Xantia S1 Ride Height and Suspension Stiffness - It's not what you think...

[Rhothgar]

Morning all,

Took the '94 1.9TD S1 Xantia for its MOT a few weeks ago. The drive was awful. Suspension was rock hard and the front ride height seems too high. Hard to tell but the rear is probably a little too high.

Now before we all say it needs new spheres, it shouldn't as I checked them and regassed them before the return journey and there appeared to be NO improvement.

Now! From memory, I have never adjusted the ride height on this car and I have never serviced the height correctors.

The question to the Xantia hive mind is:-

What else, if anything, is known to cause the ride height to be wrong and stiffness in the suspension? I don't think there is anything but wondering where a blockage in a return pipe could cause the issue. I would assume however that if there was a blockage, putting the car on low would cause most of the fluid from the rear suspension circuit to be returned to the reservoir and that the weight of the car coupled with increase in fluid volume would surely blow a return pipe off and a low pressure leak would manifest itself?

Another thing I noticed is an intermittent fault where the brake pedals sometimes vibrates and makes a noise usually on extremely light application as though the ABS is coming on. This may well be to do with the failed ABS sensor that needs replacing. I just have visions of me needing to rebuild the brake doseur valve and don't particularly relish getting it off the car.

I think I need to probably gently blow compressed air through the rear return lines but just typing this made me realise that the front returns are the flexies from the suspension strut straight into steel pipe so would they really likely be blocked.

The car goes up and down fine on the ride height lever. Short of the bar to the height corrector becoming bent somehow I don't see how else the ride height could go out of adjustment.

[RichardW]

Ride height can wind up over time, and cause a rough ride. Is it hard at the front or that back? Return line will have no impact on the ride quality - bumps are absorbed by the oil moving from the strut and compressing the gas in the sphere. Does it go up and down smoothly when the height is changed?

[Rhothgar]

I watched some official Citroen Training Videos on the system yesterday so I did have my doubts about the return lines being a problem.

I 'think' it was hard at the rear particularly as when I drove back the seat was acting as the shock absorption over rough surfaces...

As for whether it goes up and down smoothly, yes it seems to but I am not with the car until Sunday again and can take a video then for your unbiased view on it.

[CitroJim]

Although the suspension goes up and down with the height control Lever Roger, do the height correctors work correctly when weight is applied to the front and rear of the car? A good test is to sit on the boot sill and feel the suspension go down and then after around 20s, return to normal. If you get off the suspension height should shoot up and then come back down to normal after 20s or so.

Ditto the front although more weight is needed. Sit (or maybe two of you) on the slam panel and see.

If height correction like this is not working properly the ride will suffer and as Richard says above, ride height is critical for a good ride. I suspect your height corrector linkages may be a bit stiff and not as free-moving as they should be. That the suspension goes up and down on the lever is no indication of the health or otherwise of the linkages that control ride height via the ARB/suspension movements.

[RichardW]

Seized rear arm bearings can play havoc with the ride too - although you may be able to force it up and down, normal road undulations don't provoke enough movement.

[CitroJim]

Seized rear arm bearings can play havoc with the ride too - although you may be able to force it up and down, normal road undulations don't provoke enough movement.

Good call Richard So often failing rear arm bearings give the game away by creaking like the knees of a superannuated athlete...

[Stickyfinger]

For me, "wash out" the height correctors with WD40 using the straw, then use (whilst still wet) a 3-1 oil or ACF50, and really soak them in that....proceed to a good few Up/Downs.....then test drive.
After that I would still pull the spheres and pressure test them.........only after that would I look for more complicated problems.

I had a good tortured mouse effect squeak on my 1.9sinker.....WD40 & ACF50 on the correctors and bushes got rid of it....so unless you have experienced rear arm failure (in my case only on a C5 Mk1 estate) do not be overly worried by that at first

[CitroJim]

Pleased you've evicted the mouse Alasdair

[Rhothgar]

Pretty sure that I freed off the actual pivot points that the rods connect to in the last year. Maybe I did it on the silver one…

Must start keeping a more detailed record of what I do on which car?

Alasdair. Are you referring to spraying the HC’s out whilst they are still connected to the vehicle with the pipes still connected?

[Stickyfinger]

Alasdair. Are you referring to spraying the HC’s out whilst they are still connected to the vehicle with the pipes still connected?

Yes

[myglaren]

There's also this Roger:-
https://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/ ... 855#183855

And Malcolm (Citronut) has similar ones too.
search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&author_id=4644

[Rhothgar]

There's also this Roger:-
https://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/ ... 855#183855

And Malcolm (Citronut) has similar ones too.
search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&author_id=4644

Useful links for finding quickly when I cannot find them in a week’s time.

Already rebuilt one previously at some point and that is ready to install if needs be.

[Rhothgar]

I had a good tortured mouse effect squeak on my 1.9sinker....

Your problem may well have been something completely different. Producing KY jelly out of thin air may well have made them vacate your Xantia for another dungeon…

NB. No mice were hurt in the making of this picture.

[CitroJim]

I had a good tortured mouse effect squeak on my 1.9sinker....

Your problem may well have been something completely different. Producing KY jelly out of thin air may well have made them vacate your Xantia for another dungeon…



NB. No mice were hurt in the making of this picture.

[Stickyfinger]

I am worried