Intermediate ride height query

mark g · Post by **mark g** » 03 Jun 2005, 16:37

Hello everyone, This is my first post so please bear with me.
I have an L reg xantia diesl 1.9 and have a query as regards ride height. The car lifts from start with no problems to normal ride height and also goes to full height and low height with no problems.
However on selecting intermediate height from normal the front lifts to intermediate and the back seems to go to FULL height. Either that or the car when on normal has the back on intermediate (if this makes sense?) How I find out what the correct height is for "normal" at the rear? I have checked underneath and all the connections seem okay, the white plastic connector moves etc. The only thing I can see that may cause a problem is the spring loaded "joint" which connects to the cable which in turn connects to the lever inside the car. This spring seems to open up when the lever is moved but I would have thought that would stop the car going up to full height?
I hope this makes sense and thanks for any advise.
Thanks
Mark

406 V6 · Post by **406 V6** » 03 Jun 2005, 16:46

A good spraying of WD40 all-round the HC, and linkages should sort it out... remember not to stand under the car when "playing" with it, it could drop and kill you. ALWAYS use stands.

mark g · Post by **mark g** » 03 Jun 2005, 16:51

Thanks for your reply, I have already tried spraying the height control box (with the white plastic bit on it) liberally with WD40 and still have the same problem. Is it me? Is the back supposed to have an intermidate setting?
Mark

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 03 Jun 2005, 17:14

The intermediate height has never worked reliably on the two Xantias I have.
The earlier one would more happilly do intermediate but the later one doesn't it goes rock solid, it's ride height seems to be set higher too which may have some effect. The linkages on my earlier Xantia are a bit sticky and need freeing off from time to time where as the newer one's have always been free.

mark g · Post by **mark g** » 03 Jun 2005, 17:19

thanks for the reply. It's nice to know it isn't just me. I do wonder though as I have parked next to another xantia and my rear seemed a bit higher (I don't know how long they'd been parked though and they may have dropped), I'm just wondering If my Normal setting is leaving it on Intermediate at the back? I can just see the tops of the back wheels from the side, is this normal. Ride quality seems okay though.
Mark

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 03 Jun 2005, 20:24

Intermediate on a Xantia is pretty much the same as high....
If you think one end of your car is doing something that it shouldnt be, park it on flat ground and have a look at whether the sills are parallel with the ground, if you want to be more scientific you could measure the distance between the jacking points and the ground, they should be about the same distance from the floor.
I see loads of Xantias about with various different things wrong with their suspension, too high, too low, bunny hopping over bumps etc.

dan.2cv · Post by **dan.2cv** » 03 Jun 2005, 20:38

My mkI had perfect settings, but my MKII refuses to stop in between normal and max even when I ask it nicely. On the whole it behaves itself impeccably and as the 'intermediate setting tantrum' doesn't interfere with my general quality of life I allow it the drama.

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 03 Jun 2005, 23:34

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

Intermediate on a Xantia is pretty much the same as high....
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Sorry! I don't agree with that. At least my Xantia doesn't! On high, I have about 50mm between the tyre and the wheel arch rim. On normal, the tread is just level with the W A R, and on low, the tyre is half covered by the rim. Only recently have I played about with the normal height setting because for years I've thought it was on the low side. But I agree, you do see a big variety of normal ride heights on Xantias.

alexx · Post by **alexx** » 04 Jun 2005, 05:00

It seems that intermediate ride height is maladjusted on most Xantias (was on mine also). It needs some experimenting to adjust it correctly, moving the clamps several mm fwd or bwd along rods, leading from the height lever (somewhere below height correctors). Spraying with WD 40 won't help. Intermediate height should be 4 cm above the normal ride height. And normal ride height should be just in the middle between minimum and maximum height.

BMW · Post by **BMW** » 04 Jun 2005, 17:51

Xantia intermediate position in most models is not usable right after the factory - works as High position. This can be permanently fixed if you file the metal of the struct where the lever is secured:

This is the final result:

In my Xantia, I don't have 2 usable height positions, but 6 levels, which I use according to road. I made metal adaptors that hold the level in 4 additional positions.
The difference on factory quality control between Citroen and BMW is amazing. Even the Citroen's low price doesn't justify such a low quality.

406 V6 · Post by **406 V6** » 04 Jun 2005, 19:06

this one is sure for future reference![:D]

thorter · Post by **thorter** » 04 Jun 2005, 21:13

Height corrector problems
I suspect, without having proved it conclusively, that what happens as a car gets older is as follows (it is a bit technical!). Unfortunately I do not have a suitable drawing, which would make it easier to understand.
The height corrector is a spool valve with a centre off position, and proportional control for very small displacements from the centre position. The height control is a servo (feedback system) which is stabilised by damping the response speed of the height corrector using the diaphragms at each end. Fluid can only be displaced back to the tank via very small jets.

Note that for a large height demand there are disk valves that are forced open to override the slow response. This allows the fluid to flow quickly from one end to the other, bypassing the effect of the jets when, for example, the height lever is set to fully up or fully down.
There will be leakage from the high pressure port in the height corrector along the spool, but no corresponding leakage at the low pressure discharge end since there is no pressure difference there. When the car is new, the leakage will be small enough that it bleeds away via the jet.
If the jets become partially blocked with sludge, and/or the leakage increases with wear, there may be a build up of pressure (but only at the “high” end). This pushes that diaphragm in the direction which increases the height. The increasing axle height generates a “down” demand until it backs off this force, and the axle stabilises at a slightly increased height.
When the height control is set to the higher running position, it is possible that the increase would be enough to reach full (solid) height. The chances are that cleaning out the height corrector would fix the problem. Adjusting the height setting in these circumstances would not a good solution, because if the jets became unblocked the height would then be too low.

FrenchLeave · Post by **FrenchLeave** » 05 Jun 2005, 04:20

I've never understood this desire to spray everything with WD40. WD40 is a military specification (WD - War Department, geddit?) and is neither a lubricant nor a penetrating oil. It's a water dispersant which dries to a hard protective film.

czenda · Post by **czenda** » 05 Jun 2005, 04:55

I do not dig this piece of information about WD40.
Is it a water dispersant? It may disperse water, but it will not re-establish an electric connection, being a good insulant.
Will it harden to a solid protective film? No, it will not.
WD-40 as I know it is extra-extra-fine penetrating oil.
It is a product similar to and almost as good as Italian Sviting spray, which comes at about half of WD-40 price....

j_roc · Post by **j_roc** » 05 Jun 2005, 07:55

I would like to add to those that arent in the know that - WD-40 contains 30% water in its contents (to thin the mix out). I could never understand why people use it on battery terminals? And to use as a ignition spray on dizzy caps and HT leads as it just causes tracking of the elec current. The best course of action is to dry leads connections out with a dry cloth and then use a combustion spray, like Bradex Easy Start (available in the UK annyhow). Hope this helps.