power steering fluid...where?

Pompey_Dave · Post by **Pompey_Dave** » 02 Sep 2010, 11:56

I had a look under the bonnet of my Xantia (1999, 1.8) and can only find the expansion tank, LHM black box bit, and the washer bottle....where is the fluid reservoir for topping up and checking the power steering fluid?

feel a bit stupid asking now haha!

Post by **RichardW** » 02 Sep 2010, 11:59

Brakes suspension and PAS all run off LHM on the Xantia.... Pump has 2 ouputs, one powers the brakes and suspension and the other the PAS. It's why you need to take account of the big red STOP light if it ever comes on, as you may only be a short distance away from having no brakes

Pompey_Dave · Post by **Pompey_Dave** » 02 Sep 2010, 12:13

fair enough, thats ok then, I checked the level of all that the other day and the float sits in between the 2 lines, which i am lead to believe its ok.

Its just I heard a noise the other day as if the fluid was low, but must just be the sound of the steering in general then, as I know the LHM fluid level is fine and the colour is ok too as if its not long been replaced

thanks

Post by **RichardW** » 02 Sep 2010, 12:34

It's normal for there to be a loud hiss from the steering if you hold it on full lock. The LHM level should be between the markers with the suspension on high. Normally if the level is well low, the warning light flickers on as you go round sharp corners

Pompey_Dave · Post by **Pompey_Dave** » 02 Sep 2010, 12:44

well, good news then as its at that level, when I learned how to check it and self bleed the system I did all the checks

atleast I know its nothing to worry about then, just got to worry about the noise I get when the car is on tick over, every 30-45 seconds I get a slight whirrr click sound from under the car

Old-Guy · Post by **Old-Guy** » 02 Sep 2010, 13:00

More good news! That whirr-click is the pressure regulator (for the hydraulic system). At tick-over (with no change in the load in the car) this 'tick-rate' (that's the pressure regulator cycling) should be slower than about 30 seconds.

At tick-over, the only drain on hydraulic pressure is the slight leak-past in various hydraulic components that keeps them properly lubricated. At tick-over, most of the time the regulator routes the pump output straight back to the reservoir; about every 30 seconds the pressure in the accumulator drops enough for the regulator to cycle to bring the pressure back up (to 70 bar, 1,000p.s.i).

Post by **myglaren** » 02 Sep 2010, 13:15

Pompey_Dave wrote: atleast I know its nothing to worry about then, just got to worry about the noise I get when the car is on tick over, every 30-45 seconds I get a slight whirrr click sound from under the car

That is part of the attraction of hydraulic Citroens

I wish my C5 was the same. Proper Citroen hydraulics should click and hiss and wheeze.

Pompey_Dave · Post by **Pompey_Dave** » 02 Sep 2010, 13:22

so, if im right in reading what you all wrote, thats nothing to worry about either?

If so great!

Some may think im asking strange questions, but to be perfectly honest im a complete novice with anything french, let alone the Xantia

All ive ever owned was fords, rovers, and a selection of Japanese cars, ive normally been very anti french due to the amount of troubles everyone around me seemed to be having with theirs, just seemed their repair lists were never ending, whereas with my cars, apart from the odd rover blowing alternators, or small issues with the fords, my cars just went on and on!

That was though, until I bought this out of necessity and grew to like it alot!

So im trying to learn as much about it as I can....So far so good with the noises being good though lol!

Well, except for the alarm sound it makes now and again when it doesnt seem to like my key! The dash light key part appears, it beeps...I turn it all off, and try again and it starts

Post by **myglaren** » 02 Sep 2010, 13:28

Pompey_Dave wrote: Some may think im asking strange questions, but to be perfectly honest im a complete novice with anything french, let alone the Xantia

Not at all - how are you going to find anything out without asking questions? It's the raison d'etre of the forum.
Why reinvent the wheel?

ACTIVE8 · Post by **ACTIVE8** » 02 Sep 2010, 13:55

Pompey_Dave wrote:so, if im right in reading what you all wrote, thats nothing to worry about either?

If so great!

Some may think im asking strange questions, but to be perfectly honest im a complete novice with anything french, let alone the Xantia

All ive ever owned was fords, rovers, and a selection of Japanese cars, ive normally been very anti french due to the amount of troubles everyone around me seemed to be having with theirs, just seemed their repair lists were never ending, whereas with my cars, apart from the odd rover blowing alternators, or small issues with the fords, my cars just went on and on!

That was though, until I bought this out of necessity and grew to like it alot!

So im trying to learn as much about it as I can....So far so good with the noises being good though lol!

Well, except for the alarm sound it makes now and again when it doesnt seem to like my key! The dash light key part appears, it beeps...I turn it all off, and try again and it starts

On a completely different make of vehicle I remember, there was a problem with the vehicle not starting straight away.

There were complaints about it, and in actual fact there was not a problem with the vehicle.

It was the drivers getting in, and straight away turning the key too soon.

In effect they where not giving the vehicle a chance to read the coded key, and therefore see if it was O.K. I.E a match. So the vehicle would not start, and a buzzer came on from the dash area.

If the driver(s) did it again the proper way, giving the technology a small amount of time for the computer to say "Yes" then it would start.

Questions we like questions, and being able to help out, please ask away.