Xantia HDi power steering/handbrake

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mcgregor
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Xantia HDi power steering/handbrake

Post by mcgregor »

Hi
My 2002 Xantia Hdi 110 has a couple of problems I am hoping someone can help me with. The first is that every now and again the steering feels ever so slightly heavier than normal when turning on fairly slow tightish bends. At first I thought it was my imagination but it definitely is not and it only happens occasionally. I have had a look and can find nothing obvious. Has anyone any idea what might be causing this?
The second small problem is the handbrake on the nearside is hardly holding at all. I have adjusted the cable but still it is poor. Again any ideas will be gratefully received.
Cheers
Dave
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Post by CitroJim »

Hi Dave,

The power steering issue is often caused by the 6 piston side of the HP pump beginning to fail. On these, there are effectively two pumps in one, one is a 6 piston one purely for the power steering and the other is a 2 piston one for the suspension and brakes. Check the pinion valve and ram for leaks though.

EDIT: Forgot to add this problem can also be caused by a worn aux drive belt or tensioners causing the belt to slip on the pump pulley.

The handbrake issue is most likely either the cables themselves (broken outers), the compensator seized (the device that takes the single cable from the lever and divides it into the two cables that go to each caliper) or a caliper seized on its slides or the pads seized in the caliper. A good clean-up and service of the caliper should resolve it if the cables and compensator are OK.

It is unlikely to be an internal problem with the caliper or its ratchet mechanism but whatever you do, don't take the handbrake mechanism on the caliper apart :twisted: It's a very difficult job to reassemble.

I hope that in the past someone has not tried to retract the pistons in the conventional way, not realising the pistons have to be would back and not simply pushed back. Excessive force in trying to push the pistons back can damage the handbrake mechanism.
Jim

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Post by mcgregor »

Thanks Jim. That should of course have been 2001 Hdi. I have had the car from new and it is now up to 92K miles and replaced the brake pads myself the last twice so I can be pretty sure that unless the Citroen agent did it in the first 3 years the pistons have been wound back correctly. I don't much like the sound of possible hydraulic pump failure, that sounds expensive.
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Dave
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Post by CitroJim »

I hope not as well Dave,

Hopefully it'll be the belt.

If you do, it may be best to get an exchange pump from Pleiades here:

http://www.citroen-hydraulics.com/
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Post by mpr1956 »

Hi Dave, the "notchiness" in the steering of my 93tdsx (and the BX before it ) was quite severe especially in the cold weather.. following advice on here I hydraflushed the hydraulic system and cleaned the filters in the LHM tank and I have had no trouble since. I should add that I suspect I have had a "lazy" pump since I bought the car 30 months ago, but apart from taking a minute or two to rise on frosty mornings it is still going ok. I hope this cheap option fixes your problem ! Best wishes, Martin
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Post by RichardW »

Yep, first port of call for any LHM related issues is Hydraflush and clean the filters. Check also that the belt is still tight - there is an issue with the spring tensioner stopping working on the later TDs - and I think this arrangement was carried over into the HDI engines.

I expect you will find the handbrake cable on the N/S is broken where it bends around the caliper. They're pretty easy to change and cheap.
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Post by mcgregor »

Hydraflush? Can someone tell me what it is and how to do it please.

The nearside cable is definately not broken the cable pulls fine but its wheel turning stopping abilities are fairly poor for example I had to drop the car onto the wheels to do final tightening on the wheelnuts on that side.
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Post by CitroJim »

Yes, Hydraflush is used to clean the hydraulic system.

To use it, do precisely as you would do at a routine LHM change but rather than refilling with LHM, refill with Hydraflush. Run the car with Hydraflush in for 500-1000 miles and then change it and refill with LHM.

Job done.

What does you LHM currently look like? is it clean and a nice neon green or dirty yellow looking?
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Post by mcgregor »

Thanks Jim I shall have a look at the LHM fluid tonight. This might be a silly question so forgive me please. How do you drain off the LHM fluid?
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Post by jeremy »

If the nearside cable is ok check that the operating lever on the caliper is returning properly - to allow the mechanism to work.

Does the lever tighten up if you press hard on the pedal with the engine running and pull the lever up and down?

Otherwise it looks like a caliper overhaul. Some oil on the mechanism might help as might lubrication of the caliper slides.

Its worth checking the price of recon ones from GSF and Eurocarparts.
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Post by CitroJim »

mcgregor wrote:Thanks Jim I shall have a look at the LHM fluid tonight. This might be a silly question so forgive me please. How do you drain off the LHM fluid?
Not silly at all :wink:

The only way to drain the LHM is to remove the reservoir full of LHM and pour it out. :twisted:

In more detail:

Engine running, set on low suspension height, stop, depressurise (loosen but dont remove 12mm nut on regularor block, You'll hear a whoosh as the LHM returns to the reservoir).

Remove clip across the top of the LHM Reservoir and lift out circular top part with filters attached and put to one side. I pop this in a cut-down 2L Cola bottle. Take care with all the pipes and filters below it.

Unscrew the two 10mm nuts securing the LHM reservoir and lift out. It is heavy, having almost a gallon of LHM in it. Pour the old LHM into a suitable vessel and dispose of like old engine oil.

carefully detach and clean the filters in petrol. Beware of loosing bits and the disc in the bottom of the sight glass.

Reassemble, refill with LHM, nip up the bleed nut and start up. Perform "Citarobics" (5 or so complete cycles of the suspension from low to high and back again) and bleed brakes.

Check LHM level and top up if necessary.
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Post by Xaccers »

Haynes BoL also suggests turning the steering wheel to from full lock to full lock to return any LHM in the power steering rams while the engine is off (not the easiest of things to do with a 2.1TD, or am I just getting old?)
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Post by RichardW »

"Remove clip across the top of the LHM Reservoir and lift out circular top part with filters attached and put to one side. I pop this in a cut-down 2L Cola bottle. Take care with all the pipes and filters below it. "

Now there's a Haynes-ism if ever I heard one :lol: To do this on mine I had to syphon all the LHM out, unclip the pipes from the side of the tank then unclip the pipe support off the tank, cut a few cable ties that were holding various pipes on, wiggle the tank a lot to get the rubber foot to disengage, then once it was disengaged cant the tank over at least 45° before I could get the filter block out. :twisted:

At least when it goes back in (empty!) you can tilt it right over 90° which makes life easier!

I just remembered that Xantias are prone to getting water in the boot on the back of caliper which corrodes the h/brake mech - my Dad had this on his Xantia a couple of years ago. You can buy a repair kit from Citroen, remove the boot and gubbins, rebuild, add lots of grease, job done.
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Post by CitroJim »

RichardW wrote: Now there's a Haynes-ism if ever I heard one :lol:
:lol: :lol: Yes, indeed. Agreed. I posted in my tea break and was a bit quick and brief there, boss was looking over my shoulder muttering something about forums :roll:

This is the great thing about forums, what one forgets or glosses over another fills in the gaps and yet another puts a different angle on the subject. It all adds up to be most valuable.

Last time I did the job I disconnected a couple of pipes to make it a little easier but generally it was not too bad. That was on a '93 TD though so newer ones may be more tricky. I do recall the LHM reservoir being rather heavy and unbalanced when full of LHM.
Last edited by CitroJim on 06 Jun 2007, 16:23, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Xaccers »

It really could do with a drain plug!
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