Rear of car sometimes seems hard
Moderator: RichardW
-
- Posts: 347
- Joined: 20 Mar 2009, 16:15
- Location: South Wales
- My Cars: In the past French ones
54 reg C5 Estate vtr
Picasso 2.0 HDI
X reg Xantia 2.0 Hdi
V reg Xantia Exclusive 2.0 hdi
BX Diesel 1.7
C5 2.2 Diesel exclusive auto. - x 11
Rear of car sometimes seems hard
Only now and again, it seems when i go over a bump it bangs sometimes and other times just glides over the same bump.
Do you think it may be the rear spheres or something else..The car looks to be normal height..
What are these magic box things they sell on ebay that you wire into the loom,anyone ever tried one or are they rubbish.. I notice that posts do not include an ebay link on this forum just the item number so i shall do the same for this box....200345139910..I do not want to break any rules if there are any..
Whats your thoughts..?
Do you think it may be the rear spheres or something else..The car looks to be normal height..
What are these magic box things they sell on ebay that you wire into the loom,anyone ever tried one or are they rubbish.. I notice that posts do not include an ebay link on this forum just the item number so i shall do the same for this box....200345139910..I do not want to break any rules if there are any..
Whats your thoughts..?
Jaguar 2.0 Diesel
Peugeot 407 Diesel
LIVING THE DREAM
Russ..
Peugeot 407 Diesel
LIVING THE DREAM
Russ..
-
- Posts: 1626
- Joined: 26 Feb 2004, 23:21
- Location: Cloud Cuckooland
- My Cars: C5 V6 Mk1 assainated by wife
Renault Kangoo 1.6 auto, tarted up and remapped
Still missing the Xantia V6
Not missing the AX - Contact:
Mines the same, I'm sure it's not quite right but I haven't got around to tracing any possible fault. When I get time I'm gonna pull the ECU apart. I fitted the diodes a while back but there still seems to be something not quite right.
Unless they're all like that. sir
Unless they're all like that. sir
It infuriates me to be wrong when I know I'm right
Lexia ponce
http://perception.dyndns.biz/~avengineering/index.htm
Lexia ponce
http://perception.dyndns.biz/~avengineering/index.htm
- myglaren
- Forum Admin Team
- Posts: 25459
- Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
- Location: Washington
- My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX - x 4917
Re: Rear of car sometimes seems hard
There is no rule against posting a link but they can get very long and messy unless they are contracted thusly.Xantic wrote:I notice that posts do not include an ebay link on this forum just the item number so i shall do the same for this box....200345139910..I do not want to break any rules if there are any..
- CitroJim
- A very naughty boy
- Posts: 49620
- Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
- Location: Paggers
- My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
- x 6182
- Contact:
If the diodes have gone, the magic box works a treat.
Before fitting one though, do a simple check of listening to the valves with the car stopped and switched off. Wait at least a minute for the car to settle in hard mode (the default when the ignition is off and all doors closed) and then open a door. You should hear both valves click open with a sharp click and they should hum then denoting the holding pulse train from the ECU is keeping themm operated. Shut the door, wait 30 seconds and then you should hear the valves click closed and the hum cease. If you don't hear that, either the diodes have gone or there is something else.
What is absolutly necessary is a Lexia diagnosis. The Hydractive ECU often has stored faults (often the steering sensor) and the presence of these faults causes the ECU to use default values from the sensor generating the (intermittent) fault. It is amazing how much difference just clearing the faults makes to the ride and handling.
If the fault remains, you may have low hydraulic system pressure that is not enough to operate the vales hydraulically or a valve with a mechanical fault although this is rare.
A healthy accumulator on a hydractive car is essential to ensure system pressure remains constantly high.
Before fitting one though, do a simple check of listening to the valves with the car stopped and switched off. Wait at least a minute for the car to settle in hard mode (the default when the ignition is off and all doors closed) and then open a door. You should hear both valves click open with a sharp click and they should hum then denoting the holding pulse train from the ECU is keeping themm operated. Shut the door, wait 30 seconds and then you should hear the valves click closed and the hum cease. If you don't hear that, either the diodes have gone or there is something else.
What is absolutly necessary is a Lexia diagnosis. The Hydractive ECU often has stored faults (often the steering sensor) and the presence of these faults causes the ECU to use default values from the sensor generating the (intermittent) fault. It is amazing how much difference just clearing the faults makes to the ride and handling.
If the fault remains, you may have low hydraulic system pressure that is not enough to operate the vales hydraulically or a valve with a mechanical fault although this is rare.
A healthy accumulator on a hydractive car is essential to ensure system pressure remains constantly high.
Jim
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
-
- Posts: 347
- Joined: 20 Mar 2009, 16:15
- Location: South Wales
- My Cars: In the past French ones
54 reg C5 Estate vtr
Picasso 2.0 HDI
X reg Xantia 2.0 Hdi
V reg Xantia Exclusive 2.0 hdi
BX Diesel 1.7
C5 2.2 Diesel exclusive auto. - x 11
Thanks for the replies..Is anyone near me with a Lexia then, I would rather pay another member on here than the stealers..
I will do the test as mentioned and report back.
Ok , I did the test and think i heard a click but as there seems to be a lot of noisy kids in the street tonight i will try it again when its more peacefull.
Russ
I will do the test as mentioned and report back.
Ok , I did the test and think i heard a click but as there seems to be a lot of noisy kids in the street tonight i will try it again when its more peacefull.
Russ
Jaguar 2.0 Diesel
Peugeot 407 Diesel
LIVING THE DREAM
Russ..
Peugeot 407 Diesel
LIVING THE DREAM
Russ..
I had the same problem on mine, turned out to be a rear corner sphere (eventually both). As has been mentioned, the suspension goes into hard mode whenever the front is supressed(by a bump etc.) beyond a certain threshold, and stays in hard mode for a short while, enough however for the rear wheels to pass the same bump.
In my case, the center sphere provided some damping under normal driving conditions, so I didn't become aware of the bad state of the corner spheres, with the center sphere isolated however the rear was very hard and really unpleasant over speed bumps. Since in the beginning only one of the corner spheres where bad, the car was noticeably stiffer on one side.
In my case, the center sphere provided some damping under normal driving conditions, so I didn't become aware of the bad state of the corner spheres, with the center sphere isolated however the rear was very hard and really unpleasant over speed bumps. Since in the beginning only one of the corner spheres where bad, the car was noticeably stiffer on one side.
- xantia_v6
- Forum Admin Team
- Posts: 9083
- Joined: 09 Nov 2005, 22:03
- Location: France or NewZealand
- Lexia Available: Yes
- My Cars: -
1997 Citroen Xantia V6 (France)
1999 Citroen XM V6 ES9 (France)
2011 Peugeot 308 CC THP 155 (NZ)
1975 Jaguar XJ-S pre-HE (NZ) - x 833
I thought that my car had intermittantly hard rear suspension, and the rear wa often slow to switch to soft mode (60 seconds) in the morning, but the valves all sounded OK.
The first check (Richard's Lexia) showed no suspension fault. I fitted new spheres, but it still did not feel quite right, 9 months later another check (Jim's Lexia) showed an intermittant rear electovalve. Sometimes when bouncing on the rear of the car with a door open, the suspension was electrically in soft mode (so the ECU was happy) but the suspension was semi-hard, as if the valve was only partlly open.
I added the extra diodes (bought from Maplins and soldered in), and the rear electrovalve now switches instantly. It has now been more than a month, and I have not noticed a single case of the rear being slow to go soft in the morning, or at any other time. So I am now a fan of fitting the extra diodes.
The first check (Richard's Lexia) showed no suspension fault. I fitted new spheres, but it still did not feel quite right, 9 months later another check (Jim's Lexia) showed an intermittant rear electovalve. Sometimes when bouncing on the rear of the car with a door open, the suspension was electrically in soft mode (so the ECU was happy) but the suspension was semi-hard, as if the valve was only partlly open.
I added the extra diodes (bought from Maplins and soldered in), and the rear electrovalve now switches instantly. It has now been more than a month, and I have not noticed a single case of the rear being slow to go soft in the morning, or at any other time. So I am now a fan of fitting the extra diodes.
-
- Posts: 347
- Joined: 20 Mar 2009, 16:15
- Location: South Wales
- My Cars: In the past French ones
54 reg C5 Estate vtr
Picasso 2.0 HDI
X reg Xantia 2.0 Hdi
V reg Xantia Exclusive 2.0 hdi
BX Diesel 1.7
C5 2.2 Diesel exclusive auto. - x 11
Is there a how to posted on the forum somewhere as i can't find anythingxantia_v6 wrote:The magic box on ebay contains 3 diodes (the third is only used on an Activa), with some connecting wires and clip-connectors.
If you are handy with a soldering rion, you can make the same thing yourself, or solder the diodes directly into the harness near the Hydroactive ECU.
Jaguar 2.0 Diesel
Peugeot 407 Diesel
LIVING THE DREAM
Russ..
Peugeot 407 Diesel
LIVING THE DREAM
Russ..
- xantia_v6
- Forum Admin Team
- Posts: 9083
- Joined: 09 Nov 2005, 22:03
- Location: France or NewZealand
- Lexia Available: Yes
- My Cars: -
1997 Citroen Xantia V6 (France)
1999 Citroen XM V6 ES9 (France)
2011 Peugeot 308 CC THP 155 (NZ)
1975 Jaguar XJ-S pre-HE (NZ) - x 833
with a kit or diy
-
- Posts: 347
- Joined: 20 Mar 2009, 16:15
- Location: South Wales
- My Cars: In the past French ones
54 reg C5 Estate vtr
Picasso 2.0 HDI
X reg Xantia 2.0 Hdi
V reg Xantia Exclusive 2.0 hdi
BX Diesel 1.7
C5 2.2 Diesel exclusive auto. - x 11
Thanks for the info..All i need now is what diodes to buy, I am a bit confused as to where they go but that could be the beer..xantia_v6 wrote:with a kit or diy
I have noticed that when i park on my drive which has a slight incline, then when i pull off it seems hard..If i am parked on a flat road before starting it levels itself and no hard ride at all.. It does take a while after leaving my drive to setlle and become a soft ride, even though i let it tick over for at least 2 mins before pulling away..
I need everythin working fine as we are off to Cornwall on holidays in 3 weeks so fingers crossed.
Jaguar 2.0 Diesel
Peugeot 407 Diesel
LIVING THE DREAM
Russ..
Peugeot 407 Diesel
LIVING THE DREAM
Russ..