Removing 2.0 TCT engine and other Activa thingies

[Mandrake]

Finally got to watch the video successfully - still looks like binding struts to me, the clue is that it moves slowly through the mid height position but when it passes the half way point it suddenly speeds up and hits the limit stops quickly, even in the upwards direction, like a cork popping out above the water.

When the struts bind due to lack of lubrication or excessive side thrust on the bushes they bind at normal ride height but move freely at minimum and maximum height - this is because the wheel track changes on a McPherson strut with suspension travel.

And just as I suspected, the wheels were on significant lock, this increases side thrust on the strut bushes and makes it more prone to behave like this.

It's probably worth checking the height corrector linkage is lubed as well, but I don't think that's your problem. Have the front strut shafts under the gaiters been lubed recently ? I'd be doing that first...

KP: I've had both my Xantia's do exactly what's shown in the video by having the suspension on full height, rolling the car forward a couple of feet then dropping the height to normal height - it will keep oscillating above and below normal height due to a high side thrust on the strut bushes causing binding of the struts near the half way point.

Lack of lubrication of the struts will cause it to happen much more easily. I still contend that straightening the wheels and letting the car roll slightly while the height adjusts to normal height will stop it oscillating. In that case I'd just give the struts a good lube.

[xantos]

It looks like she wants to be a low rider

Height correctors were taken off, disassembled, cleaned, linkages cleaned and greased about a year ago. Also the front strut shafts have been lubed about the same time...

Now I am using hydrarincage for 4500km and it will be about time to replace it with LHM. The ride has improved a bit but not drastically. Still periods off near perfect and harsh ride. Trying to solve now where the farting noise comes from, when the car is stopped. I think it's from the front electrovalve, who is internally leaking (and now also leaking outside). Luckily a have cheaply bought another Xantia hydractive with hydraulics working as it should (bouncing test perfect, every time electrovalves are energized). So another Xantia is sacrificed for an Activa to fight another day. Sadly it's not a TCT but 2.0 16v. You can't have everything eh?

[xantos]

Looks like hydrarincage is doing the magic after nearly 5000km (and I was just about to change it back to LHM last week).

The ride is just about perfect for the last three days! What a difference! The car is really up bumps and holes. Especially the highway is silky smooth and now it's sailing like a ship! Hopefully I'm not speaking to early!

[Hell Razor5543]

You will need to switch back to LHM very soon then. Hydraflush is not very 'greasy' so after a while things might start to seize up, hence the upper limit of 5,000KM.

[Mandrake]

Looks like hydrarincage is doing the magic after nearly 5000km (and I was just about to change it back to LHM last week).

The ride is just about perfect for the last three days! What a difference! The car is really up bumps and holes. Especially the highway is silky smooth and now it's sailing like a ship! Hopefully I'm not speaking to early!

Don't jinx it!!

Keep in mind though that its a thinner oil than normal LHM - thinner oil will pass more easily through the damper valves in the spheres and Hydractive control blocks which means the damping is not as firm, which may give a slightly softer than normal ride. The real test will be when you change the oil back.

[xantos]

Yes I've jinxed it!

This morning driving to work the suspension was not as good as previous days... Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Once you get a taste of perfect suspension you just want it badly! All the time!

Oh well... The source of air bubbles is laughing to me right in the face. I'm just to blind to see...

[xantos]

Yesterday I finally got some time to change the hydrarincage with LHM. Since the LHM reservoir was out I decided to change the anti-sink and security valve, which are fitted to the other Xantia that I have for parts. The other Xantia has really good suspension and when I removed the tank there was no leakage in the return pipes. Well to get to anti-sink valve you have to remove the brake doseur. I have done it once when I had to change the rubber cap seal, but I forgot just how difficult it is! A lot of fiddling and nerves of steel do the job! Well I could get to the anti-sink valve and change it, but security valve is impossible to get at. And also all the pipes are very corroded so even if you could get to it, it would be most difficult to undo the bolts... So I gave up with the security valve... But then in the morning it struck me that it might be possible to get at the security valve if you remove the fender. Will give it a look...

So to make a long story short, this is what I've done:
- changed LHM
- cleaned reservoir and filters
- changed anti-sink valve
- bleed brakes

It took me about 8 hours (I was up until 2am) and my knees are killing me today (never mind the mental scars) as I was in an awkward position almost all 8 hours.

When I found out that I can't change the security valve I "hit the wall" and I was really close on giving up on the car...

[KP]

With the lhm tank there is a mod that can help massively reduce the bubbles in the tank and this air In the system iirc.

Sorry simon I was viewing it on my mobile and they looked ok to me

I must have been lucky with previous xantia's as I haven't has such an issue in the past

(Now runs round touching plenty of wood!!)

[xantos]

Yes I know about "the 10min mode" for cutting the plastic pipe inside the reservoir container, as I had it done. I have changed the cover of LHM reservoir (with a used one) and I didn't cut the pipe, thinking that this one might be ok. Still there are bubbles in the reservoir but not as many as before. On ride and max height there are almost none, but on low there are quite a few. Interesting is that when I open the pressure release screw then suddenly wuuuuuush, millions of tiny bubbles rush to the reservoir. Where is the catch? I just don't understand...

Well now that I have changed back to LHM the ride is quite smooth and floaty but still not as good as it should be (but getting there ). Interesting is now that I changed the anti-sink valve it drops like a sinker. But I don't mind as it comes up really quickly, much faster than before. So I don't mind if it's a sinker from now on as long as it is smooth and rising quickly

Just have to say that I had to modify the anti-sink valve from the hydractive Xantia as it has only 4 pipes going into it. The Activa has 5 pipes and one is on the cap of anti-sink valve, so I just changed the cap with the one that has a hole for the pipe, as the valves looked identical to me. Maybe they are not.

[Mandrake]

You might have the wrong anti-sink valve.

There are actually three different versions of the valve, although I believe the Activa uses the same type as Hydractive 2. The following should help:

http://homepages.igrin.co.nz/simon/imag ... /antisink/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BTW all three versions of the valve have 5 ports, none of them have 4...

Are you sure its an anti-sink valve and not something else like a priority valve ?

[xantos]

Today I started the car and it didn't drop down to the floor. So I think I might have got away with it... If the anti-sink valve isn't the right one there should be problems with the hydraulics. But everything seems to be working fine. But I have forgot that there is another anti-sink valve at the back of the car just under the anti-sink sphere

By priority valve you mean security valve? I've tried to change that one too but couldn't get to it. Maybe if I remove the fender I could get to it. But the pipes are all very rusty so it would be a PITA to remove them and I bet that I would brake some...

I think Citroen might have changed some hydraulic parts, as my Xantia for parts is year 2000 and I believe that there have been some modifications.

Here is how the anti-sink looks like from Xantia year 2000. It's a picture from the web but you can see it has only 4 ports...

[CitroJim]

Non-radioactive cars have four and Hydractives have five. I know for sure as today we've stripped an Activa rear subframe..

Anti-sink valves must be mounted the correct way up. A XM years ago used to sink at the rear and nobody could ever work out why. Eventually the cause was found to be the anti-sink valve being mounted upside-down.

I know that sounds like a wind-up but it is absolutely the truth.

[xantos]

Non-radioactive cars have four and Hydractives have five.

Does that mean that non-radioactive cars don't glow in the dark and radioactive glow

Well it's definitely hydractive but it has only four ports. The anti-sink valve was located under the LHM reservoir... Maybe someone tempered with it and redirected the pipes and just put a blind cap on the other side. Ohh well I will just see what happens with the car in the future and hopefully I plumbed it right.

If you remove the anti-sink valve you must bleed the brakes afterwards?

[CitroJim]

Sorry Xantos. My spell checker decided to mutate Non-Hydractive!

If you remove the anti-sink valve you must bleed the brakes afterwards?

Always a very good idea to whenever the suspension has been played with...

[myglaren]

Sorry Xantos. My spell checker decided to mutate Non-Hydractive!

And I thought it was humour

Will always be used in future now Jim