Xantia supension issues

citroenesque · Unread post by **citroenesque** » 22 Aug 2011, 18:39

Work carried out thus far (by my trusted Citroen specialist) is pretty extensive, including regassed rear spheres, new accumulator, new rear height controller plus anti-roll bar linkage and dog's bone (all from Citroen), a new high pressure pipe to the controller and a general health check.

It's also been Lexia'd by Sir Jim (it was he who pronounced the old height corrector fubar too).

BUT

I still rides too high at the rear and feels a tad hard still. The sports mode button does make it harder, so it seems to be 'almost there', but not quite. I have the car booked in for an MOT on Thursday, so will get the ride height looked at again before that. Another thing is the anti-sink function seems to 'stick' and when I start it up in the morning it drops with a harsh thunk before rising up to normal (insofar as the lever's at normal)...

any advice? (Like can the ride height be easily fine tuned?... are there other issues that might be causing the problem like doseur valve?)

Here are some pics. You'll see from the image with the blue lines on it, the car generally seems (to me) a little high, with the rear about an inch and a half to two inches too high in relation to the front...

This must be sorted soon, as it's driving me nuts.

Phil

admiral51 · Unread post by **admiral51** » 22 Aug 2011, 18:54

It does look a little high at both ends.
When i had similar problems i used the method Sir Jim described to me but it does need a pit/ramp to be done.
have the car running and in normal height mode and loosen the ARB link. The car will sink once the ARB link is slack enough.Now put the car into high and when it settles the ARB link will be pretty close to its max position.Tighten and set to normal height.
I know its not very scientific but it does leave the car pretty close to where it should.
Im sure Jim will refine the explanation but you really do need a ramp/pit to do it as it makes life easier and most pits/ramps are level

Colin

lexi · Unread post by **lexi** » 22 Aug 2011, 20:17

Bout 4inches too high. What a nice Xantia.............I still love green ones.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 22 Aug 2011, 20:22

Definitely second the need for proper ramps or a pit.
With Cassy I slackened the clamp on the rear ARB and rotated it using a flat screwdriver until there was about a finger's width between the top of the rear tyres and the arch (don't use your finger to check, us something the same width just incase she drops - or use a neighbour if you don't like them) then tightened the clamp, did some citrobics to make sure it was all right and job done.
Ride is much better.

Unread post by **xantia_v6** » 22 Aug 2011, 20:26

I agree that the rear height is much too high, and this will cause a harsh ride.

Get the height adjusted, and then come back for more advice it is still not riding smoothly.

admiral51 · Unread post by **admiral51** » 22 Aug 2011, 20:33

Thanks Xac i should have used the word Clamp

Colin

Unread post by **xantia_v6** » 22 Aug 2011, 21:10

Just a thought... If the height corrector has been replaced, maybe the linkage to the height control lever is wrongly adjusted, rather than, or as well as the roll bar clamp adjustment. My confidence in your specialist is slightly diminished.

citroenesque · Unread post by **citroenesque** » 22 Aug 2011, 21:23

I'm sad to say my faith in him is diminished too, but he's been looking after my Citroens since 2003 with pretty damned good results. So I am taking it back to him to 'get it right'!

admiral51 · Unread post by **admiral51** » 22 Aug 2011, 21:39

citroenesque wrote:I'm sad to say my faith in him is diminished too, but he's been looking after my Citroëns since 2003 with pretty damned good results. So I am taking it back to him to 'get it right'!

I would not to be too harsh on judgement until the situation is resolved.
I have a very good mechanic that i trust 100% but he got it wrong in the fitting of a lucas epic pump and didnt set the timing correctly. His fault yes,should he have known it needed specific timing after lining up the timing pins etc ,probably but its not a common pump full stop
Did he sort it free of charge,yes
Would i still recommend him,yes

It takes a good and honest mechanic to admit they got it wrong and if they put it right FOC can you really complain if you have had 8 yrs of trouble free dealings.

besides it may not have been him that actually did the work but if his name is over the door...............

Colin

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 22 Aug 2011, 22:03

When the term 'ramp' is used in the context of adjusting the ride height you don't need a professional lifting ramp, portable drive on ramps are perfectly adequate.

citroenesque · Unread post by **citroenesque** » 22 Aug 2011, 22:46

admiral51 wrote:.....if they put it right FOC can you really complain if you have had 8 yrs of trouble free dealings......

And he's more than just my mechanic - he's a become a mate, so yes, he will fix it for free and make sure it passes its MOT on Thursday.

Unread post by **Dommo** » 22 Aug 2011, 23:45

The dropping at the back thing is a problem I also have with my VSX, it's a hydractive problem. On mine when the engine is turned off and the car switches to hard mode after 30 seconds of doors shut + engine off, you can hear LHM rush back to the reservoir because the rear electrovalve leaks fluid like nobodies business in hard mode. So this internal leaking back to the reservoir also happens as I'm driving along too (when it switches to hard mode) but the pump can normally keep on top of things.

I'm also of the opinion that mine needs the diode mod doing which yours may also need doing, as my valves seems to open whenever they want, it's probably to do with the leaking though to be honest.

The reason it drops is because once the hydractive system switches to hard mode, it leaks the centre spheres LHM pressure back to the tank, then as this happens the anti sink system kicks in, trapping the pressure in the corner spheres. When the car turns on and the electrovalve opens (which takes up to 30 seconds after turning on for this to happen in mine, not sure if thats diode related or pressure related), the pressure in the two corner spheres (high) and centre sphere (very low) equalise and the back end drops, until the height corrector reacts and it pumps back up.

And breathe!

Edit - it shouldn't thunk when it drops though... Do you have bump stops fitted? And are they in good nick?

citroenesque · Unread post by **citroenesque** » 22 Aug 2011, 23:46

Very interesting!

Unread post by **Dommo** » 22 Aug 2011, 23:49

Just edited the above post, you replied as I was editing it so you may have missed it.

It took me a while to figure out that it was the electrovalve at fault in mine!

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 22 Aug 2011, 23:54

Dommo, I think you've got the hard and soft modes mixed up as far as LHM leaking back to the tank is concerned otherwise your car would sink onto its bump stops when parked if it leaked in hard mode as that is the default position for the Hydractive valves. A well known cure for leaking Hydractive valves is to remove the Hydractive fuse to force the suspension into hard mode to stop the leak.

Most, if not all Hydractive S2 Xantia's drop a little a short while after start up, certainly all the S2 Xantia's I've ever driven have done this and as the Xantia in question is a very late S1 I'm wondering whether it has the slightly different S2 plumbing of the suspension.