Xantia front end drops...

Chris570 · Post by **Chris570** » 15 Jun 2011, 07:32

citroenxm wrote:
Chris570 wrote:you sir make an excellent point. (and to think i just gave someone else a rollocking at work for not reading all the required info)

*goes and sits in the corner*
Chris,

I howled at this... its not a problem LOL... but to think you rollocked someone for dooing the same, is what made me laugh...

LOL

Paul

Glad to have brought a smile to your face

all part of the service

Post by **DHallworth** » 16 Jun 2011, 10:59

Hi Chris,

To answer your question before, the front end of this car has dropped after it's been parked over night.

The back is still at normal height.

I'm seriously wondering about just ordering 2 new electrovalves, one for the HDi and one for the Activa as then I know they've got good ones fitted to them.

I also ordered an e-crofting box of tricks the other night too.

David.

Post by **DHallworth** » 17 Jun 2011, 09:56

I fitted the e-crofting box to the car last night and can't believe the difference that it's made to it!

There were no fault codes on this car and everything worked as it should but the ride was still hard.

I fitted this box last night in under 10 minutes, and the difference it's made is unreal.

I wouldn't have believed it without trying it.

Thanks for suggesting it Paul!

David.

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 17 Jun 2011, 12:36

DHallworth wrote:I fitted the e-crofting box to the car last night and can't believe the difference that it's made to it!

There were no fault codes on this car and everything worked as it should but the ride was still hard.

I fitted this box last night in under 10 minutes, and the difference it's made is unreal.

I wouldn't have believed it without trying it.

Has it solved the 'dropping' problem?

ashy90 · Post by **ashy90** » 17 Jun 2011, 15:27

CitroJim wrote:
Xac wrote:Sounds like an internal leak in the electrovalve
Very likely. An interlayy leaky electrovalve makes a noise like a flushing loo as the engine stops and all the LHM rushes up the leagake gretrn pipe.

A more determined test is to disconnect the leagake return pipe and direct the leakage into a large jar.

The leakage return should only flow when thew valve is switching and as it switches so it will spurt. In hard or soft leakage should be minimal.

With the door open the system will be in soft modse so yes, the centre sphere is in operation.

Soft is in force when:

The engine is idling and car stopped;
The engine is off and any door is open but will time-out to hard after 30 minutes;
The engine is of and all doors closed. Soft for 30s after last door closed. Then hard;
If in hard after a timeout the system will switch soft as soon as any door is opened.

Hard is in force when:

Engine is off and all doors have been closed for over 30s;
Rapid accelleration;
Hard braking;
Heavy cornering.

Do all xantias have this change of suspension when the doors open/close? or is it just hydractive models?

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 17 Jun 2011, 16:22

ashy90 wrote: Do all xantias have this change of suspension when the doors open/close? or is it just hydractive models?

Just hydractive, as they have extra spheres which are brought in to make the ride soft and isolated to stiffen things up.
So that's VSX, Exclusive and Activa
LX and SX (known as Forte and Desire later) do not.

Post by **DHallworth** » 19 Jun 2011, 22:48

Well, the box has been on the car for several days now...

The ride has improved massively however the car still drops after it's been switched off.

At least one plus point is that the height correctors are being exercised every time the height drops.

David.

Post by **DHallworth** » 08 Jul 2011, 18:59

Well the dropping on the car has got worse now.

Yesterday when I was driving it I pulled out of a space onto the main road, as I straightened the steering the front end dropped to what felt like it was on the bump stops.

It wasn't there for long but it was kinda irritating.

It's driving my fiance nuts too.

Only seems to have happened since I changed the front electrovalve so I can see it being changed back fairly shortly.

David.

Post by **CitroJim** » 08 Jul 2011, 21:25

My belief is that this is caused by a leaky electrovalve causing the front anti-sink valve to close due to the leak reducing the mainline system pressure. The front end drops when the pressure re-establishes itself and the valve re-opens.

It's exacerbated at the front due to the pressure available in the hydractrive sphere at 70 bars combining with the combined pressure in the corners and if all three spheres are in good nick then their combined pressure acting on the anti-sink valve is not much less than the mainline pressure so the mainline pressure does not have to fall very far for the anti-sink valve to close.

The rear is far less likely to do this by virtue of the much lower pressures in the corner and centre spheres.

I've seen this effect on a few hydractive cars now and a swap of front electrovalves does seem to cure it. They don't have to leak so much that they materially affect the tick-rate either. In my attempts to cure this by dismantling the valve and spring stretching I've not had a lot of joy; I suspect the leakage return seat is worn due to years of the needle slamming against it when the valve switches from hard to soft.

Maybe a lap in with very fine grinding paste may improve matters.

The valve can usually be eliminated by forcing hard mode by powering down the Hydractive ECU. The effect should then disappear completely unless the lower valve seat in the valve is worn too but this one is not subject to such a hard load as the top one.

In an Activa the problem manifests itself as a slow dance involving the roll system too.

As good electrovalves become thin on the ground this is a problem we must try and find a solution to.

I'm hoping when time permits me to complete my pressure tester, it'll help bring about some proof to the diagnosis.

One test you can do is to disconnect the leakage return from the top of the valve and connect a length of clear pipe to it and run it off to a large jar. Firmly block off the normal leakage return pipe as this tees into the pressure regulator return and flows a lot of LHM.

A good electrovalve should leak very little when in steady hard or soft mode but should 'spurt' when switching between hard and soft and vice versa. If it flows a good volume constantly in soft mode then it's not healthy.

Post by **DHallworth** » 08 Jul 2011, 22:38

Jim,

Thanks for your input.

The electrovalve on this car is actually from the Activa.

I took it off the Activa as a temporary measure as we don't use the Activa.

Looks like I need two now! Typical too as they're £160 each from the dealer!

It wouldn't do it any harm to have a hydraflush and fresh LHM either.

David.