Hydraflush mystery
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Hydraflush mystery
After reading many times about using Hydraflush to clean Citroen suspension systems,I decided to get some for my Xantia II.
I was in Birmingham (after driving from my home in SW France) last week and duly went down to GSF to get some.
They had not heard of it! After a bit of searching around they announced that the Heathrow branch had some and they could get a 5litre container down to Birmingham the following day.
They did.
What I have is a 5litre container of TOTAL hydraurincage. But on the back it says (paraphrased):
drain - fill with hydraurincage - run for 1500 to 5000km - drain and clean filters - refill with TOTAL LHM PLUS.
It's this last bit that concerns me.
Will this be ok to use with LHM, which is of course what my Xantia has, rather than LHM PLUS?
I was in Birmingham (after driving from my home in SW France) last week and duly went down to GSF to get some.
They had not heard of it! After a bit of searching around they announced that the Heathrow branch had some and they could get a 5litre container down to Birmingham the following day.
They did.
What I have is a 5litre container of TOTAL hydraurincage. But on the back it says (paraphrased):
drain - fill with hydraurincage - run for 1500 to 5000km - drain and clean filters - refill with TOTAL LHM PLUS.
It's this last bit that concerns me.
Will this be ok to use with LHM, which is of course what my Xantia has, rather than LHM PLUS?
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- Posts: 611
- Joined: 09 Jul 2009, 22:09
- Location: Southern Dordogne, France
- My Cars: 2019 C5 Aircross 2litre diesel, auto.
2018 C4 Pic2 Spacetourer auto. Seems nice so far.
2019 C4 Cactus manual. Didn't like it, lots of niggling points. sold.
2011 C4 Picasso excl. - shaping up to be a disaster, bought June 2019. P/X'd
2009 Citroen C5 X7 exclusive, auto, LHD, 207500km (129000miles) now sold
Citroen Xsara Picasso excl. 2004 2.0 Hdi, RHD, 64000miles. (sold)
Citroen C3 Picasso excl. 2016. sold.
Two Xantias, one petrol, one diesel. sold.
In the past: Renault 16 (in about 1977, for a year). With front pass. seat out transported full bathroom suite from Cambridge to Derby!)
Renault 4TL (in 2011, for a year) - x 9
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Of course if you wanted a total synthetic version lf LHM you could use LDS
cachaciero
cachaciero
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Editted by kevmayer due to incorrect and misleading info.
Last edited by KevMayer on 13 Sep 2010, 17:50, edited 1 time in total.
Cheers, Kev
02 plate C5 2.2 Hdi Exclusive SE (now 170k miles 03/21).
Used to have:- Xantia 1.9 TurboD SX. 1996 Blue & 1998 Silver Activa. + 1992 BX TZD Turbo.
02 plate C5 2.2 Hdi Exclusive SE (now 170k miles 03/21).
Used to have:- Xantia 1.9 TurboD SX. 1996 Blue & 1998 Silver Activa. + 1992 BX TZD Turbo.
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That would explain the difference in topping up a C5 and the recommendation for throwing away LDS once it's been opened.KevMayer wrote:I read somewhere that the new LDS is hygroscopic in that it will absorb moistutre from the atmosphere in the same way that brake fluid does.
LHM is not hygroscopic and so can be used in an open system (hence the open reservoir on a Xantia).
1.9TD+ SX Xantia Estate (Cassy) running on 100% veg
1.9TD SX Xantia Hatchback (Jenny) running on 100% veg for sale
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DIY sphere tool
1.9TD SX Xantia Hatchback (Jenny) running on 100% veg for sale
Laguna II 2.0dCi Privilege (Monty)
DIY sphere tool
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Not true LHM and LDS have pretty well identical specifications the only difference is that LHM is a mineral oil based fluid and LDS is semi-synthetic see my previous post on this subject http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... hlight=lhmKevMayer wrote:I read somewhere that the new LDS is hygroscopic in that it will absorb moistutre from the atmosphere in the same way that brake fluid does.
LHM is not hygroscopic and so can be used in an open system (hence the open reservoir on a Xantia).
I believe that the reason the resevoir is sealed on a C5 is to ensure that it runs at a slight vacuum to assist the leak return lines to work.
cachaciero
2006 Toyota Prius T Spirit
2001 2.2 C5 Exclusive SE
1996 XM 2.1 TD Auto VSX
1995 XM 2.1 TD Auto SX died @ 140K
1987 CX 2.5 Gti Turbo II dead
1984 Ford Scorpio
1981 CX 2.4 Pallas Auto
Renault 21
1220 GS Club
Rover P6 2000TC
2001 2.2 C5 Exclusive SE
1996 XM 2.1 TD Auto VSX
1995 XM 2.1 TD Auto SX died @ 140K
1987 CX 2.5 Gti Turbo II dead
1984 Ford Scorpio
1981 CX 2.4 Pallas Auto
Renault 21
1220 GS Club
Rover P6 2000TC
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You are right yet again... I've been trying to find what I read to make me believe LDS is hygroscopic.
I just found this info and it says LDS has 'water resistance'...
http://www.eurol.com/custom/producten/p ... d%20GB.pdf
The info also says it should be changed at 5 years or 200,000 kM.
That's another job I need to do. My C5 is just over 8 years old and the LDS hasn't been touched.
I just found this info and it says LDS has 'water resistance'...
http://www.eurol.com/custom/producten/p ... d%20GB.pdf
The info also says it should be changed at 5 years or 200,000 kM.
That's another job I need to do. My C5 is just over 8 years old and the LDS hasn't been touched.
Cheers, Kev
02 plate C5 2.2 Hdi Exclusive SE (now 170k miles 03/21).
Used to have:- Xantia 1.9 TurboD SX. 1996 Blue & 1998 Silver Activa. + 1992 BX TZD Turbo.
02 plate C5 2.2 Hdi Exclusive SE (now 170k miles 03/21).
Used to have:- Xantia 1.9 TurboD SX. 1996 Blue & 1998 Silver Activa. + 1992 BX TZD Turbo.
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Doesn't quite work like that with many oils, heat water and pressure often equal varnish on friction surfaces and sludge formation don't know what LHM does but varnish and sludge sound familiarmyglaren wrote:^^Same here I imagine, can't see any record of it being changed.
As LHM doesn't come into contact with other than atmospheric water then I expect any moisture would be evaporated off with the heat it accumulates while the car is running.
In LHM systems the oil works quite hard due to the "crude" method of pressure regulation which puts a lot of heat into the oil even when otherwise no demands are being made on it.
As regards C5 oil changes if the oil looks and smells o.k I don't think I would be bothered to change it. I have worked on big hydraulic systems where normaly samples are taken and chemically analysed every six months or so and usually the oil shows minimal chemical change for several years unless there has been a major component failure and even then the contamination is usually microscopic metalic elements rather than oil failure. So given that by comparison the C5 system is very lightly used I reckon the oil will last the life of the car.
Another issue to consider is that any oil change introduces some degree of contamination done often enough it will choke the filters how much it takes depends on how fine the filters are. On the C5 you can't change the filters..........
cachaciero
2006 Toyota Prius T Spirit
2001 2.2 C5 Exclusive SE
1996 XM 2.1 TD Auto VSX
1995 XM 2.1 TD Auto SX died @ 140K
1987 CX 2.5 Gti Turbo II dead
1984 Ford Scorpio
1981 CX 2.4 Pallas Auto
Renault 21
1220 GS Club
Rover P6 2000TC
2001 2.2 C5 Exclusive SE
1996 XM 2.1 TD Auto VSX
1995 XM 2.1 TD Auto SX died @ 140K
1987 CX 2.5 Gti Turbo II dead
1984 Ford Scorpio
1981 CX 2.4 Pallas Auto
Renault 21
1220 GS Club
Rover P6 2000TC
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You are welcome Kev.. I understand Methuselah was pretty good too and we are of a similar age.KevMayer wrote:Good stuff cachaciero. Your knowledge never ceases to amaze me. Thanks for the info
I have been fortunate that I have lived through a period when England had a varied and rich engineering infra-structure unlike today.
As a result I have gained lots of odd ball bits of knowledge about things mechanical and electrical ranging from submarines systems at the deep end to high flying aircraft systems at the high end with lots of things in the middle. The C5 is easy by comparison given access to sufficient data, which I have also been fortunate enough to find.
cachaciero
2006 Toyota Prius T Spirit
2001 2.2 C5 Exclusive SE
1996 XM 2.1 TD Auto VSX
1995 XM 2.1 TD Auto SX died @ 140K
1987 CX 2.5 Gti Turbo II dead
1984 Ford Scorpio
1981 CX 2.4 Pallas Auto
Renault 21
1220 GS Club
Rover P6 2000TC
2001 2.2 C5 Exclusive SE
1996 XM 2.1 TD Auto VSX
1995 XM 2.1 TD Auto SX died @ 140K
1987 CX 2.5 Gti Turbo II dead
1984 Ford Scorpio
1981 CX 2.4 Pallas Auto
Renault 21
1220 GS Club
Rover P6 2000TC
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Hi All,
I can't expand on the extensive knowledge already given but here's what I found on a strip down of an height corrector from my series 1 XM with bright green LHM in the 'tank'-
I don't think you can beat a good strip and clean on valves this old. 40 minutes in a heated Ultrasonic cleaner got it clean!
Steve.
I can't expand on the extensive knowledge already given but here's what I found on a strip down of an height corrector from my series 1 XM with bright green LHM in the 'tank'-
I don't think you can beat a good strip and clean on valves this old. 40 minutes in a heated Ultrasonic cleaner got it clean!
Steve.
not applicable