Evolution: Xantia Hydractive Suspension Regulation - Info

[white exec]

They were probably the same when they left the factory, but time takes its toll.
There are so many components which make up a hpn suspension system (fluid, seals, filters, spheres, valves, correctors, sensors, connectors, pistons and rams, pivots and bearings, acquired dirt . . .) that it's not surprising that each car "goes its own way" as the years roll on.
Most of us have acquired our Citroens "used", and have inherited all sorts and conditions!

Surprising what can be done, though, with some decent attention to the basics!

[CitroJim]

They were probably the same when they left the factory, but time takes its toll.
There are so many components which make up a hpn suspension system (fluid, seals, filters, spheres, valves, connectors, pistons and rams, pivots and bearings, acquired dirt . . .) that it's not surprising that each car "goes its own way" as the years roll on.
Most of us have acquired our Citroens "used", and have inherited all sorts and conditions!

I think you may be right there Chris and some mature like fine wines and get better with age and mileage whereas some don't...

How else to explain Gabriel at 209K almost being the best riding and most comfy Xantia I've ever owned and she's a non-hydractive model...

[white exec]

TLC, Jim, liberally applied.

[CitroJim]

TLC, Jim, liberally applied.

Maybe yes, as she has survived all those years and miles in remarkably good fettle. Look beyond the comedic peeling lacquer and she really is in very good nick overall...

Mind you, I once had a scruffy old Activa, my original 'Rattiva', that had ten blown spheres when I first had her and I just threw on any old spheres (of the right-ish spec...) I had lying around in the workshop and she handled and rode absolutely beautifully too...

In no way had she been well looked-after or maintained in her life...

Luck of the draw?

[ekjdm14]

ten blown spheres....

Some people need to be banned from owning a car!

[CitroJim]

ten blown spheres....

Some people need to be banned from owning a car!

And it was so wet inside you could have kept Koi Carp in it

[ekjdm14]

Maybe all that extra weight from the water was too much for the spheres

Can't think of a worse Xantia to have neglected spheres & damp issues though, did the activa system survive ok or did it turn out as a bucket of leaky gremlins?

[CitroJim]

did the activa system survive ok or did it turn out as a bucket of leaky gremlins?

It had more leaks than Wikileaks! It was my test bed to learn and perfect my ram repair techniques amongst many others so the car served a great service to the Activa community as a whole I learned a heck of a lot from that car and for that reason I remember it fondly...

It really did drive magically despite its scruffiness!

I only bought it for the private plate it wore. It was scrap really but I got it through an MOT with a lot of work, transferred the plate and then sold it. It then passed two more MOTs before finally retiring to the great car park in the sky so effectively I gave it three more years of life. I was more than happy with that...

[ekjdm14]

this was not the plate I was speaking to another member's father about the other day is it? An 'A' suffix?

Can't complain at three more years not to mention the experience gained has doubtless helped many other Activas survive (Activae?)

[xantia_v6]

I fitted the new style hydractive valve to the front of my XM today. Surprisingly, it was no more difficult to fit than the rear valve.
Unfortunately, it doesn't work. I have no soft mode at all at the front. I am using the same sphere as before the swap, so it isn't that. I connected Lexia, and there are no electrovalve faults logged, and the ECU is switching normally, so I suppose that there is a mechanical fault in the electrovalve of the hydractive valve. Possibly a bit of grit has got in and jammed something, I have been careful, but you never know.

I will fit a spare electrovalve tomorrow, but after that I am a bit stuck.

[white exec]

Have you got Soft at the back?
Agree that EV action is worth checking.

After I fitted my new valves (rear one first, then tested it, before doing the front), I noticed it took a very long time for the car to first rise to normal height. After it did (2-3 minutes of engine running), and a bit of citrobics, everything was ok. All got much better after I'd bled the system (at each wheel) - fair bit of air came out of RR bleed screw.

I didn't need to bleed anything else (eg blanked ports, or the new bleed screws). Maybe just lucky.

Also worth checking that very carefully that you've blanked off exactly the one of the correct ports on the anti-sink valve . . . should be one of the three at one end (one end port, and the two symetrically close to it and opposite each other). The document says that these three ports are interconnected and interchangeable, depending on vehicle fitment.

Did you dissemble the new valve shuttle parts (plunger, spring, poly collar), or leave that bit alone, just swapping over the dampers? There's a circular nylon collar in there, which needs to be the right way round, probably. I found the biasing spring surprisingly strong, btw.

Forgot: Also check that the poly return pipe from the front height corrector, which travels from R to L along the front subframe, is NOT TRAPPED under the support bracket for the EV/regulator. It is very easy to place the bracket on top of the pipe, and bolt it down, this squashing the pipe flat. This causes the height corrector to keep raising the vehicle, and suspension goes rock hard. I wrote off both front wheel spheres before sussing out what had happened, and had to replace that section of flexi pipe!

[xantia_v6]

Have you got Soft at the back?

Yes

Also worth checking that very carefully that you've blanked off exactly the one of the correct ports on the anti-sink valve . . . should be one of the three at one end (one end port, and the two symetrically close to it and opposite each other). The document says that these three ports are interconnected and interchangeable, depending on vehicle fitment.

In both cases the redundant pipe was the one screwed into the end of the anti-sink valve. I know that the correct port was blanked off because I removed the redundant pipes.

Did you dissemble the new valve shuttle parts (plunger, spring, poly collar), or leave that bit alone, just swapping over the dampers? There's a circular nylon collar in there, which needs to be the right way round, probably. I found the biasing spring surprisingly strong, btw.

No I did not dismantle the new valves. Is it possible to remove the shuttle? I tried on one of the old valves, but there was no obvious way to pull it out.

Forgot: Also check that the poly return pipe from the front height corrector, which travels from R to L along the front subframe, is NOT TRAPPED under the support bracket for the EV/regulator. It is very easy to place the bracket on top of the pipe, and bolt it down, this squashing the pipe flat. This causes the height corrector to keep raising the vehicle, and suspension goes rock hard. I wrote off both front wheel spheres before sussing out what had happened, and had to replace that section of flexi pipe!

I was careful to check that, and it would be easy to pinch that pipe, given the way the bracket sits.

Everything appears normal, but the front suspension is permanently firm.

[white exec]

Sounds as you've done everything spot on - how else???

IIRC, the shuttle comes out after cap, nylon collar and spring have been removed. Think it just required a rap/clonk down to dislodge it. Could be held in by a bit of remaining fluid.

Not likely that the shuttle valve is a problem, unless it's physically stuck, and that would take a good bit of sticktion against the very strong spring . . . which in any case biases it in the Soft position. As you've said, most likely cause of sticking in Firm is the EV solenoid valve not flipping/changing over properly.

[Mandrake]

Have you checked for high return leakage from the electrovalve ?

Is the diode mod already fitted to the car in case the diode in the coil is open circuit ?

If those are both OK a possibility is the diode is shorted - this would happen from reverse connecting it to 12v even momentarily.

Does it measure about 3.3 ohms or is it much less ? If much less, the diode is shorted and the coil sleeve will be unusable.

Personally I would have fitted your known good electrovalves to the "new" hydractive blocks. The chance of a fault with the ones that came with the blocks is relatively high, especially if someone trying to test them reverse connected them, and if only because the failure rate of electrovalves is quite high. Even if they did work there is a reasonable chance that they will be intermittent.

Try swapping the electrovalves over first and go from there.

[white exec]

That's good advice. I did the exactly the same - used my original known-good solenoids. One of the acquired EVs had a non-working solenoid, as Simon describes.