C5 x7 Hydractive Front Struts

[petef]

Right Hand Side front strut has started leaking enough to need replacing. My local Indy wanted £485 to do the job but this included £357 for the strut itself which he said he would have to get from Citroen. I have managed to source a strut on line for £199 which is sold as a Genuine Citroen part - no 5271 L6 - and comes complete with Citroen sticker. The supplier says there are no pattern parts available, the only struts made are by Citroen. The Indy refused to fit any part I sourced myself.
I have found a slightly less local Indy who will fit the strut I sourced no problem. But there seems to be a huge disparity between what Citroen apparently charge - if this is right, and what you can buy exactly the same part for elsewhere. Where do these on line suppliers get their stock from at the prices they ask?

[GiveMeABreak]

Because Citroen make a profit on parts - I ordered my replacement right strut from Poland - an original. Citroen don't make these - they are made in Europe and are generally cheaper. I actually bought mine and got Citroen to fit only. I of course forgot to get a quantity of LDS fluid, so was charged their retail prices on top - but I could of supplied my own fluid too.

Forget your original Indy - he's talking crap. Citroen get them from the same manufacturers.

I bought mine for £164 (£181 with postage from Poland) and Citroen fitted it for a similar price. The current price from Citroen as of today for this strut to buy only is £367.44! So almost half price.

So I would have a chat with Citroen and get a quote to fit only.

[petef]

The obliging less local Indy is a Citroen Specialist - I have used them before and they will fit it for£130. I have a litre of LDS to go with strut, hope that is enough.
But the rip off price by Citroen for the part is eye watering, no wonder the term 'stealers' was coined.

[GiveMeABreak]

You'll need more than a litre Pete - I think they used near on 3 when they did mine at the main dealer.

[petef]

So job done - £199 for strut and 1.8 hours labour at indy Citroen Specialist totaled £117. I supplied 1 litre of LDS and wasn't charged for any more, so maybe that was enough?

[GiveMeABreak]

Could be - but important to check the LDS level after a while. Another member just had his rack replaced and he had to put in at least 2 litres of LDS after the steering and suspension went tight / hard.

Check the LDS level on the Lowest suspension setting with the engine off.

Level should be between A and B mark. But do check after you've driven it for some miles.

[white exec]

Not certain about LDS system, but if fluid level drops really low on LHM, there is the possibility of air being drawn into the system. Aerated LHM can produce knobbly/notchy/weak power steering, and harsh suspension, the latter giving the impression of a 'suspension fault'. Failure to bleed an LHM system by the correct procedure can also give similar misbehaviour.

[mcduff]

I know its an old thread, but do you have a link or name for that part you ordered? My right strut just started leaking oil like crazy and I tried to find it here online but could not find this Polish company. I am living in the Czech Republic, but getting them here is not easy)

[GiveMeABreak]

The part number is in the first post for the right hand strut. You'll just have to google it or compare prices on ebay as the prices fluctuate daily.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from ... 6&_sacat=0

Remember this post was started over 3 years ago, and prices have shot up since then on the struts.

£200-£250 may seem a lot more than the original post, but consider that the price for a new one from Citroen is now £444 for the right strut alone. I have provided an ebay search listing above, so you can see suppliers are dotted about including the Polish sellers. You now have the original price to compare with.