Xantia front regulator ticks

[Chetiya Dias]

Hi everyone. The gap between the ticks is only 12secs. I replaced all six spheres and done only 6000kms afterwards. Is this normal or if not what could be the reasons.
Regards Chetiya

[CitroJim]

It's not good. A couple of questions before we can really fully diagnose:

1. Is the car Hydractive? I take it not as you say you replaced six spheres but we must be sure.

2. Does the car sink rapidly when parked up?

3. Are you 100% sure the new accumulator sphere is good? Sometimes they are faulty from new. Do not discount this possibility...

If the accumulator is known to be good then a high tick rate is cause by internal leakage. The favourites for this are worn Hydractive electrovalves (in a hydractive car only), a leaky brake dosuer (valve) or leaky front struts.

The culprit can be generally found by observing leakage returns back to the LHM reservoir and seeing which is excessive. The brake dosuer is easy enough as the return line is very accessible. Same with the front struts.

Hydractive electrovalves can be diagnosed by forcing hard mode (pull F8 in the engine bay fuse box) and seeing if the tick rate radically improves.

[citronut]

i suppose it could even be the bleed valve on the regulator not seating clean/fully,

i understand from other citroen forums this can be sorted with a small copper drift and a hammer,

not that i have ever done this before,

remove the bleed valve screw mind you have a tray underneath to catch the ball bearing if it drops out, then with the ball bearing back in place give it one sharp blow with with the drift and hammer,

this is meant to re/seat the ball bearing

[CitroJim]

That's a good point Malcolm..

I've read about this many times like you but never had to do it...

[Chetiya Dias]

Thanks. its a non active car. it some times sinks when parked at max height. but not always. I asume the acc sphere is good because it has only 6000kms after replacement. i have fixed all the leaks of brake cylinder, power steering rack pinion, front regulator and there are no leaks in the return lines as well. how ever the stop light takes a long time to go off. i bleed from the front regulator several times. when i do the stop light light goes off instantly even when i start the engine after several hours. but when i do a run it changes back.

[Hell Razor5543]

I know this might seem a silly question, but you did fully bleed the brakes after you replaced the spheres, didn't you?

[CitroJim]

I still believe it is internal leakage. The pump is struggling to make the full pressure as shown by the stop light taking a long time to go out and when it does the pressure is lost very quickly. It is like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it. It takes a long time and the contents continually escape. That's what is happening here.

Given all the work you have done, the suspects now are the pump itself being internally leaky or the pressure regulator.

[Chetiya Dias]

How to check for internal leaks of the pump and regulator Jim

[CitroJim]

How to check for internal leaks of the pump and regulator Jim

You need to tee in a pressure gauge between the regulator output and the security valve and then see how quickly the pressure decays whe the pump is nopt running... A good system should hold pressure for several minutes...

If you see the pressure fall immediately then you know you have an internal leak.

This is a gauge I made up to do exactly that on an Activa...

[Chetiya Dias]

Hmmm. My issue is Jim when started for the first time in the morning the ticks is over 30 secs. But when I press the brake pedal even once the ticking drops below 20 secs.

[CitroJim]

In that case the first suspect has to be the brake dosuer valve....

[Chetiya Dias]

Also if there is a internal leak how to fix it.

[Chetiya Dias]

Where is the brake dosuer valve

[Chetiya Dias]

What should I do with the brake dosuer valve Jim.

[Chetiya Dias]

Because this problem occurred only after I replaced the seals of the brake master cylinder.