URGENT: bouncing around

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 30 Jul 2007, 14:48

OK - is it riding at the correct height - or is one end down? The height correctors on Xantias are notorious for seizing and when the do a small (cheap) plastic link pops off and the thing becomes detached from the suspension.

The hose from the tank to the pump usually lets air in rather than LHM out as its under vacuum. Some of the pumps around 1995 can suffer problems - like the bolts holding them together coming loose or the input pipe stub breaking off.

As LHM is not compressible and air or gas is - it sounds like a substantial gas problem in the front struts to me. One of the reason I was asking about work is that if the front spheres had been replaced and someone fitted accumulator spheres which have no dampers then uncontrolled bouncing could be expected. However if the spheres were simply removed and replaced then this shouldn't be the problem.

mallyg · Unread post by **mallyg** » 30 Jul 2007, 14:57

when the lever is set to normal ride height the front end is down. the back end rises as normal. How do itell he difference between spheres. i am not sure that when the top struts were changed that the spheres were changed. i guess i could try asking the garage that did the work

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 30 Jul 2007, 16:13

If the front's down - that's probably the problem. There are a number of postings on the correct ride height but if its down its almost certain that the height corrector has seized and the plastic arm dropped off. There are enough posts on this subject on here to wallpaper a large room so a search should provide hours of fascinating reading.

If you can read the number on the sphere you may be able to check its number - but otherwise if you remove it and look into the neck - if it looks like a tube its an accumulator, if the end is flat its a suspension sphere.

I should imagine the spheres were removed and replaced when the strut tops were done. A failing strut top won't damage the sphere - but a flat sphere could cause damage to a strut top as basically the strut would be feeding all its loads into the top and hence the bodywork without there being any suspension.

Health Warning - make sure the car is properly supported with room for you if the suspension drops before getting under it. These cars DO KILL.

mallyg · Unread post by **mallyg** » 30 Jul 2007, 18:22

Can you point me in the general direction as to where i should be looking to see if the plastic clip has fallen off please.

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 30 Jul 2007, 19:09

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... r&start=15

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... +corrector

mallyg · Unread post by **mallyg** » 30 Jul 2007, 20:09

Thanksfor your help.

mallyg · Unread post by **mallyg** » 01 Aug 2007, 17:10

right i have changed the two front spheres but still the back rises but the front still stays down and still bounces around like a kangaroo on steroids

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 01 Aug 2007, 17:43

The spheres don't affect the ride height - that's controlled by the height corrector valve - which in turn is connected to the anti-roll bar via the plastic link.

If the front is down my guess is that the thing is belting the bump stops every time it hits a bump - and also the strut piston will be running outside its polished range which won't help the ride either.

mallyg · Unread post by **mallyg** » 01 Aug 2007, 18:12

Had a look under the car and the plastic link is still attached as it should so any other suggestions would be very much appreciated. not being mechanically minded i apologise if i am not being too helpful but with severe arthritis in both hands and barely able to hold a knife and fork at times i have to rely on friends to help to do thecar for me so i try t glean as much info as i can

mallyg · Unread post by **mallyg** » 09 Aug 2007, 16:15

Front spheres replaced, managed to get the car over a friends pit and found that the height corrector link rod (the bit that is clamped around the front anti roll bar )had snapped). Replaced that still no change. The only thing I can thinkis wrong with it now is the front height corrector itself,Does anyone have any other suggestions as I am at my wits end

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 09 Aug 2007, 16:36

If the link to the height corrector has snapped this will have been caused by seizure of the corrector itself.

You may be able to free it but most likely you will have to replace it.

Mandrake · Unread post by **Mandrake** » 10 Aug 2007, 01:55

mallyg wrote:Front spheres replaced, managed to get the car over a friends pit and found that the height corrector link rod (the bit that is clamped around the front anti roll bar )had snapped). Replaced that still no change. The only thing I can thinkis wrong with it now is the front height corrector itself,Does anyone have any other suggestions as I am at my wits end

Err,

Did you go through a height adjustment procedure ? If the clamp that goes on the rollbar has snapped and been replaced you can't just bolt a new one in place and expect it to be right - you'll need to set the ride height from scratch...

Begin by slackening the clamp and setting the manual height lever in the centre console to maximum height and see if that end will lift - it will probably take a minute or two if it's right down.

Assuming it does, use the console lever to get the ride height at that end approximately right, (leaving the lever in the normal height position afterwards) then tighten the clamp on the rollbar.

Now try sitting on that end of the car, see if it corrects for the height change, get off, see that it corrects for that, if it does then the height corrector is working and you just need to do a more accurate setting of the height. Theres plenty of threads on the forum describing that.

Regards,
Simon

mallyg · Unread post by **mallyg** » 10 Aug 2007, 19:22

hi Mandrake

As I have already said I think. I am totally at a loss when it comes to mechanics so thanks for the advice. I will do as you have suggested and hope it cures my problem

mallyg · Unread post by **mallyg** » 11 Aug 2007, 12:53

At last i have some success and got the suspension to rise and fall as it should. Now all I need is to set the correct ride height. I know that you need to measure from the centre of the wheel to the front sub frame but how do I measure this distance whilst I am under the car. Do I have the engine running and the ride ride height set to normal when I measure. Sorry if I sound a bit thick but I am unsure of how to proceed now. Thanks

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 11 Aug 2007, 13:02

Haynes Xantia manual shows how to measure from the bottom of the subframes at approx page 243.

Download Haynes manual here (its a huge file)

http://xantia.rtkmail.ru/downloads/HaynesXantia.pdf

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URGENT: bouncing around

Bouncing around - update

Re: Bouncing around - update

success of a kind