C5 (X7) too low rider!
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- Donor 2023
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Re: C5 (X7) too low rider!
When you do get around to cleaning the motor raise her to full height first, loosen the cap from the reservoir, jack her up enough so you can remove the offside front wheel and support her at the front, drop the suspension down to the lowest setting, and then (using the Lexia) de-pressurise the system. This last step is important, otherwise (when you undo the two high pressure pipes on the pump) you will get LDS sprayed all around the engine bay. This happened to me when I took the BHI off the scrapped vehicle, which is why MY C5 did not get an engine bay LDS respray!
James
ex BX 1.9
ex Xantia 2.0HDi SX
ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
ex C5 2.2HDi VTX+
Yes, I am paranoid, but am I paranoid ENOUGH?
Out amongst the stars, looking for a world of my own!
ex BX 1.9
ex Xantia 2.0HDi SX
ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
ex C5 2.2HDi VTX+
Yes, I am paranoid, but am I paranoid ENOUGH?
Out amongst the stars, looking for a world of my own!
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- (Donor 2022)
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- Joined: 08 Jun 2013, 20:09
- x 15
Re: C5 (X7) too low rider!
How much LDS will be in the reservoir after depressuring the system and assuming the level was correct? Do you remove the higher or lower hose clamp to remove the LDS?
C5 X7 Exclusive 2.0 HDi Auto
C5 X7 Exclusive 2.0 HDi Manual
C5 X7 Exclusive 2.0 HDi Manual
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- Donor 2023
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Re: C5 (X7) too low rider!
If the layout pf the X7 is the same as on the Facelift the easiest way to remove the LDS will be via the pipe between the LDS reservoir and the steering pump. The steering pump is hidden by the wheel arch liner, and is behind the bumper. You have to remove the wheel arch liner anyway, to undo nuts holding the BHI in place.
Last edited by Hell Razor5543 on 26 May 2023, 17:17, edited 1 time in total.
James
ex BX 1.9
ex Xantia 2.0HDi SX
ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
ex C5 2.2HDi VTX+
Yes, I am paranoid, but am I paranoid ENOUGH?
Out amongst the stars, looking for a world of my own!
ex BX 1.9
ex Xantia 2.0HDi SX
ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
ex C5 2.2HDi VTX+
Yes, I am paranoid, but am I paranoid ENOUGH?
Out amongst the stars, looking for a world of my own!
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- (Donor 2022)
- Posts: 771
- Joined: 08 Jun 2013, 20:09
- x 15
Re: C5 (X7) too low rider!
It's the same configuration but I think they have different reservoir size.
C5 X7 Exclusive 2.0 HDi Auto
C5 X7 Exclusive 2.0 HDi Manual
C5 X7 Exclusive 2.0 HDi Manual
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- Donor 2023
- Posts: 357
- Joined: 31 Aug 2023, 12:38
- x 98
Re: C5 (X7) too low rider!
I have broken my suspension!!.. and can't seem to find anything that makes sense anywhere... I thought I'd add my issue on here as it seems a similar thread.
I changed my drivers side (right hand side) strut today, and everything seemed to go well. I also replaced the corresponding sphere.
Before hand I raised the suspension to max height, then took the cap off.
After the work I lowered the jack, and understandably the drivers side lowered to the floor, and trapped my jack.
When I was done, I started the car, and quickly realised the bleed valve on the new strut was open, as fluid went everywhere. I shut off the engine, and did that back up.
Then I tried again....
Cycled the car through the heights lots of times, and while the rear suspension seems to be moving (though not as high as I'd expect on max height) the front does not budge!
Tried the bleed valve again, lots of fluid but no air. So I assume not an airlock. Tried a BSi reset too, not help...
I scanned with Diagbox, and there are no faults other than U2005, which I gather is an error caused by Diagbox itself. Likewise I tried raising/lowering with Diag box, and still cannot get the front to go up.
The 10A fuse in the glovebox is OK, and the 40A maxi fuse is also OK. But stranger still, I can hear the pump kicking in so it seems fine. Lots of fluid streams out of the bleed valve when I open it, at pressure. Weirdly after all this work, where lots of fluid has been expelled, the level in my header tank has not dropped at all.
...so I am now puzzled... why will my car not raise?
Anyone got any ideas??
I changed my drivers side (right hand side) strut today, and everything seemed to go well. I also replaced the corresponding sphere.
Before hand I raised the suspension to max height, then took the cap off.
After the work I lowered the jack, and understandably the drivers side lowered to the floor, and trapped my jack.
When I was done, I started the car, and quickly realised the bleed valve on the new strut was open, as fluid went everywhere. I shut off the engine, and did that back up.
Then I tried again....
Cycled the car through the heights lots of times, and while the rear suspension seems to be moving (though not as high as I'd expect on max height) the front does not budge!
Tried the bleed valve again, lots of fluid but no air. So I assume not an airlock. Tried a BSi reset too, not help...
I scanned with Diagbox, and there are no faults other than U2005, which I gather is an error caused by Diagbox itself. Likewise I tried raising/lowering with Diag box, and still cannot get the front to go up.
The 10A fuse in the glovebox is OK, and the 40A maxi fuse is also OK. But stranger still, I can hear the pump kicking in so it seems fine. Lots of fluid streams out of the bleed valve when I open it, at pressure. Weirdly after all this work, where lots of fluid has been expelled, the level in my header tank has not dropped at all.
...so I am now puzzled... why will my car not raise?

Anyone got any ideas??
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- (Donor 2016)
- Posts: 11129
- Joined: 28 Mar 2013, 22:05
- x 1598
Re: C5 (X7) too low rider!
Start the car, set LOW....slowly turn the steering from left to right (do not hold it at the extremes) 4-5 times, set NORMAL, turn the wheel left right again 4-5 times....try that to bleed the system internally.
IF it works, cycle LOW-HIGH 4/5 times then from HIGH go to Normal.
(Cap off when doing this)
IF it works, cycle LOW-HIGH 4/5 times then from HIGH go to Normal.
(Cap off when doing this)
Alasdair
Activa, the Moose Dodger
Activa, the Moose Dodger
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- Donor 2023
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- x 98
Re: C5 (X7) too low rider!
OK that's wonderful advice - I'll give that a try!
Seems odd that the level in the header tank has not dropped at all; there must have been a few litres of fluid in that old shock absorber!
So do you think it's likely there is an airlock?
Seems odd that the level in the header tank has not dropped at all; there must have been a few litres of fluid in that old shock absorber!

So do you think it's likely there is an airlock?
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- (Donor 2016)
- Posts: 11129
- Joined: 28 Mar 2013, 22:05
- x 1598
Re: C5 (X7) too low rider!
It is possible....hence the advice which "should" clear it if there is......
Alasdair
Activa, the Moose Dodger
Activa, the Moose Dodger
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- Donor 2023
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Re: C5 (X7) too low rider!
OK thank you - anything is worth a try
Completely baffles me why it will not raise anymore, I do wonder if I knocked the sensor somehow. Wondering if when I detached the drop link the anti-roll bar could have over rotated in some way and detached the sensor and made it read "high" all the time. I can't think of any other reason why the car would not not raising, but not flagging a fault either
That's the part that puzzles me the most... the lack of a fault code, and the lack of any error messages on the dash...

Completely baffles me why it will not raise anymore, I do wonder if I knocked the sensor somehow. Wondering if when I detached the drop link the anti-roll bar could have over rotated in some way and detached the sensor and made it read "high" all the time. I can't think of any other reason why the car would not not raising, but not flagging a fault either

That's the part that puzzles me the most... the lack of a fault code, and the lack of any error messages on the dash...
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- Donor 2023
- Posts: 357
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- x 98
Re: C5 (X7) too low rider!
Well thats ashame... turning the steering side to side with cap off and engine running did not change anything.
Even more annoying, the back is not going up and down either now
Even more annoying, the back is not going up and down either now

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- Donor 2023
- Posts: 357
- Joined: 31 Aug 2023, 12:38
- x 98
Re: C5 (X7) too low rider!
So for the benefit of anyone who stumbles upon this thread and has the same issue as me... this was my solution:
The level in my header tank was a complete red herring, as even though there was a level of fluid above the minimum "ridge" in the filler neck, it was not full at all. It seems that some fluid pools high in the neck, and does not settle until you put more in; which is not very helpful! - This might not be a regular occurrence, but it's what happened on mine.
So it was only when I decided to top it from the "just above min" level to the "max" level, that I noticed as I poured more fluid in, the level did not rise, but instead stayed the same as the fluid seemed to work it's way down into the tank. I managed to add another 5 litres before the fluid level started to rise and reached the "max" level.
So one of my issues was clearly lack of fluid!!
I'm surprised the system does not have a "low pressure" or similar fault code, but perhaps there is no pressure sensor?
Next... to get things working again, I had to start the car, and with the suspension at the lowest setting I turned the steering wheel side to side slowly for five repetitions. I then changed the suspension height to normal, repeated the steering, and again at each height until the maximum height was reached. I think I did this from min to max height settings, doing 5 repetitions of the steering cycles at each, around 5 times before I saw the front start to lift at all. At this point I stopped doing the steering cycles, and just cycled the suspension from min to max over and over. I did this around 5 times further... and finally the front seemed to be lifting just as much as the back.
At that point I allowed myself to grin like an idiot
The level in my header tank was a complete red herring, as even though there was a level of fluid above the minimum "ridge" in the filler neck, it was not full at all. It seems that some fluid pools high in the neck, and does not settle until you put more in; which is not very helpful! - This might not be a regular occurrence, but it's what happened on mine.
So it was only when I decided to top it from the "just above min" level to the "max" level, that I noticed as I poured more fluid in, the level did not rise, but instead stayed the same as the fluid seemed to work it's way down into the tank. I managed to add another 5 litres before the fluid level started to rise and reached the "max" level.
So one of my issues was clearly lack of fluid!!
I'm surprised the system does not have a "low pressure" or similar fault code, but perhaps there is no pressure sensor?
Next... to get things working again, I had to start the car, and with the suspension at the lowest setting I turned the steering wheel side to side slowly for five repetitions. I then changed the suspension height to normal, repeated the steering, and again at each height until the maximum height was reached. I think I did this from min to max height settings, doing 5 repetitions of the steering cycles at each, around 5 times before I saw the front start to lift at all. At this point I stopped doing the steering cycles, and just cycled the suspension from min to max over and over. I did this around 5 times further... and finally the front seemed to be lifting just as much as the back.
At that point I allowed myself to grin like an idiot

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- (Donor 2016)
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- x 1598
Re: C5 (X7) too low rider!
"Told you" 
Well done.....enjoy the ride again.............

Well done.....enjoy the ride again.............
Alasdair
Activa, the Moose Dodger
Activa, the Moose Dodger
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- Donor 2024
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Re: C5 (X7) too low rider!
Congrats @c16rkc