c5 suspension

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

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
mm1
Posts: 74
Joined: 15 Nov 2008, 16:19
Location:
My Cars:

c5 suspension

Post by mm1 »

Hi all.just noticed today that a little oil is dripping from near the sphere at the back wheel on the driver side.any idea of what it could be.please tell me its not a big job.thanks in advance.
wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 22:37
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
My Cars: Two C5's...
Lots of CXs...
A couple of Xantia...
A C2...
Lots of Prelude's...
And a Sunny!
x 66
Contact:

Re: c5 suspension

Post by wurlycorner »

Could be a number of things. You'll need to narrow down the source more closely.
Assuming it's from the suspension cylinder unit rather than anywhere else, some possibles;
- Rubber boot at the bottom of the cylinder holed/split or one of the breather pipes (that poke into it) come loose/not fitted properly (none of which are big jobs - see my c5 profile thread for info on changing the boots)
- High pressure pipe corroded/leaking/seal perished
- Sphere loose (unlikely) or seal between the sphere and cylinder perished
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
mm1
Posts: 74
Joined: 15 Nov 2008, 16:19
Location:
My Cars:

Re: c5 suspension

Post by mm1 »

Thanks for the reply.the oil seems to be coming out from around the wide end of the boot but the boot does not seem to be damaged.the two pipes and sphere seem to be grand.i presume the boot is meant to seal up where it is joined on.
wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 22:37
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
My Cars: Two C5's...
Lots of CXs...
A couple of Xantia...
A C2...
Lots of Prelude's...
And a Sunny!
x 66
Contact:

Re: c5 suspension

Post by wurlycorner »

The boot is meant to seal, yes.
There is a metal spring clip that goes round to hold it tight. Is that fitted?
As I said, pics and details of how to change it are in my C5 profile thread.

Pic of a (new) boot with the clip correctly in place below;
Image
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
mm1
Posts: 74
Joined: 15 Nov 2008, 16:19
Location:
My Cars:

Re: c5 suspension

Post by mm1 »

Yes the clip is fine.i removed it today and cleaned all around it.then refitted.(not bloody easy)i thought maybe some dirt got in there.but i was wrong.it was still the same after.
wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 22:37
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
My Cars: Two C5's...
Lots of CXs...
A couple of Xantia...
A C2...
Lots of Prelude's...
And a Sunny!
x 66
Contact:

Re: c5 suspension

Post by wurlycorner »

How much fluid was inside the boot when you pulled it off?
There shouldn't be much there at all (literally a few dribbles and that's it).
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
mm1
Posts: 74
Joined: 15 Nov 2008, 16:19
Location:
My Cars:

Re: c5 suspension

Post by mm1 »

There was very little.as you said,just a few dribbles.
dnsey
Posts: 1538
Joined: 20 Oct 2004, 01:39
Location:
My Cars:
x 19

Re: c5 suspension

Post by dnsey »

The breather connected to the boot and running up into the crossmember can sometimes dribble a little fluid , which then runs down the tube and onto the boot.
wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 22:37
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
My Cars: Two C5's...
Lots of CXs...
A couple of Xantia...
A C2...
Lots of Prelude's...
And a Sunny!
x 66
Contact:

Re: c5 suspension

Post by wurlycorner »

If there's no fluid inside the boot, then it's difficult to see that would be causing a visible leak on the outside, without any obvious hole in it. :-k
8-[ Absolutely sure that it is suspension fluid that's leaking?
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
mm1
Posts: 74
Joined: 15 Nov 2008, 16:19
Location:
My Cars:

Re: c5 suspension

Post by mm1 »

The breather pipes seem bone dry.it just off the bottom of the wide end of the boot that the drop is coming from.is there something else that could be leaking there lain
wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 22:37
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
My Cars: Two C5's...
Lots of CXs...
A couple of Xantia...
A C2...
Lots of Prelude's...
And a Sunny!
x 66
Contact:

Re: c5 suspension

Post by wurlycorner »

I was wondering about fuel tank/filler? Thats roughly above there IIRC???
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
mm1
Posts: 74
Joined: 15 Nov 2008, 16:19
Location:
My Cars:

Re: c5 suspension

Post by mm1 »

Have been looking again this evening.there was a drop of fluid hanging from the boot.so dried everything up and got my mrs to raise and lower the car as i kept and eye on it.as the car went up towards the top it leaked some fluid again and it definetly came from the inside the boot.could there be an invisible hole in the bloody thing or could there be some dirt gone in round the boot.
wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 22:37
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
My Cars: Two C5's...
Lots of CXs...
A couple of Xantia...
A C2...
Lots of Prelude's...
And a Sunny!
x 66
Contact:

Re: c5 suspension

Post by wurlycorner »

Ok well its good to have confirmed the source. Just change the boot if you're concerned - they're very cheap from Citroen (something around a fiver, IIRC).
Last edited by wurlycorner on 11 Oct 2016, 21:49, edited 1 time in total.
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
mm1
Posts: 74
Joined: 15 Nov 2008, 16:19
Location:
My Cars:

Re: c5 suspension

Post by mm1 »

Do you think a boot will sort it or will it need new seals also.AFAIK the car got new boots a few months ago.
wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 22:37
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
My Cars: Two C5's...
Lots of CXs...
A couple of Xantia...
A C2...
Lots of Prelude's...
And a Sunny!
x 66
Contact:

Re: c5 suspension

Post by wurlycorner »

It's difficult to know - if the seals were gone, I would have expected the boot to be full of fluid?
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
Post Reply