New Xantia!

[aerodynamica]

Ha just called AEP and they don't carry them - special order it seems - 6-8 weeks! Arg

[Mandrake]

What ?? That doesn't sound right ? Last time I ordered spheres from them they had some of them in stock and got the rest in about 2 days...

Is this the one you were asking for ?

http://www.aepdirect.com/suspension-sph ... ory_id=754

There's nothing on the website to indicate that they are out of stock.

Same sphere as my V6 takes as far as I know...

[aerodynamica]

Yes that's it. Yes they're almost always in stock. Even less popular requests such as last year when I got cx fronts on the day. They had every XM sphere I ever needed. He did say they had onesingle in stock . But he called it a special order (?) I'll shop around online this evening

[aerodynamica]

Well I've got a pair on order from gsf so it'll be amtex brand. Hopefully the guy ordered the right ones! As I am not 100% about what he ordered.. Asking if it's got ' Auto leveling' or active stabilization... Told him all xantias have Auto leveling. O well we'll see!

[xantos]

Well I've got a pair on order from gsf so it'll be amtex brand. Hopefully the guy ordered the right ones! As I am not 100% about what he ordered.. Asking if it's got ' Auto leveling' or active stabilization... Told him all xantias have Auto leveling. O well we'll see!

Maybe he was thinking about Activa...

[aerodynamica]

Hi yes I think he was reading from a sphere list or something (was on phone) he did ask at the end if it's hydractive or non. So I said 'hydractive rear pair' so should be right but I'll not be surprised if it's something else

[aerodynamica]

Got the new spheres this afternoon and they're onthe car, primed, bled and cycled and... Perfect! Nicely damped, and very firm. When the suspension switches off after closing the doors. So you were spot on. The spheres were wrong at the struts. The ' specialist' had gassed them to closer to 40 bar than 30.
I also took the opportunity to modify the LHM tank filter block returns to reduce bubbles in the returns. Went well until I was ready to leave when at the top of the drive way the stop light came on and the steering went heavy, I then realised the whole of the drive and the pavement and the street were drenched in LHM... Aaarg what happened?! I soon found out- one of the return hoses popped off and emptied the entire contents of the tank. Turns out the pipe in question is the return from the pas i.e. It's a constant flow interrupted only by turning the wheel. Luckily I had enough spare fluid to refill it. The driveway and pavement however are a bit of a ' scene' now so I set about trine to clean it with driveway cleaner and a hose, this was nearly 11pm... O well I'll see how it is tomorrow morning when I return to my patents place (argh yes is their drive I've messed up) they are back from their holiday tomorrow... Well, at least the xantia is working

[CitroJim]

Oh dear! I know just what a mess the loss of a whole tank of LHM can make

Luckily, it fades quite quickly and in a few weeks you'll never know it happened...

Just be thankful it wasn't a gearbox full of oil as happened to me a few days ago!

[white exec]

Hi Graeme,
Glad to hear the good result on the suspension. Good when things go to plan.
Clean the driveway surface with Biological clothes washing liquid in warm water - cuts through LHM a treat - then hose off.
Chris

[Stickyfinger]

Biological works on a driveway.....but not on a metal ferry deck............ (I think that's what the French deck hand was saying as I drove away )

[CitroJim]

I (or rather a V6 Xantia) once covered a flat-bed recovery lorry deck in LHM. It always amazed me just how far a little LHM will go!!!

[aerodynamica]

Haha! Yes we've all been there! I've spent over an hour cleaning it with drive way cleaner and a stiff brush, then out with the pressure washer. It's looking a lot better now. Luckily it is brand new LHM so is clean enough. And sure enough Jim it's amazing how far it goes, also how quickly the tank emptied!

[aerodynamica]

Aagh! the LHM pipe blew off again!!! this time it happened as I was prking up back at home so I caught it just in time (well after some loss but not enough to bring on the stop light) it's the same pipe - the single rubber return hose at the back of the LHM filter block i.e closest to the windscreen, I am certain it is the return from the PAS (either the pinion valve or the FDV return not sure which) as it is constantly returning with the engine running but ceases when the steering is turned. Parking up where the pressure in the steering is highest causes the return to surge when the steering is released - I think this is when it pops off.

I noticed the pipe was a bit tight in its routing so it is not attached as securely as the other pipes - not sure why, it doesn't look like it has been trimmed back or anything.

I will need to extend the pipe using a bit of copper pipe and a bit of LHM hose to fit, and some new, very strong hose clips. I used to have the really good quality fuel hose clips that differ from jubilees in that they're sized to fit - ideal as they don'd distort the pipe.

Ah, if it wasn't for my love for these damn cars!!

[white exec]

There shouldn't be anything much at all in the way of 'resistance to flow' back into the LHM reservoir - it's all open pipes straight into the inside of the return filter - unless something has been modified. ???

[aerodynamica]

I think it's just standard flow right enough but that the bad connection to the pipe and the heat build up by te end of the journey (if was warmer today) contributed. I'll try again with some new pipe clips tomorrow