Help - Xantia MOT fail

p20 · Unread post by **p20** » 28 Jul 2005, 00:11

My Xantia has just failed it's MOT on the front suspension being too hard.[B)] Its a 2000 Hdi non HA with only 53000miles. the lhm was changed only 5000miles ago and is still that lovely green colour. My mate commented a while back that the car wasn't as soft as his mk1 Xantia, which we put down to it being a mk2. The MOT place said it was probably the spheres, but he personally thought it was too young with too few miles on it, so it could be something else. He suggested the local Citroen indie to have a look at it, which i'll do tomorrow morning, but thought i'd check you guys first. Checked the levels tonight and the top float doesn't get between the two bands when on its highest setting, it stays slightly above. Sorry for waffling on, but i thought i'd try and give as much information as possible, to try and find an answer.

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 28 Jul 2005, 00:17

At 5 years old its almost certainly the front suspension spheres if they have never been changed. Life expectancy is generally thought to be age related only and mileage doesn't make much difference. The others should be checked - accumulator (vital to the corect functioning of the brakes) by checking the ticking rate - should be 30 seconds or more, and the anti-sink spheres by looking for strange behaviour on startup (ie dropping, strange brakes . . )
Another test for the accumulator is to start the engine, let it run for a couple of minutes then turn it off and sit in the boot. The back of the car should drop as you would expect - then rise again after 30 seconds or so powered by the accumulator.
Spheres are cheap from GSF (about £20 or less) and easy to fit with the correct tool.
Jeremy

p20 · Unread post by **p20** » 28 Jul 2005, 02:42

Cheers for that Jeremy. Checked the acc. sphere as you described, it seems fine. I never realised the suspension still rose with the engine switched off. Like a little child i couldn't help but smile when the car rose in silence.[:o)]

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 28 Jul 2005, 04:40

Sometimes my BX will do it when I fill the tank with fuel! - It will also adjust itself when I get in - but that one tends to be lost when the engine starts.
Jeremy

Kowalski · Unread post by **Kowalski** » 28 Jul 2005, 06:16

My Xantia adjusts itself when I fill it up with fuel, usually I fill it full from an empty tank so it's a big change in weight. It really is odd to feel the car going down then coming back up again.