Xantia LHM return

[Longdog]

Hi all, My Xantia has two return pipes from the gaiters on the rear suspension rams which are just poked into a box section of the sub-frame. Can anybody tell me if they should be connected to some sort of fluid return to the reservoir.Does the presence of fluid signal totaled rams.Cheers Andy.

[CitroJim]

Welcome to the forum Andy

Yes, both are return lines back to the reservoir. They both end up in "Y" junctions on top of the subframe and are impossible to see.

Where are you seeing LHM?

LHM around the rear cylinder gaiters is not necessarily fatal as they run with LHM in them, hence the beefy return lines.

New gaiters are available. Rear cylinders are normally pretty reliable on a Xantia.

[Longdog]

Thanks for reply.Car was up on a four poster and fluid is leaking along the sub frame apparently from inside.It obviously creeps quite well and is appearing under n/s suspension unit on the road.The unit is bone dry.The two tubes respond with a "puff" when the gaiters are squeezed.I assumed these two pipes may join in a tee arrangement, but I am not sure where?
Is there a way of connecting them to the relevant return line outside the box section?Sorry for all the questions only I don't want the hydraulics replaced by my garage unecessarily.

[CitroJim]

have a look at the picture below of a rear subframe I have growing in my garden

It's a birds-eye view and you cannot see this when on the car but the green arrows shows the cylinder returns and the "Y" junctions where they join. Note that the returns also dive through a hole in the middle to connect to the height corrector leakage return and if applicable, the hydractive electrovalve return.



The subframe is easy enough to drop and inch or so if you suspect one of the pipes has popped out of one of the "Y" junctions...

[myglaren]

That's a very clever bit of gardening Jim!
Do you think I could grow new tyres hydroponically? Where would I get the seeds?

[CitroJim]

I'm trying to grow tyres on my patio Steve but not having a lot of luck yet. Must be using the wrong fertiliser I guess. My wheel crop is doing really well. I'll soon be overrun with them Alloys from seed don't breed true though. I have some rogue steelies in the crop

In other parts of the garden I have a nice crop of front wings coming along and a crop of rear bumper and front slam panel in another border.

You see how well my V6 exhaust crop is doing No luck with growing back boxes though

[Longdog]

The Picture is very helpful so thanks for that.Where your middle arrow points the two pipes were pulled out by the mechanic. Do they connect to any others inside the subframe or outside?

[CitroJim]

Where your middle arrow points the two pipes were pulled out by the mechanic. Do they connect to any others inside the subframe or outside?

No, those are the two black pipes from the cylinder gaiters and are just air vents. They are simply poked into a hole in the subframe behind a closed box-section.

No worries there. My apologies for being wrong in respect to those two pipes in my first Post. I rushed it a bit and amde a dangerous assumption. Sorry

Those two pipes should be bone dry and any LHM weeping out of them would suggest a cylinder has excess leakage.

The clear pipe from each cylinder is the leakage return proper.

[Longdog]

Thanks for that. Where is the best place to buy two new cylinders? Most grateful for your advice, Andy.

[CitroJim]

Where is the best place to buy two new cylinders?

Why do you believe it's the cylinders Andy?

I'm not at all sure the best place to get them as touch-wood, I've not needed to replace one yet.

As I say, they're normally pretty reliable so you'd not be taking a huge risk getting them from a scrapped vehicle. Provided they're dry they should be OK.

There is an issue in extracting the "R" clip that attaches the pushrod to the trailing arm. These usually rust in solid and need some patience with a pin punch and Plus gas to effect removal.

That's why there is a subframe complete in my garden. The "R" clips are solid and when we dismantled the car it was easiest to drop off the subframe complete rather than faff around. That particular subframe is from a V6 and the cylinders are unique to that model.

You don't say the model of your Xantia Andy. If you do need to source replacements, please be aware that the cylinders fitted to non-hydractive models (such as the LX, SX and so on) are not interchangeable with hydractive types fitted to the VSX, Exclusive and Activa models.

[Dommo]

Do the rear subframe mounts just pull out of that subframe Jim? Look very easy to replace if so!

[Longdog]

The car is a 2000 non hydractive 2.0HDI sx.I will make up a collector arrangement for each of the tubes to see which one is leaking as I would have thought due to their reliability it is not worth replacing both and as they are not shock absorbers there is no need to replace an axle set.

[DickieG]

I had one of those return pipes on top of the rear subframe pop out on my estate when I was in France visiting the D-day celebrations last year, I simply popped it back in and its stayed there ever since so don't assume you have a worn cylinder, it appears to be one of those things that can happen "they all do that Guv"

[Longdog]

Thanks for replies.
I have put collectors on the breather pipes that come from the cylinder gaiters. Unfortunately fluid comes out of the offside gaiter when the suspension is lowered and the gaiter is compressed which can only mean the cylinder is leaking at the point of seal. I guess I am just unlucky enough to have a rare fault, especially as the car has only done 82k and been looked after by a main dealer, although it did have the wrong air filter fitted

[Rhothgar]

have a look at the picture below of a rear subframe I have growing in my garden

It's a birds-eye view and you cannot see this when on the car but the green arrows shows the cylinder returns and the "Y" junctions where they join. Note that the returns also dive through a hole in the middle to connect to the height corrector leakage return and if applicable, the hydractive electrovalve return.



The subframe is easy enough to drop and inch or so if you suspect one of the pipes has popped out of one of the "Y" junctions...

Is this one and the same subframe I looked at the other day Jim?