Xantia Front Suspension Solid

Hi all Please can you clarify as to why L & R front suspension is now a really hard ride, aaaand what remedial action I might need to take.

Thanks Susie

Reply to
colin_
Loading thread data ...

Should be as simple as changing the front spheres. Basically the sphere is a pressurised nitrogen-filled chamber into and out of which hydraulic fluid flows (through a very small hole providing a lot of resistance - the same as these new machines you get in gyms these days), they act, in effect, as both spring and shock-absorber.

When the membrane in the sphere degrades the nitrogen escapes and the whole system gets really hard. The only way to fix it is by replacing the spheres.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES (except if it is still under warranty!) TAKE IT TO YOUR DEALER! They will charge you more than the car is worth to do the job. If you aren't scared of mechanical things, do it yourself or get someone who is to do it - it is really simple, if fact it is a case of depressurising the system (stick the suspension in lowest mode) unscrew the sphere and screw a new one on, do a load of right ups and right downs and you are done!

There are many good Citroen websites out there that will guide you through the process, google is your friend!

Enjoy!

CAS

Reply to
CAS

Sorry to hijack the thread, but my dad's '00 Xantia has recently developed a distinctly bouncy ride - any idea what might be the cause? I've looked at a few citroen websites, and have seen the rock-hard suspension problem covered in a few places, but not the bouncy-suspension problem.

My initial thought was that there must be air trapped in the fluid, but it appears that the system should be self-bleeding, unless I've misunderstood.

Cheers, Albert

Reply to
Albert T Cone

Albert T Cone ( snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Shagged spheres. Almost certainly. What's the bounce test like?

The only other real possiblity is that the clips have fallen off the height correctors - Is it sitting at the normal ride height?

It is.

Reply to
Adrian

Um, dunno. I'll check it next time I'm there.

I didn't notice it being particularly higher or lower than normal, but I'll check it more scientifically.

Jolly good. Thanks for the reply.

Reply to
Albert T Cone

Albert T Cone ( snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Try bouncing it, and try pushing one end down and holding it there - it should push back up after a few seconds.

I suspect it'll be ROCK solid - if so, the spheres have gone utterly flat.

If the clips have come off, it'll be at one extreme or t'other - if it's roughly normal, then you're OK there.

Reply to
Adrian

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.