Xantia Queries

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ninebob
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Xantia Queries

Post by ninebob »

Hi,
I've had my Xantia 2 months, bought it on eBay for pocket money. It's a 1.6LX on a 96P.
Couple of newbie questions:
1. How many spheres does this model have in total? I'm told it varies depending on the spec of the car, I'm guessing mine is the lowest?
2. The ride of the car is awful, particularly the rear which really feels like it has NO damping whatsoever. Would you say I'd get away with replacing just the rear spheres or play safe and do them all?
3. I have had a couple of places recommended to take it, namely Westroen or a place in Sawtry. However, how difficult would it be to do it myself? I don't have much mechanical knowledge.
Cheers
ninebob
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Post by ninebob »

To add to the above:
I've been reading lots of useful info on this forum so thanks in advance for your help! I have another one or two issues which I'll ask one by one in the course of time.
One thing I found on here which I didn't know before is "Citaerobics". Just been outside and done it but it doesn't seem to have improved the spacehopper ride at all :-(
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Post by Stempy »

You'd be best replacing all the spheres and the LHM if the car has unknown history. Your car most likey has the four main suspension spheres, an accumulator and an anti sink. If you did the job yourself it'd cost you about £150 to do them all including the LHM. It's not a hard job but made much easier if you have the proper sphere removal tool and you'll also need a set of ramps. DO NOT go under the car unless it is supported by axle stands or on ramps with the suspension set to the lowest setting.
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Post by jeremy »

Is the rer of the car riding at the correct height or is it stuck down? There is a plastic link connecting the height corrector to the suuspension which can brake when the linkage seizes.
Loads of info on this site - including nice diagrams.
jeremy
wrinklet1
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Post by wrinklet1 »

Hi ninebob,
I have used westroen myself a couple of times, but last time I spoke to the guy he was in poor health. He does do a good job though.
I have changed my spheres on my Xantia myself and on my last Bx. You DO need ramps, patience, ideally a strap wrench or spere removal tool or in my case, WD40, a lump hammer and cold chisel.
Big tip, give the car a power wash underneath to clean the rear struts and spheres and also the main accumalator, inside the engine bay should be clean, and also do the same for any other sphere you may have.
For the rear, put the car into hight position and put on ramps, chock the front wheels, Now loosen the sphere by putting on a strap wrench or sphere removal tool and tap with a hammer, or as with me, hit the shere at an angle so to make the force turn the sphere anti clockwise. DO NOT undo th sphere once it is loose, do the same for the other rear sphere. Once both are loose, turn th engine off and put into low position to remove any pressure, get a tray and remove the sphere's, make sure that you do not get any muck or crud or any kind into the threads of the strut, get some new LHM fluid and coat the new seal with it, put the seal into the strut and screw in the new sphere, tighten hand tight only (no need to use force as the pressure will make the seal for you). Do both sides.
For the front struts, open the bonnet and undo the front sphere as you did the back and replace as before.
The main accumaltator sphere can be a bugger because of access, but basically, put the front of the car on ramps, put into low position, undo the pressure release bolt on the accumaltor body to release any pressure, and undo as you did the rear spheres, once again make sure you have a clean seal and that it is screwed in hand tight, start the car and tighten the release bolt, the car should rise up and pressurise quickly. If you do have a centre sphere, put the car onto ramps or better still axle stands, but on flat ground, be aware though, sometimes this sphere can be a bugger to loosen and a good soaking with WD40 may be a great help.
Once you have done all the spheres, put the car on all 4 wheels and put the car in high position, check the LHM fluid level and top up if you need to.
Check around each sphere for leaks and if any, tighten the sphere.
Now, with the car running, put the car in low position, leave for about 30 seconds and put into high, leave it there once again for 30 seconds and repeat for about 5 times. This should remove any air that may have got into the system.
Now, take the car for a short ride, eg to a pub car park, raise the car into high position and check for any leaks that you may have. If none, go into pub and buy yourself a well earned drink. If there are any leaks, go into pub and buy yourself a drink and go home and retighten the said sphere(s).
Buy your spheres fro GSF and if your a member of the Citroen Car Club you will get a discount too.
Good luck
Paul
martyhopkirk

Post by martyhopkirk »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by wrinklet1</i>


Buy your spheres fro GSF and if your a member of the Citroen Car Club you will get a discount too.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I didnt know that... damn and after i have just bought a bucket full of bits too.
ninebob
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Post by ninebob »

Wrinklet1, that's a fab set of instructions but has only made it clear that it's not a realistic project for someone as completely non spanner handed as me!
Westroen reckon £25 a sphere fitted plus £40 to change the LHM and wash filter, so that's only £40 more than doing it myself - worth it to save the hassle I reckon!
Jeremy, the car appears to ride at toally the correct height, seemed to perform it's citaerobics OK as well.
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Post by mattpc »

There are well known places you can go and get 6 spheres supplied and fitted for £150. Just had it done myself.
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Post by NiSk »

A little point to an excellent description - only loosen the pressure release screw max 1 - 1 1/2 turns DONT screw it out! There is a spring and ball bearing behind it that will fly to oblivion!!
//NiSk
weety
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Post by weety »

hey mattpc are any of those well known places in kent???
weety has soggy xantia suspension
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Post by mattpc »

Don't know about Kent, mine was in Chorlton, Manchester which is 10 miles from my house so I got lucky!
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Ian Fearn
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Post by Ian Fearn »

Having managed to get all my BX spheres off bar one i bought the tool from Pleiades, worth its weight in gold (and its damn heavy!!)
I then did a 1994 Xantia TD belonging to a mate, when i came to do the rear centre sphere (not anti sink as people believe!!!) i managed to break the pipe off that it joins into as this is the only sphere that doesnt screw directly into a strut or hydraulic pump.
I managed to weld up a blank so the car could be driven to a garage where they made a pipe as its got a 9mm union rather than the usual 8mm and citroen dont sell this pipe ready made!
Just something to bear in mind if anybody does it themselves.
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Post by JohnD »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by weety</i>

hey mattpc are any of those well known places in kent???
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
If you are not too far from Redhill in Surrey, you could try 01737 644828. They specialize in Citroen hydraulics.
mattpc
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Post by mattpc »

There's another guy that does them at Westroen with Doug. Doug must be on the mend as he told me that last week he'd done two of the jobs himself so looks like he's on the up![:)]
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by wrinklet1</i>

Hi ninebob,
I have used westroen myself a couple of times, but last time I spoke to the guy he was in poor health. He does do a good job though.
I have changed my spheres on my Xantia myself and on my last Bx. You DO need ramps, patience, ideally a strap wrench or spere removal tool or in my case, WD40, a lump hammer and cold chisel.
Big tip, give the car a power wash underneath to clean the rear struts and spheres and also the main accumalator, inside the engine bay should be clean, and also do the same for any other sphere you may have.
For the rear, put the car into hight position and put on ramps, chock the front wheels, Now loosen the sphere by putting on a strap wrench or sphere removal tool and tap with a hammer, or as with me, hit the shere at an angle so to make the force turn the sphere anti clockwise. DO NOT undo th sphere once it is loose, do the same for the other rear sphere. Once both are loose, turn th engine off and put into low position to remove any pressure, get a tray and remove the sphere's, make sure that you do not get any muck or crud or any kind into the threads of the strut, get some new LHM fluid and coat the new seal with it, put the seal into the strut and screw in the new sphere, tighten hand tight only (no need to use force as the pressure will make the seal for you). Do both sides.
For the front struts, open the bonnet and undo the front sphere as you did the back and replace as before.
The main accumaltator sphere can be a bugger because of access, but basically, put the front of the car on ramps, put into low position, undo the pressure release bolt on the accumaltor body to release any pressure, and undo as you did the rear spheres, once again make sure you have a clean seal and that it is screwed in hand tight, start the car and tighten the release bolt, the car should rise up and pressurise quickly. If you do have a centre sphere, put the car onto ramps or better still axle stands, but on flat ground, be aware though, sometimes this sphere can be a bugger to loosen and a good soaking with WD40 may be a great help.
Once you have done all the spheres, put the car on all 4 wheels and put the car in high position, check the LHM fluid level and top up if you need to.
Check around each sphere for leaks and if any, tighten the sphere.
Now, with the car running, put the car in low position, leave for about 30 seconds and put into high, leave it there once again for 30 seconds and repeat for about 5 times. This should remove any air that may have got into the system.
Now, take the car for a short ride, eg to a pub car park, raise the car into high position and check for any leaks that you may have. If none, go into pub and buy yourself a well earned drink. If there are any leaks, go into pub and buy yourself a drink and go home and retighten the said sphere(s).
Buy your spheres fro GSF and if your a member of the Citroen Car Club you will get a discount too.
Good luck
Paul
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
philhoward

Post by philhoward »

There's Doug snr (the boss) and Doug jnr (who did mine as snr was still on the mend at the time)...
I can't fault their service, and the 3yr warranty is a nice little extra. Seeing the shower of LHM which Doug got, it was worth the £200 for my full set (a VSX has 8 spheres). Trickiest bit was whether or not he had a full set of VSX spheres (normal ones shouldn't be a problem, though). They may be recons, but they must be okay if they offer the warranty on them.
Upon removal of the old ones, the road spheres were previously supplied by them (but not fitted) some years previously!
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