Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

Tell us your ongoing tales and experiences with your French car here. Post pictures of your car here as well.
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MattBLancs
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

Unread post by MattBLancs »

Forgot to mention:
Not a fix, but yesterday, the blue 308 boot moisture sucked out with wet and dry vacuum. Will have to sit in the boot and get the car hosed down. Guessing the light cluster to body sealing arrangements, but only a guess at present.

Air filters arrived today. Which it was a surprise having rearranged delivery on Royal Mail's website yesterday to come instead on Wednesday.
Arrival today seemingly different to eBay estimate (Saturday) then an email stating it will come on Sunday (which it didn't) then another email stating Monday morning.

Today's royal mail message suggested this afternoon which did, finally, ring true! Baffling, glad it's nowt important!! :dunno:
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MattBLancs
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

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A quick lunchtime tinkering, whilst it was dry and daylight I thought good chance to chuck in the new air filter:
Old filter
Old filter
Pretty grubby
Pretty grubby

I decided to see both how deep into the pleats the dirt had been carried and also, just out of interest, gauge how much free area the filter has:
IMG_20260128_131121158.jpg
IMG_20260128_130603945.jpg
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MattBLancs
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

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Oh, and here's the clean replacement:
Borg n Beck
Borg n Beck
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MattBLancs
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

Unread post by MattBLancs »

IMG_20260130_131355196.jpg
Boot tied down
IMG_20260130_131639729_HDR.jpg
308 SW 5 door + 3 doors = 8 doors?
:-D

P.s. they were strapped down with a ratchet strap, removed before second photo
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MattBLancs
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

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Oh, a spotted a potential clue to the source of the boot's water ingress:
Sneaky dribble
Sneaky dribble
D pillar, left hand side. Just a small quantity in the boot, but forecast suggests there'll be more by this time tomorrow! Oh well.
RichardW
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

Unread post by RichardW »

I had a leaky BX from there, decided that it was coming from the roof joint. Then one day I put a roof rack on, loaded it up with a load of floor boards - and it never leaked again😜
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MattBLancs
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

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RichardW wrote: 31 Jan 2026, 09:27 I had a leaky BX from there, decided that it was coming from the roof joint. Then one day I put a roof rack on, loaded it up with a load of floor boards - and it never leaked again😜
I hope not "a load of floorboards" to this sort of magnitude!
Spoiler: show
lumber_car_feature.jpg
:-D
Spoiler: show
disproven as a fake image:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lumber-car/
But also sort of proven viable:
https://motors.mega.mu/news/mythbusters ... 11130.html
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CitroJim
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

Unread post by CitroJim »

MattBLancs wrote: 31 Jan 2026, 17:28 I hope not "a load of floorboards" to this sort of magnitude!
It may be fake but still good for a giggle...

I once, whilst serving in Cyprus, saw a tree travelling along the road, seemingly all on its own. Ad it got closer I could see the merest hint of a motorcycle somewhere within it :lol:

One time I so wish I'd had a camera with me...
Jim

A bit of a Citroen AX fan...
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Huskyxantia
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

Unread post by Huskyxantia »

Sounds a bit like what a few people where I live do Jim. 😆
Husky. :? Thinking outside of the box is better than sitting in a dark one.
:-D
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MattBLancs
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

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Should have used a trailer perhaps:
https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/dr ... d-trailer/
Spoiler: show
Gardafix-1280x720.jpg
:shock:


Am sure I saw a video of this idiot the other day but cannot find it now.
I'm not sure "sat on the bump stops" more like "pulverised them out of existence"
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CitroJim
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

Unread post by CitroJim »

MattBLancs wrote: 01 Feb 2026, 10:43 I'm not sure "sat on the bump stops" more like "pulverised them out of existence"
It's time like this you need a big hydraulic Citroen ;)

I always remember loading an ES9 V6 and HP20 gearbox in the back of an XM Estate. Used the engine crane to load it in and it sunk right down on to the bump stops and trapped the legs of the crane underneath...

Started up and it rose back to normal ride height in no time...
Jim

A bit of a Citroen AX fan...
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Huskyxantia
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

Unread post by Huskyxantia »

i once had a talbot samba which carried home from a scrap yard an engine and gear box for the other car i purchased which was a black xr2 for 50 pounds , it carried the weight just and it did make the little thing sit down , that samba cost me 100 pound and it ran and ran and ran , nice drive was a bit drafty around the door seals which i sorted out . as for things on the roof , fence panels on a roof rack 9 in total , felt that , and the car 206sw
Husky. :? Thinking outside of the box is better than sitting in a dark one.
:-D
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CitroJim
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

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Ahh, the good old Samba :D Fun fact: the AX was originally to be the new-model Talbot Samba - before PSA killed the Talbot name...

I once had a twin-engined Saxo. One in the front and one in the back. I bought one as a spare and found I needed no engine crane to lift it! It was headless though...
Jim

A bit of a Citroen AX fan...
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MattBLancs
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

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Oh yes, quite a bit of weight, high up!

I've carried very little overhead, do wonder about a roof rack / bars to make use of the roof rails on either of the SW's but as yet the big trailer and it's ladder rack generally does the job :)
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MattBLancs
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Re: Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

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CitroJim wrote: 03 Feb 2026, 06:28 Ahh, the good old Samba :D Fun fact: the AX was originally to be the new-model Talbot Samba - before PSA killed the Talbot name...
Interesting, so Citroen took the Samba and Peugeot the 309
I once had a twin-engined Saxo. One in the front and one in the back. I bought one as a spare and found I needed no engine crane to lift it! It was headless though...
Ha ha, best I've had was twin gearbox Coupe - I bought a very, very cheap ML6 gearbox and that sat on some cardboard in the Coupe's spare wheel well just nicely :-D

(Still not found a use for that gearbox, it's in the 306 boot at present! Questionable bargain!? )