Gulp! C5 X7 suspension repairs

[rmunns]

I half-expected bad news when I took the car to a local garage (a Citroen 'specialist', but with main dealer-ish prices). All parts prices are standardised throughout France.
The car is a 2009 Tourer exclusive, so it has Hydractive III+. The front passenger side (car is LHD) knocks when I go over a pothole - only a small one will do it - and I was also aware of a leak in that same corner, from the top of the suspension leg.
The knocking comes from the bush that is inside part of the suspension leg. The mechanic showed me and said the hydraulic oil leaking onto the bush had probably caused it to fail.
Here's the rub. The bush is not available as a separate part - it's all in the suspension casting and has to be replaced as a unit. €339 part, €158 labour (2.8hours at €56/hour).
He says no chance to repair the oil leak in the leg. The suspension leg, fitted, will be €430.

At the way rates are going, you can say total cost would be £809.

Any comments (or donations)?

[Stickyfinger]

Which parts ?

[rmunns]

I guess he means '1' for the suspension leg.

It's the bush at the bottom of 'B'.

[rmunns]

I have found and ordered a bush, so it's just a matter now of finding a suspension leg from (maybe) a damaged car?

[xantia_v6]

Can you be more precise about the location of the leak? Is it from the bellows, or higher up?

[rmunns]

Seems to be from the very top (when you look up inside the wheelarch, that's how it looks).

[Stickyfinger]

Have they been lifting the car off the ground without the LDS cap removed ?

[osx]

I have found and ordered a bush, so it's just a matter now of finding a suspension leg from (maybe) a damaged car?

No point going for one from a damaged car unless they offer you a couple years of warranty. Cheapest you will find is about 200 euros so just get a new one.

[RichardW]

Failure of the front struts is quite common - and as noted expensive; think over £300 in the UK. Another reason why I'm not having a hydraulic C5 X7......

[ekjdm14]

...Here's the rub. The bush is not available as a separate part - it's all in the suspension casting and has to be replaced as a unit. €339 part, €158 labour (2.8hours at €56/hour).
He says no chance to repair the oil leak in the leg. The suspension leg, fitted, will be €430....

I have found and ordered a bush, so it's just a matter now of finding a suspension leg from (maybe) a damaged car?

I'm confused, do you both have the same problem with a similar car or you're one person with 2 forum accounts??? Either way it sounds bloody expensive. Could the leak not be as simple as a sphere seal if you were very lucky?

[rmunns]

See posting from me 23 jan 08:35 UK time (09:35 here in France).

[ekjdm14]

Aha, not just me going round the twist then lol. Any more news on where the leak could be from or is it definitely the strut itself that's buggered?

A bit of a retrograde step for Citroen to have gone from Xant/XM struts that were so oil-tight they sometimes needed lubing to smooth their action, to these C5 struts that seem to be fairly common leakers I highly doubt there's an easy way to swap between the two but if the earlier units could be made to fit....

[wurlycorner]

A bit of a retrograde step for Citroen to have gone from Xant/XM struts that were so oil-tight they sometimes needed lubing to smooth their action, to these C5 struts that seem to be fairly common leakers I highly doubt there's an easy way to swap between the two but if the earlier units could be made to fit....

Probably less than half the price for Citroen to buy though, assuming the X7 is made with cheap Chinese manufactured parts, rather than more expensive European ones.
Manufacturing cost rules at PSA these days...

[rmunns]

Still here, still undecided. I got the bush that is for the bottom of the arm 'B' but the garage will not fit it. Warranty, etc. So I will have to find an independent.
Has anyone removed the old bush and pressed a new one into this leg 'B'? Indeed, is it going to be difficult to get the leg 'B' out?
I don't know if anyone else has lifted the car, wheels hanging, without taking off the LDS cap. Certainly I have (ashamed, didn't know) but the leak was there when I bought the car so it wan't me, guv. Or at least, not all me.
Since I like the car so much and want to keep it, I guess I'm just gonna have to pay up for the shocker and it's fitting. But I hope I can do the bush myself.
Thanks to all who have helped, I am grateful.

[Stickyfinger]

I would not rebuild it without replacing the lower joint (14), these wear and I wonder if it is worth trying to refit it anyway considering you have the lower apart for the strut anyway.

https://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/ ... hp?t=50744