Xantia - couple of probs

They are a bit 'wallowy' full stop, however, given your problems with braking as well (the brakes are on the same system) I'd say you probably need to have some new spheres; there are 5 in total, one each controlling the suspension for the wheels and one near the middle of the rear axle. It's best that those for the wheels are changed in pairs.

Not sure what you mean by 'The one almost in the middle of the engine compartment' because, as I recall, the two front ones are towards the rear left and right corners of the engine compartment. If you're referring to the large unit next to the sphere on the nearside - that's the main control unit for the system and, if that's causing the problem, your car will be beyond economical repair. That said, let's hope it's not and they are pretty robust.

The running problem will probably be solved by the service you suggest.

Finding a local independent Citroen specialist will be a good move.

I think there are 6 spheres. There's a master one at the front in the middle and a separate master accumulator at the rear. But as you say, they are a bit wallowy. The effect of a duff sphere is to tighten up the ride rather than the other way round.

Malc ( snipped-for-privacy@lightindigooverthere.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

The extra rear sphere stops the car sinking overnight - although if it's a VSX or Exclusive there's also a third suspension sphere each end for Hydractive.

Sounds to me as if the "one in the middle" is probably the main accumulator. Hardly a "scrap it" item - half an hour to change and £20 for a new one...

The "large unit" is, I suspect, the LHM tank - again, hardly a complicated thing. There's nothing that could really be described as a "control unit".

If it's "wallowy" I wonder whether the wrong spheres have been fitted - perhaps accumulators - which won't have the damping valves, so will be akin to not having any conventional dampers/"shock absorbers" fitted.

I know some of the spheres were changed recently, by looking I'd guess the two front side

The spheres that give up the ghost first are the rears. Fluid, filters and sphere change is recommended at three to five years. The guys at Westroen, 7,Nell Lane, Chorlton cum Hardy replace (with recon spheres) at £25 a unit. There can be six or more depending on the model. They will replace the fluid and filters at the same time for another £40. Give a three year warranty too and they know what they're doing. Their sphere removal tool is a great steel ring with a heavy arm that can be belted with a lump hammer. Fiddling about with oil filter wrenches and the like just leads to mounting block and pipe damage. The Citroen suspension system can feel a bit wallowy to those more used to the rigid struts and springs of Ford and Vauxhall carts. There's a section of motorway near me where the car seems to pitch slightly - front offside to rear nearside corner for a hundred yards or so. Nothing untoward, Citroens are different - that's what we like. Re: braking with automatics, you don't get the engine braking effect on the over-run as with a conventional gearbox. It's similar to selecting neutral and then slowing on the brakes alone. Before the anti French lot butt in, my old 1994 Xantia tdi is running fine after 170,000 miles. Now living in Italy and having been driven there after being left unloved and abandoned in a garden for two years. My 2000 hdi approaching 75,000 miles. Both used to tow caravans all over Europe and never missed a beat. DaveK.