Front Shock absorber has negligible damping effect [2.7.5]

[CitroJim]

and contact me again on Monday. I await with interest !

So do we...

Surely only the spheres can have an influence on damping. It's jolly hard to see quite what else can if the hydraulics are properly functional in all other respects...

[Napolian]

1. 3. Get an pin and clean it out, remove the jet and blow compressed air through it, use a cotton bud to clean out it's inside. Make it spotless, likewise with the washer pipes which over the years get gummed up with algae and dirt.

I think that a pin will cause damage to the softer jet material.... use fuse wire instead!
Ian

Undo the tube and squirt WD40 down the tube and through the jets. Buy some Tesco Value vinegar at 15p and pour it in the washers. As well as cleaning the glass it also gets rid of grease and clogged up jets.

I run my car on oil and vinegar, how green is that?

[Deanxm]

Hi Bxman

I think this M.O.T tester is making a meal out of this now to be honest, the only things that will effect damping rates are the spheres or the damper units in the hydractive block under the car, it is highly unlikely that these will fail, in fact the only way they could become deffective to the point that they would cause concern at mot time is if they were missing........seems very much to me as if they dont have a clue about what they are doing and are 'winging it' disperatlly trying not to admit that they are wrong, if they insist something is wrong get the car out of there and get it mot'd somewhere else.
i dont like their idea of randomly replacing these 5 items whatever they are in a hope to cure this supposed problem.

I look forward to hearing the answer they come up with

D

[myglaren]

I run my car on oil and vinegar, how green is that?

Can you combine the two and run it on salad dressing ?

[meexi]

i agree with Dean take it to another testing station,

i hate garages that do not know what the fault is but are willing to spend your money trying to find it, if it exists at all

[Xaccers]

I read the appeal process on the wall when I had Juliet MoT'd.
It said not to get the car repaired, send off the full fee with a form that can be downloaded from the web to VOSA and they'll investigate.
If it passes you get the second fee back.

[bxman]

I have now been told that the Service Manager has written to me and that it is in the post.

I have found after a fair bit of pushing during which I got the impression that there was preference that it was not generally known all the information available is there
under Inspection Manuals & Testing Guide
for class 3,4and 7
at
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/

There appears to be very little guidance and must depend on the tester
knowing what damping is!
The suspension returns the car to the height from which it was moved with no trace of oscillation I fail to know what else was expected.

2 other working Mot testers had since looked at the car and pronounced there to be nothing wrong with the damping . And been kind enough to provide me with the necessary Notice of Appeal. Time will show

[Spireman]

Speaking as a retired Mot tester
Appeal this test to Vosa, don't go anywhere else, don't do any work or changes. You will get a free retest, supervised by Vosa, you will get a pass, the garage will get an uncomfortable few hours, they will probably have to uprate their training, education, and supervision. The tester may get points--- and what do points mean-- certainly not prizes.
You must appeal-- it will save the next victim being ripped off.
John

[Deanxm]

Nice to know someone in the trade agree's that this is not right as well.

D

[bxman]

Thank you all for the support.
Needless to say that mythical letter never arrived .
Monday morning will be revealing.
The Car is scheduled to under go a full retest by VOSA Inspector, at a neutral Testing Station. The original tester involved has been informed and has the right to observe.
Unclear at present what happens if an unrelated problem becomes apparent however I have been lead to believe that my full £54 fee is refunded if the alleged faults that are in dispute satisfy the appropriate standard.

With a bit of luck I hope to be legal again on Monday.
What is a few more hours out of my life if only I had nothing better to do with my time.

[bxman]

Well
Unless you have time to spare just go to another garage and forget it.
for 85 minutes Tim the tester {who I trust will forgive me if by chance I have chosen a name that is not anonymous enough }
and I waited while the VOSA Examiner and his expert assistant went through every aspect of my car.
It was a full 2 hours before I got my paperwork.
and probably another half hour before Tim got away after receiving
" his points"

It failed on 2 unrelated matters
ABS lamp not illuminating.
Hydraulic Fluid level too low.

and attracted 7 advisory recommendations.



It has been agreed that I will have the opportunity to represent the car within the next 10 working day to demonstrate the 2 faults are no longer present.
And that I will not be needing to pay the £54 testing fee.

2 of the advisories were that the front shock absorbers have a slightly reduced effect.

It transpired that Tim who is one of 9 testers employed by the Citroen Agents had recently been criticized because his percentage of MOT failures was so much lower than all of the other testers at the garage.

Clearly he was not generating sufficient revenue for his employers.

It prompts the question is the SERVICE MANAGER an accountant or a qualified engineer ?

His knowledge of Citroens and their characteristics certainly leaves something to be desired.

In the past 10days It was suggested by a VOSA representative that I should also be make a complaint to the Trading Standards Office.

I know their remit has be changed by government and they now probably have no authority to do anything other allow the Politicians to claim that it is no longer governments responsibility.
suggestions welcomed .

[Old-Guy]

The VoSA expets conclusively demonstrate that they know F A about Xantia suspension!

A Xantia has no "shock absorbers" or even separate dampers. Suspension damping is an integral part of the hydraulic suspension: the size of the sphere ports (between the spheres and the rams/struts) determines the low frequency damping. Higher frequency damping is physically impossible to replicate manually.

If there is sufficient LHM to maintain ride height and spheres are not completely blown, the damping effect is fixed.

Conventional dampers are charged with a fixed amount of oil or gas - as this leaks past the seals, so damping efficiency is lost.