HELP!

Chrispy · Unread post by **Chrispy** » 14 Jun 2005, 14:23

My ticking regulator is now thumping really hard..... HELP!
Every few seconds it thumps and you can feel it through the car. What's wrong with it???? It's booked in at the stealer this morning as there's no-one else up here that can fix it.

Unread post by **alan s** » 14 Jun 2005, 15:29

Just sounds like you've got a flat accumulator sphere.
It's 20 quid a new one and 10 minutes DIY fitting.
Alan S

Chrispy · Unread post by **Chrispy** » 14 Jun 2005, 16:05

Errr...just been on the phone to Citroen. £81.80 for a new accumulator sphere!! Errrr.... Surely that can't be right....

Unread post by **alan s** » 14 Jun 2005, 16:17

Direct from GSF on line shop:
N45304 ACCUMULATOR SPHERE XANTIA ACCUMULATOR 18.65

N45392 ACCUMULATOR SPHERE-GEN XANTIA/XM (GENUINE CITROEN) 35.00
Sounds like Mr Citroen's up to his tricks again
'Bend over; different pineapple, same result'
Alan S [:D]

Unread post by **RichardW** » 14 Jun 2005, 16:20

Right price at the dealer! Spheres are about £50, plus 1/2 hour labour.
Whereabouts are you? Changing the accumulator is really easy - especially as it has only just been done, so will spin off dead easy - you could change it in the carpark at work during lunch time [8D] Whereabouts are you? No chance of taking it back to the fitter that bodged the sphere replacement in the first place?

Chrispy · Unread post by **Chrispy** » 14 Jun 2005, 17:21

Not sure if it will spin off easy...I think the numpty who changed it last time used a big pair of mole grips to tighten it on with. I shall be purchasing an oil filter strap wrench to do this me thinks! Ordered one from local Parts Co....£19.75 plus VAT. Nice!

Chrispy · Unread post by **Chrispy** » 14 Jun 2005, 17:23

I live in Wakefield in West Yorks, but work in York by the way mate.

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 14 Jun 2005, 18:41

You sound as though you are about to join the club of us who have broken oil filter wrenches trying to get spheres off. Tools are available from GSF and a company called Plaeides (who have a website which was unpriced last time I looked) and Citroen show a double chain plumbers type chain wrench in their workshop manual for the BX. Various contributors have made their own and the design can probably be found by a search of this site. I took the hexagonal bar from my broken chain oil filter wrench which has a 1/2 in socket in one end and welded a band of 1.5 mm steel onto opposite flats so that when used to undo the sphere it wraps and grips tighter. It works first time every time and takes longer to fit than to use.
Jeremy

bxbodger · Unread post by **bxbodger** » 14 Jun 2005, 19:45

When you fit the new one, do it HAND TIGHT ONLY!!!! No tighter!!! Use about the same pressure as doing up an oil filter by hand-use NO tools!!!!!
For a remover,check in your local spares shop for the heaviest chain wrench they have- mine is about 18" long overall, very heavy double row chain, and was Franklin branded for about 9 quid- its not in the Franklin on line catalogue, though.....
Loosen it an eigth or quarter turn with the system pressurised, then depressurise before undoing it any further.

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 14 Jun 2005, 20:10

BX Bodger - why have this sphere pressurised before undoing? I never have - the only ones this is needed for is the rear suspension ones wher the cylinder itself is not bolted in place but retained by vehicle weight as in the BX. Pressure there keeps the cylinder tight in its mount and prevents rotation and damage to pipes etc.
In fact the pressure makes the spheres very tight to undo due to the friction between the respective threads and i found that having cracked them with the tool, they came undone by hand when I released the pressure.
Incidentally Chrispy -if you find the accumulator is full of LHM its a sure sigh its failed. If having released the pressure it sprays feebly its also well below proper pressure. If its fully charged (or considerably below) it will force the LHM out and little will be lost.
jeremy

bxbodger · Unread post by **bxbodger** » 14 Jun 2005, 20:53

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">why have this sphere pressurised before undoing? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Access mainly- theres a lot more room to get a good initial pull on the sphere from underneath than there is from above, and it saves getting the ramps out!

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 14 Jun 2005, 21:18

Hope you've got good life insurance! (and a guardian angel as well!)
I speak as one who sliced his finger open on a tin of pineapple and ended up having the nerve repaired under general anaesthetic. Mind you I enjoyed the 4 weeks of work - just wish it had been a bit warmer!
Things do go wrong - and if this does - the consequences are very nasty!
Jeremy

Chrispy · Unread post by **Chrispy** » 14 Jun 2005, 22:09

Bloody hell...no ramps! You nutter....even if I do it with the suspension up, the ramps are still going under it! The 'new' sphere that was fitted the other week seemed to last about 5 minutes and now as I say, the ticking is even worse at about 4 seconds. The ticking is totally mental whilst the car is rising (like several times a second)and then slows to 4 times once fully up. Lowering it all the way makes no difference IIRC. So, hopefully a new acc sphere will fix it. I'm learning tons off this site and the Citroenz one about how it all works. It's actually not that bad! It's just a bit intimidating for the beginner. After the sphere it's the 're-seating of the PR BB' behind the sphere cos that could be leaking the pressure out. Same goes for the BB behind the release valve.
My front struts are still jerky when rising and someone mentioned pouring LHM into them via a hole.....what hole is this? Can you avoid the 'jam jar' method like this?
Someone mentioned that front struts can cause leaking thus speeding up the ticking time. How can I test this?

bxbodger · Unread post by **bxbodger** » 14 Jun 2005, 22:25

I should correct the misconception here-I'm not mad!!!!!if the car is on full height setting I will bung the axlestands under loose just in case, but I am not actually lying under the car!!
I have it on full height, fit the chain, handle facing down, and then pull from in front of the car.
Is there a click more or less every time you put your foot on the brake? If so, its a pretty sure sign the sphere's shot and as Jeremy says it will be full of lhm as well.
If the struts have gone you should get lots of lhm back into the tank as the pump keeps it flowing round in its struggle to keep pressure. There are vent holes in the strut top mount which people pour lhm into-its never worked for me though, and the jamjar method only works for a short time as well. The Mcpherson type struts are just not as good a design as the older wishbone/arm system, used in earlier hydro cits and BL hydragas cars.

jeremy · Unread post by **jeremy** » 14 Jun 2005, 23:48

I think this is what is being referred to. Works for BX but not for Xantia. Xantia struts are a different (and more durable) design and last rather longer before becoming sticky. I seem to remember someone tried this method on them and found it difficult or impossible.
Jeremy