Xantia making rude noises!

PhillipD · Post by **PhillipD** » 19 Nov 2003, 15:14

Hi,
Sorry to bring the standard of this board down but I've noticed lately that my Xantia (97 1.8i 16V Desire) is starting to make very rude noises about 2 or 3 minutes after parking and stopping the engine. It sort of makes a creaking noise and then literally sounds like it is farting as you see the car sink to just over the tyres. Is this normal? Could it be expensive to fix?
Thanks
Phillip.

mbunting · Post by **mbunting** » 19 Nov 2003, 17:18

Hmm, lets see...
Your car shouldn't sink, because it's got anti-sink spheres, so I'd check these.
Could also be the rear arm bearings, what's the mileage ?

Post by **RichardW** » 19 Nov 2003, 18:07

There's only 1 anti-sink sphere (at the rear), and it has nothing to do with holding the suspension up - it is actually a brake accumulator.
Does the car sink at both ends, or just one?
I would suspect that one or both anti-sink valves have failed and are letting the pressure off back to the reservoir. Diagnosis might be tricky though! The funny noise might be because the fluid is going back via the PR and / or pump where it really shouldn't....
Richard

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 19 Nov 2003, 18:18

Both of my Xantias made that same farty noise at various times, although they didn't do the sinky thing, and they dont do it consistantly.
If you set the height corrector lever to the bottom on my Xantia after switching off the engine you sometimes hear fluid rushing back to the reservoir and sometimes you also get the farty noise, apart from the farty noise I consider this normal behavior

Post by **RichardW** » 19 Nov 2003, 21:44

We had a discussion a while back about the noise, and I think it is a pipe down the LH side of the engine bay somewhere that vibrates, and it can be cured by putting some rubber insulators between said pipe and the bulkhead. However, that still doesn't alter the fact that an anti-sink car shouldn't sink! I have yet to work out why a failed anti-sink valve should cause the car to drop immediately it is switched off - given that the height corrector should lock out the suspension when there is no call for it to be raised or lowered??? More reading of the technical bible coming on I think!
Richard