at it by removeing any turbo ductting at the back of the timming belt covers,

then undo the two dosure valve retaining nuts up behind the brake pedel,

now gently pull the valve away from the bulkhead and again gently rotate it till you can get at the rubber cap and retaining ring,

prise the ring out then the rubber cap, the rest is a reverse of the above,


regards malcolm
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Re: Soggy Carpets - Activa Brake Control Valve?

Post by Simple76 »

Have done this myself it’s easier to just do the rubber cap in situ. However be careful not to put a hole in the new rubber cap when refitting. The retaining ring is a bit tight to get back in afterwards I use a socket of the right dimension to push retaining ring back in. Good luck
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petef
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Re: Soggy Carpets - Activa Brake Control Valve?

Post by petef »

Just resurrecting this thread with a comment and a question.

It proved flat out impossible to get that Dutch Cap thingie in place without completely removing the brake control valve. Mine is a LHD car and there simply was not enough give in the high pressure pipes to allow any turning through 90 degrees of the valve - it had to come out. Not certain if I could have done it in-situ anyway, it proved quite tricky to fit the cap, even on the bench.
So the question is - what size are the pipe seals? Car is in France and I am in Scotland at the moment, but I want to take the right ones with me. I would guess 3.5mm but would be delighted to be corrected. Citroen Service shows all the valve parts, but not the pipe seals.

Everything was put back in place and the car is on the road - but I think there may be a slight leak on one of the seals, which I did not renew at the time. Difficult to see as the LHM reservoir is in the way. Controle Technique is due in August and the more severe test now would certainly result in a fail if it is leaking.
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