Moderator: RichardW
i thought there was something over them.....oh leave it!!!!! ..... i had a stressful day of music, downloading, msn and frenchcarforum today.....slightly embarassed nowmezuk04 wrote:Ok just got home and tried to check the colour of the lhm fluid, sadly my finger isnt long enough, yes i realize my problem in life now.
Well used a clean screwdriver and put the contents on to some tissue, its yellow, now originally its supposed to be green and brown means time to change, so does that mean yellow is half way there???
That looks like the cover for the fuse box ?Also this cover was loose ontop of the battery and the lhm tank, not exactly sure where its from.
I've seen LHM go yellow, a dirty yellow at that. I suspect it goes brown when it gets mud in it, and yellow when its got rust in it i.e. a sign that there has been condensation/water in the system. It all probably depends on the colour of your dirt! Some of the cheaper LHM you can get (not naming any names here) isn't bright neon green when it's new, I think they makers skimp on the dye a bit, further confusing the issue.Mandrake wrote:LHM does not go yellow under any circumstances, it goes from bright green to dark green, to dirty brown to black. (The latter two only in cases of extreme neglect)
The ones that went yellow though, can you be sure that they weren't topped up with the wrong type of oil at some stage ?Kowalski wrote:I've seen LHM go yellow, a dirty yellow at that. I suspect it goes brown when it gets mud in it, and yellow when its got rust in it i.e. a sign that there has been condensation/water in the system. It all probably depends on the colour of your dirt! Some of the cheaper LHM you can get (not naming any names here) isn't bright neon green when it's new, I think they makers skimp on the dye a bit, further confusing the issue.Mandrake wrote:LHM does not go yellow under any circumstances, it goes from bright green to dark green, to dirty brown to black. (The latter two only in cases of extreme neglect)
I'd agree that I couldn't guarantee the history of the LHM in question, but the cars in question had been serviced and stamped by main dealers and Citroen specialists, and had owners who seemed to understand what LHM was, so I could hope...Mandrake wrote: The ones that went yellow though, can you be sure that they weren't topped up with the wrong type of oil at some stage ?
The other hydraulic systems I've had experience of are agricultural and construction systems, i.e. JCBs and Tractors. The JCB hydraulic system is a closed system aside from tank vents (as is the Xantia, i.e. nothing is plugged in / unplugged from the system regularly) and it has a massive filter on it (about 8 inches diameter, 18 inches long) to keep the dirt at bay. A JCB digger or a tractor is an extreme case for dirt getting into the system but it finds its way in, where you've got a hydraulic ram that is the tiniest bit oily, dust sticks then gets forced past the rams. The Xantia rams have gaitors to keep the dust out, but dirt has a way of finding its way into the best sealed system.As for the colour of peoples "dirt" I don't see how dirt can get into the system in any large quantities, the only entry points being the filler cap on the tank, and during sphere changes etc.
The "dirt" that accumulates in the oil is just deposits from the insides of the hydraulic system like tiny metal particles from wear of pistons, slide valves etc...
Not sure about the LHM.The last time i did mine when i got the car it was brown/black! 
Thats why we have this excellent forum.