Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

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dragen
Posts: 42
Joined: 25 Jun 2014, 11:02
Location: New Zealand : Raglan
My Cars: Current:
* 2000 Xantia HDi Hydractive
*[2005 BMW X5 3.0D & 2007 Mazda BT-50 Extra-Cab Ute/Pickup]
Ex:
1998 Xantia TD (hydractive)
1994 BX TZD
x 2

Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by dragen »

Just picked up the 4 corner spheres and the 2 hydractive for ~NZD450 incl. shipping from Sphere Shop (UK & Fr). Will see how those go... Vive le Francois! :-D
Current:
*1998 Xantia TD Hydractive
*[2002 530i & 1995 Mazda B2600i Extra-Cab Ute/Pickup]
Ex:
1996 Xantia TD (standard)
1994 BX TZD
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white exec
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previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by white exec »

You should be OK with those. Sphere Shop (IFHS spheres) well thought of.

Hang on to your old ones. If you get the regas kit, some of them may still be good and ok as spares.
Min recc'd pressure about 15bar, to avoid damage and ok to regas.

Centre (Hydractive) spheres and the Acc sphere all have no damper in their necks, and so are interchangeable, if set to the right pressure.
Chris
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Stickyfinger
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Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by Stickyfinger »

Go to modern Grey Pancake types....(almost) last forever and you can steal them off a C5 in your local scrap yard. :)

(Only rear struts cannot be done)
Alasdair
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white exec
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Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by white exec »

Stickyfinger wrote: 05 May 2019, 13:48 Only rear struts cannot be done
When I acquired my late-type Xantia HA regulators (scrap), one of them had a saucer sphere fitted. Can't remember whether front or rear.

Upside is longer life, but downside is that they can't be re-gassed, and their gas pressure will be unknown (unless brand new) - which may become significant if they remain on the car for many years.
Chris
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Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by Stickyfinger »

Sphere tester needed for scrapper ones.
Many C5's are 10 years plus on the same spheres............
Alasdair
Activa, the Moose Rider
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white exec
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Joined: 21 Dec 2015, 12:46
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by white exec »

10 years is certainly not to be sniffed at, Alasdair!
Chris
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x 1280
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Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by Stickyfinger »

When you have 10 of the little bu66ers I should say so :)
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Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by myglaren »

white exec wrote: 05 May 2019, 17:44 10 years is certainly not to be sniffed at, Alasdair!

Mine are 16 years old and are fine.
dragen
Posts: 42
Joined: 25 Jun 2014, 11:02
Location: New Zealand : Raglan
My Cars: Current:
* 2000 Xantia HDi Hydractive
*[2005 BMW X5 3.0D & 2007 Mazda BT-50 Extra-Cab Ute/Pickup]
Ex:
1998 Xantia TD (hydractive)
1994 BX TZD
x 2

Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by dragen »

Last night ordered 6 spheres (corners plus two hydractive) from sphere-shop, for about NZD450 incl shipping which seemed reasonable...
Last edited by dragen on 06 May 2019, 09:53, edited 1 time in total.
Current:
*1998 Xantia TD Hydractive
*[2002 530i & 1995 Mazda B2600i Extra-Cab Ute/Pickup]
Ex:
1996 Xantia TD (standard)
1994 BX TZD
dragen
Posts: 42
Joined: 25 Jun 2014, 11:02
Location: New Zealand : Raglan
My Cars: Current:
* 2000 Xantia HDi Hydractive
*[2005 BMW X5 3.0D & 2007 Mazda BT-50 Extra-Cab Ute/Pickup]
Ex:
1998 Xantia TD (hydractive)
1994 BX TZD
x 2

Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by dragen »

Ordered 6 from sphere shop for nzd450 incl. freight, compared with autofrance that quoted nzd900... Shall let you all know how they go, and when I receive them. Definite thunking from front right over gravel road corrugations...

[sorry for the double posting people... hadn't seen previous posts come up... ]
Current:
*1998 Xantia TD Hydractive
*[2002 530i & 1995 Mazda B2600i Extra-Cab Ute/Pickup]
Ex:
1996 Xantia TD (standard)
1994 BX TZD
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Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by aerodynamica »

Stickyfinger wrote: 05 May 2019, 13:48 Go to modern Grey Pancake types....(almost) last forever and you can steal them off a C5 in your local scrap yard. :)

(Only rear struts cannot be done)

Are these available to buy at the specs needed on Xantias etc? I recently bought all 4 corner and the front hydractive spheres from IFSH but would've been interested in the saucer type if they were available.
Graeme M
2008 C5 Exclusive Tourer 2.0 HDi
dragen
Posts: 42
Joined: 25 Jun 2014, 11:02
Location: New Zealand : Raglan
My Cars: Current:
* 2000 Xantia HDi Hydractive
*[2005 BMW X5 3.0D & 2007 Mazda BT-50 Extra-Cab Ute/Pickup]
Ex:
1998 Xantia TD (hydractive)
1994 BX TZD
x 2

Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by dragen »

Howdy team, the IFSH are in the car, and its certainly feeling better, but still hard on the nose. It rises and sinks smoothly between max/min, I haven't yet been at full open-road speeds to test out if that cork-screwing has been cured, but yeah open to any tips on that firm nose... Would that be problems in the hydraulic solenoids switching with the hydractive, or signals they're receiving from the electronics?

Also interested in any tips on lifting out the hydraulic filter; its pretty tight to lift out of the hydraulic reservoir, without connecting the hoses. I loosed them from their support clips but still not enough room to lift it out.

I've also recently joined the local citroen club, bit gutted to have missed the Centenary of Citroen in NZ recently, especially since it was pretty local.

Cheers all! :-)
Current:
*1998 Xantia TD Hydractive
*[2002 530i & 1995 Mazda B2600i Extra-Cab Ute/Pickup]
Ex:
1996 Xantia TD (standard)
1994 BX TZD
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Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by xantia_v6 »

For the firm front end, check that the hydractive is switching into soft mode. Leave the car for a couple of minutes with everything switched off and the doors closed, the suspension should be in firm mode. Bounce on the front end and you should find it rather firm and reluctant to move.
Then open a door and start the engine, the suspension should now be in soft mode and the front end should drop by several cm when you lean on it.
Sometimes (for a variety of reasons) the hydractive valves don't reliably switch to soft mode.
dragen
Posts: 42
Joined: 25 Jun 2014, 11:02
Location: New Zealand : Raglan
My Cars: Current:
* 2000 Xantia HDi Hydractive
*[2005 BMW X5 3.0D & 2007 Mazda BT-50 Extra-Cab Ute/Pickup]
Ex:
1998 Xantia TD (hydractive)
1994 BX TZD
x 2

Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by dragen »

@xantia_v6

Definetly a problem with the front end switching there:
* Tail end is hard, start the car and it goes soft, then returns to hard again after about 30s of car being off and doors closed, etc.
* Nose on the other hand is hard, and after start remains hard...

Any tips or tricks to look at with those valves, what are the primary things that go wrong there (I guess its both the valve itself and if its receiving signal)? I'll go looking for other threads.

Cheers
Current:
*1998 Xantia TD Hydractive
*[2002 530i & 1995 Mazda B2600i Extra-Cab Ute/Pickup]
Ex:
1996 Xantia TD (standard)
1994 BX TZD
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white exec
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Joined: 21 Dec 2015, 12:46
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Xantia Hydractive Cork-Screwing...

Post by white exec »

The fault could well be mechanical/hydraulic (eg a sticky EV valve), but it's worth checking out the electrical side first...

Need to check whether the front valve is being electrically switched.
Front and rear valves are separately supplied by the suspension ECU (it has two outputs), which operate simultaneously.
After 30s (when they should revert to firm), the valves (solenoids) normally switch off with a very audible click. Although they click off together, try listening at the front (below and behind the radiator, iirc on the Xantia) to check.

Electrical supply to the solenoids comes from the suspension ECU:
- a full 12v (polarity is important; solenoid body 2-pin connector is labelled + and −) for just 0.5sec, providing solenoid pull-in
- a solenoid hold-in thereafter of approx 3v, which is actually 12v, but modulated (pulsed) at 1kHz 25% duty cycle [NB: Do not apply 12v d.c. direct to the solenoid to test it, or damage can occur.]
A 12v LED (or LED with 120Ω series resistor) will show this two-stage supply clearly.

DC resistance of a solenoid should show around 5Ω.

The solenoid coil incorporates an inaccessible internal diode, wired across the coil:
- to provide clean and full solenoid operation
- to protect the ECU against the inductive voltage 'spike' when the EV switches off.
This small diode can fail (usually open circuit), and solenoid operation can become lazy.
As a test (and to effectively replace the internal diode), an external diode can be wired across the EV solenoid. [Observe correct polarity for this 'reverse' diode: Band (cathode) to +ve; anode to Gnd. Diode rating 6A 400v suggested.]
Adding these extra diodes is also recommended as a preventative measure, in case the small internal ones fail, or to back them up if they haven't.

If no supply is found at the EVs, check the two 15-way connectors on the suspension ECU, and use contact cleaner there.
Chris
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