HYDRACTIVE comparison

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
User avatar
Spaces
Posts: 186
Joined: 16 Mar 2011, 10:42
Location: Rarely in one place for too long - Hebridean Islands and Yorkshire are my favourites
My Cars:

HYDRACTIVE comparison

Post by Spaces »

Having read so many conflicting comments regarding the ride of individuals' cars with hydractive, from the "mine's so hard it makes my teeth fall out but the specialist has checked it all to be ok" to the "mine's so soft it's better than a DS Safari" I thought it might be interesting if as many hydractive cars met up and people tried each other's. Those with complaints about the ride could see just how much better (if at all) the cars with standard spheres but everything hydractive checked and working properly were and it would be fascinating to sample those which have owner-modified setups, such as my own. Perhaps a CCC meeting would be a good time to do this?

Even the French forums have comments about how harsh the standard factory setup is and how it makes sense to alter things a little, just as those who sampled the BX 16v reckoned as a day to day car it made sense to fit the gentler spheres from a standard GTi. Of course it was much easier with the BX - only four spheres and a ready-made set to fit, whereas with the hydractives it is not quite so straightforwards. I think my old Xantia 2.1 VSX has XM centre spheres (maybe estate ones) with larger corner spheres (with altered damping) running at pressures which happen to be fairly suitable (the fronts are lower pressure CX front spheres I think, can't remember about the rears). It works beautifully.

I find the electronic programming of the chip to be about right on H2 regarding at what point the centre spheres cut in and out, except for it entering firm mode above 95 - on more than one occasion I have been gently gathering speed on a road with a less than perfect surface or foundation to suddenly have the body bucking about. But has anyone played with the chip programming - and if so, to any benefit? It's increasingly obvious from driving newer Citroens that French roads are much smoother and flatter than our own.

I've never driven a H1 car, it would be very interesting to do so. I like the idea of switching off the firm mode altogether, as well as staying in firm for consistency when pushing along a winding road, I suppose this could be achieved easily enough on a H2 car?
PeterN: "Honest John's forum put the last nail in the coffin of owning a 2000- car. Many were still servicable, but CR, DMFs and needing fault codes read because your horn doesn't work - no thanks. All my life I have generally understood cars - until now."
User avatar
Old-Guy
Posts: 1798
Joined: 11 Sep 2008, 12:08
Location: Gloucestershire
My Cars: 2011 Grand C4 Picasso VTR+ 1.6HDi in Kyanos Blue
1995 Xantia Estate SX 1.9TD in Vert Vega "The Green Lady" - now owned by XanTom
1998 Xantia 2.1 VXD Estate in Mauritius Blue - R.I.P. (terminal tin-worm)
x 17

Re: HYDRACTIVE comparison

Post by Old-Guy »

It's increasingly obvious from driving newer Citroëns that French roads are much smoother and flatter than our own.
French roads used to be terrible (apart from the Autoroutes and the major N roads). I've only driven extensively in France twice, two holidays nearly twenty years apart. In 1981 we drove down to the Vedee in a Volvo 145 (estate) - main roads generally as good as the UK, but many side roads were pretty bad and a good many minor 'roads' were not tarred at all! Move forward to 1999 and a drive all the way down to the south (Montpellier) and back. Smooth, empty roads everywhere with lots of money recently spent on road improvements and bypassing towns and villages wherever possible. The only unsurfaced road we found anywhere was a private road to the beach via a campsite even that was free of potholes! Here in the UK our roads, once the envy of Europe are, like the economy, are falling apart as a result of two decades of Whitehall micro-management.
2011 Grand C4 Picasso VTR+ 1.6HDi in Kyanos Blue
1995 Xantia Estate SX 1.9TD in Vert Vega "The Green Lady" - after 11 years now owned by XanTom
1998 Xantia 2.1 VXD Estate in Mauritius Blue - R.I.P. (terminal tin-worm)
Peter.N.
Moderating Team
Posts: 11563
Joined: 02 Apr 2005, 16:11
Location: Charmouth,Dorset
My Cars: Currently:

C5 X7 VTR + Satnav Hdi estate Silver
C5 X7 VTR + Hdi Estate 2008 Red

In the past: 3, CX td Safaris and about 7, XM td estates. Lovely cars.
x 1199

Re: HYDRACTIVE comparison

Post by Peter.N. »

The rural roads of Brittany have an excellent surface - they are not bad in the far north of Scotland either and a similar amount of traffic.

Peter
User avatar
Old-Guy
Posts: 1798
Joined: 11 Sep 2008, 12:08
Location: Gloucestershire
My Cars: 2011 Grand C4 Picasso VTR+ 1.6HDi in Kyanos Blue
1995 Xantia Estate SX 1.9TD in Vert Vega "The Green Lady" - now owned by XanTom
1998 Xantia 2.1 VXD Estate in Mauritius Blue - R.I.P. (terminal tin-worm)
x 17

Re: HYDRACTIVE comparison

Post by Old-Guy »

The rural roads of Brittany have an excellent surface - they are not bad in the far north of Scotland either and a similar amount of traffic.
E.U. (Celtic) Regional Development Funds?
2011 Grand C4 Picasso VTR+ 1.6HDi in Kyanos Blue
1995 Xantia Estate SX 1.9TD in Vert Vega "The Green Lady" - after 11 years now owned by XanTom
1998 Xantia 2.1 VXD Estate in Mauritius Blue - R.I.P. (terminal tin-worm)
Post Reply