Xantia Activa help!! 1 Hydraulics, 2 Electrics

cookingfat · Post by **cookingfat** » 07 Mar 2006, 15:52

1 HYDRAULICS: At first the stop light came on then went off - intermittently, checked fluid it's OK, but has a small leak (looks like rear height corrector, to be rectified) and the rear spheres are hard - due to be changed. Is it the accumulator sphere, as the car has only done 76K (V reg, FSH) and not the HP pump? The car when parked doesn't settle and now the front comes up, also it will not rise to max height when control is set to max? Steering and brakes all OK, apart from the intermittent stop light warning!!.

2 ELECTRICS: This weekend the front wipers stopped, as did the heater, electric windows and rear demister - fuses all OK??? Is there a relay, PCB under the dash that is common and faulty?

THANKS for any advice help offered Cheers Dave

dnsey · Post by **dnsey** » 07 Mar 2006, 16:37

1) If the car won't rise to full height, you can't check the LHM level!
I'd guess that it's low - try a finger in the resevoir at low position, you should be able to reach the fluid. having said that, the accumulator and rear spheres may well need renewing if they haven't been done before.
2) Ignition switch faulty - search the forum for details

Post by **Peter.N.** » 07 Mar 2006, 17:53

If the stop light is not on when the suspension wont rise, check the tension of the pump drive belt.

dnsey · Post by **dnsey** » 08 Mar 2006, 08:58

If the belt's that loose, the light should come on to indicate low pressure, shouldn't it?

Post by **Peter.N.** » 08 Mar 2006, 09:26

Not necessaraly, it could still be turning the pump enough to bring the pressure up to the point that it extinguishes the light but not supplying sufficient quantity of fluid. If this is the case, if you drive off before the suspension has come up, you will find that the steering is heavy.

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 08 Mar 2006, 11:20

Peter.N. wrote:Not necessaraly, it could still be turning the pump enough to bring the pressure up to the point that it extinguishes the light but not supplying sufficient quantity of fluid. If this is the case, if you drive off before the suspension has come up, you will find that the steering is heavy.

Not so on a 6+2 Pump Xantia.... the pressure in the main system has no bearing on the power steering at all, the steering is light the moment the engine starts...(unless the pump is crook)

On the earlier Xantia's with the single output pump the steering is a little bit heaver while the system is pressurizing, but not by much...

Regards,
Simon

dnsey · Post by **dnsey** » 08 Mar 2006, 13:53

I'm open to correction, but I thought that even on the single outlet system, the warning lamp operated at a higher pressure than the security valve. If the valve's fully open, there should be enough pressure to raise the car.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 08 Mar 2006, 14:24

Ah! I am only familiar with the pumps used on the XM, didn't realise that the Xantia was different

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 08 Mar 2006, 16:45

Generally the hydraulic warning light is illuminated by the safety valve AND the reservoir level switch - so your light goes off normally as the pressure rises and then comes on when the reservoir level drops as the fluid is fed into the system. The warning light will always light the stop light as well.

Deflating spheres will take more presurises LHM before the car rises etc. ultimately when the diaphragm ruptures they will hold a considerable quantity of LHM which will not be returned to the reservoir and will run down your arm when you replace the sphere. Naturally this will show up as a drop in the reservoir level.

If the car won't rise and fall properly your first checks should be on the height corrector linkages. There are numerous posts on this subject.

REMEMBER to support the car very well before getting underneath as if you get it wrong it will KILL you.