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a good timely warning and it goes for any car i directly remember in my lifetime 2 people being killed by cars crushing them...... not nice
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Many thanks Lee.
Sounds as if you're right, as I can't see a plastic anything that looks like a rod. We'll get one from our local dealer and I might find where it goes! Just got all the mud and grass out of the way.
I appreciate your general warning on the risks of going under the hydropneumatic suspension! It could have sat down on me, and it did go very quickly and heavily when it went. I'm very careful when I do these things, just in case my other half is trying to remove me. Thank goodness we have some very solid ramps!
Just phoned the dealer. Only £1.20 +vat so that's excellent. Can't get there before they close today, but never mind. Hope that it solves the problem.
If it doesn't work after fitting, lubrication and aerobics does that mean we need a new height corrector?
This car's cost us an arm and a leg since we bought it 8 months ago. It's never well!
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The height corrector can usually be made to free itself off with a prod, smack & some lubrication, When they do fail then normally start leaking fluid out everywhere.
Make sure you grease it up well because that nice new plastic rod ( dropped in price, Nice one Citroen ) will just pop off again if the height corrector is seized.
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Thanks again Lee.
You make it sound so easy! I won't have a clue what I'm doing but I'll grease everything in sight. Once I get under there with the rod, it might be more apparent what needs doing.
Has anyone got a close up diagram of the height corrector? We haven't got a manual for this car, only the BX's. Decided we weren't even going to attempt any further DIY some years ago, but this seems such a small thing that I must be able to do it, I reckon.
Anyway, how the devil do we shift a reluctant car from the side of a mountain with limited access to the local garage for repair? We pondered this when we finally got it home. Can't even get a tow truck up here.
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Just been out under my Xantia trying to fix an LHM leak....
Anyway, Have a look here: www.ausiefrogs.com/shane click on 96 Xantia VSX on the left, then on the link to changing the spheres. The second photo down clearly shows the height corrector in the yellow circle, and the plastic link just above and to the right of it (at about 11 o'clock). Note yours won't have the fourth sphere (circled green) unless it's an Exclusive, and got hydractive suspension.
Good luck.
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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Actually looking at the pic again, the spring part you need to free off is outside of the yellow circle too - but it's where the link clips onto.
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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Hi Richard.
Many thanks for that. It's made it a lot clearer looking at pictures of the underneath of the car. At least I can identify all the bits and bobs, now.
Whilst attempting to fit the new link rod at what setting should the height adjuster be or doesn't it matter? I know the suspension won't rise, anyway, but what happens when it's all fitted? Probably a stupid question, but then I'm not clued up! I'm depending on you chaps to get me through this!!! Sounds so simple - no tools etc. etc. BUT......
It's also pouring with rain, that helps, I must say. Nothing like being thoroughly miserably wet under a car, 700ft up and exposed to the elements.
Thanks again all you guys out there.
Anita
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I'd have the height control lever set at the lowest setting whilst doing this. The height corrector valve is sprung so if the link won't reach you'll have to pull it so it does. I took me about 5 minutes to get my link back in place.
You'll find loads of Citroen help here too - www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=3&s...9
Steve.
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Xantia HDi.
Buy a Citroen and get to know the local GSF staff better...
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Hi Steve.
Thank you, as well. However, just found the link, and it's in place and OK! Damn. I'd hoped that'd be the answer. No leaks, so it must be something else. Could it just be seized up? Looked pretty rusty all round, so for the moment, I've sprayed the lot with WD40 to see if it releases, and if so, what happens next.
Could the problem now be more serious? Nothing would surprise me with this car; of all the Citroens we've had this has been a B.....Plenty of oomph and good fuel consumption, but that's about it. The old Xantia's a gem, as was the BX.
Background to it: We've had 3 new spheres on the rear 'cos it was bouncing, and it's made little difference, but..... our local repair bloke is not always spot on with Citroen suspension, sadly, so I was suspicious when this happened. Could it be an air lock somewhere or even the accumulator sphere or pump?
Thanks again folks.
Anita
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Hmm new spheres and a bouncy ride, it sounds as though there's air in the hydraulics. A few searches on the frenchcarforum will bring up plenty on the subject of poor ride.
The possibilities are wrong spheres, air in the system, stuck/failed height corrector. I'm new to Citroens but I do like to have a project and so have spent the last few weeks sorting mine out.
I'd suggest that you check that the LHM level is correct, seems obvious but if too low will drag air into the system. Check the pipes around the LHM tank are in good condition, no cracks and firmly seated. Get the car up on the ramps and lubricate the whole of the height corrector with proper oil or spray grease. You could also drop off the link, start the engine and manually move the valve to see if the car rises, if it does it's just very stiff, if not the height corrector is totally knackered (unusual apparently) or the system is blocked somewhere.
I would also bleed the brakes as these are a dead end in the system and air can accumulate there. I tend to bleed off a cupful as waste then use a long piece of 5mm tube back to the LHM tank and leave it running through for about 1 to 2 minutes. If you can get the suspension working raising the Xantia fully up and down about 5 times also gets air out of the suspension.
Do you know how to bleed the brakes on a Xantia? I doubt the pump is faulty if the front suspension works OK.
Steve.
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Xantia HDi.
Buy a Citroen and get to know the local GSF staff better...
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Yes. Could be any of the above, I agree. LHM level is OK, so that's not a problem. If anything there's too much in the reservoir. Pipework seems fine, no cracks etc. I'll have another go with proper grease on the height corrector. The WD40 was easily to hand, so I just thought I'd see if a miracle occurred. Dropping off the link and moving it manually sounds complicated to my uninitiated brain! Not sure which bit to try and move. Surely the car won't rise if the link is off? That was mentioned as the cause. Also that if the height corrector has failed, there will be lots of leaks of LHM. It could well be stuck I imagine as it is so rusty; though why it would suddenly just let the car down I don't know. We did havea lot of creaks and groans when the rear went up and down, and I imagine it was the height corrector complaining.
Hope it's not air or incorrect spheres! That's what I was trying to avoid. I immediately thought it could be an airlock when it happened. Any suggestions on how to tell a mechanic his job? It'll be another big bill to put it all right, anyway. It's beyond me, I'm afraid. Don't have the facilities or the tools, or the know-how, although I'm game to try and do what I can, and no, I've never bled the brakes.
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Ah, well the height correctors don't have to leak to be faulty, they contain small openings that could become blocked that would stop it, alternatively the rear suspension could be nearly seized though I find that unlikely.
A good guide to Citroens can be downloaded as a PDF here - www.tramontana.co.hu/citroen/guide/guide.php
A thread on harsh suspension here - www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=198...4
A thread on your very issue here - www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=197...5 . The second reply from AndersDK has a link to a diagram of the height correctors (the upper one being the rear and the lower one being the front). The part to move would be the ball joint that the plastic link fits to. However only expect mm's of movement before the spring mechanism is moving to releave the strain. Also it could take 20 seconds or longer for the car to react. Another possibilty if the car height can be adjusted manually is that the linkage on the anti roll bar has moved (part 4 in the upper diagram) however the car should still respond to the manual height lever if this is the case.
Steve
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Xantia HDi.
Buy a Citroen and get to know the local GSF staff better...
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If it went down quickly and there are no external fluid leaks, then this suggests a fault with the height corrector linkage. If the plastic link is intact, then it's got to be something to do with the metal part that transfers the action from the spring to the hydraulic part. The only other possibility, as Steve said, is that the clamp has spun on the roll bar. If it is broken it should be obvious, and will probably not respond to the lever in the car either. A new HC is about £85 and should be fittable in an hour or so - make sure care is taken with refitting the pipes - it's quite common to get it connected up the wrong way round. You might have air trapped in the rear suspension from the sphere change, but this is easily bled out by going from high to low and back 4 or 5 times. If it's still bouncy - and the right spheres have been fitted, there are lots of different ones - and you have creaks and groans from the back then I would suspect a damaged / seized rear arm bearing.
Sounds like this car has had a bit of a hard life - has it been parked in the sea or something????
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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Not in the sea no! On a mountainside in view of the sea, so I guess we get sea air.
It'd done a lot of mileage (motorways) before we had it. We work them to death with our business, carrying heavy loads daily, and encountering a lot of speed bumps as well. However, the old Xantia was as good as gold, and we didn't have any real problems with it in 4 years. In 8 months this one's hardly been away from the garage although not for the suspension until recently.
If I need a new HC, then I'll have to get it fitted. I'm not capable of that sort of clever technical stuff. I would just like to know what does need doing before I book it in, providing it can be moved! As it's on the ramps, seems a pity if I can't at least diagnose the problem.
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Thanks for the very useful links. Had a good look at the pictures, which helps.
Also posted a message myself as there's so much conflicting advice on that site I'm at a bit of a loss. I'm going out now to give it a spray with proper grease, and look for anything that might appear broken. Someone on the other site commented that it can take 24 hours and several sprays of (they said) WD40 before the HC reacts and loosens up. Rear of the car doesn't respond to the manual height lever - well, not yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Thanks again.
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