Xantia Issues: S1 1997 1.8-16 Desire

[P616VKX]

Right, I'm going to just get them all out in this thread... Minus the Rad-Fan one which has a thread of it's own!

Yesterday, I was in second gear and stuck my toe down expecting the usual jet-plane thrust as the rev counter touched 4,000RPM... Nothing... The car virtually refused to move... I was half way past a slow moving car when it happened and it was rather scary!

When I get out of the car, it drops a quite alot... The ride height with me in it is too high and without me in it is also too high. When the vehicle is put on intermediate height, it shoots straight up to stilts and when moved to service high, it wont go any higher. If I get four people in the car, the car goes higher than with just me in it and gets a little harsh on the ride side...

When the engine is warm, the engine makes a loud tapping noise, like a tappet is gone funny. I also have to keep topping up the oil, even though theres no evidence of a leak or burning (It actually runs very cleanly). I'm putting in 1l/600mi. The engine gets tappety around the time I need to put more oil into it. When the engine goes tappety, Every time I brake or accelerate with any force, the stop light comes on, with the oil light, brake light and temperature light.

Stu.

[Xaccers]

Ride height:
Make sure the height corrector linkages are well lubed and not seized, also that the dog bones are tight and you're not able to wiggle/rock/roll them.
Also make sure the pip on the side of the manual adjust linkage is dead centre of the square hole on the corrector arm. If it's not, slacken the 8mm bolt holding the clamp on the manual adjust rod and adjust it so that the pip is dead centre.
If that's all done, then check the ride height using the finger method.
Assuming it's too high, you'll need the car up on a full length ramp, or over a pit so that you can make adjustments without squashing yourself.
Slacken the clamp on the ARB and rotate it slightly, I found it's not an easy thing to move and I had to hold it in place with the car at the right height then tighten it up.

The shooting up and sinking when you get out can be due to the ride height being wrong (Cassy would sink loads as her back was set slightly too low) and also old spheres where they don't have enough pressure in them to snap the anti sink valve shut.