Hydractive II - Rear control valve (Xantia HDi Exclusive)

[Just40in]

I been using the 'sports/comfort' switch on my Xantia (something it may never have done before I owned it), and finding it an excellent system, but this might have something to do with the resulting drip of oil from the area of (if its the right term) the rear control valve activating the extra sphere for hard/soft mode etc. The local (ish) Citron Clinic says that the leak is from this Hydractive II valve, but it appears to be obscenely expensive to replace! (e.g. £500 for the valve unit alone).

Are there other (French?) ways of sourcing the units, second hand, reconditioning (if possible) and is it a reasonable job for an averagely able car DIY guy to remove? (I've never actually had to deal with suspension before on any of my citroen..).

Thanks for any sort of advice on making this job cheaper....

[Chris570]

Pleiades
Unit 12A Brookside Industrial Estate
Sawtry
PE28 5SB

Tel 01487 831239

Very easy to find, just off the A1M between St. Neots and Peterborough.

Give martin a ring here. He most likely has the part you need.

Good prices as well. I've used him a few times now and each time has been excellent

[CitroJim]

Welcome Justin

Te problem is with the Hydractive Stiffness Regulator electrovalve attached to the Hydractive sphere block. This is a electro-hydraulic valve that achieves the hard/soft switching.

As it is a magnetic device, it is made of light alloy and the body suffers dissimilar metal corrosion where it touches the steel of the sphere block.

This gets to the point where the green O ring is exposed and a leak results.

It is illustrated here:



Replacement of the valve itself is the only answer and these cost in the region of £150 new.

It is a common problem and a good second-hand one is the answer, often from the front Hydractive block where the oil from the engine tends to preserve them better.

They're a potential fiddle to replace...

That this is the problem can be proved by removing the Hydractive ECU fuse (F8, yellow, in the engine bay fusebox) to force permanent hard mode. In hard mode the valve should not leak despite the corrosion. It will only leak from here in soft mode.

If the leak continues, then the most likely cause is a split or perish in the rubber leakage return pipe or it's associated joints. This is a similarly common problem.

Again, a corroded valve will tend to leak in such a way that LHM drips off the end of the sphere..

[Just40in]

Thanks guys - already proving a good idea to take the car home and get some good seond opinions!