I wonder if somebody can help me with some Xantia hydraulic problems? The car is a 96/97 ish SX 1.9TD model with ~100k miles and has been in the family almost from new. It is immaculate, comfortable, extremely economical and as a second car, we like it a lot. It has however developed a problem that I cannot identify from the many other ?Xantia suspension? posts on this site and I would be grateful for any assistance.
Firstly for a very long time, the rear-end has sunk overnight which I now believe from reading other posts is a faulty anti-sink sphere. A relative who had a BX advised that this was a common Citroen fault and we lived with the minor inconvenience.
Then around 1,200 miles ago after not being used for a year (the car was in storage while we were out of the country) a fault appeared where the rear suspension would only lift from its sunken position if the engine was run at fast idle for 15 seconds or so. If the car had been stopped for a period and not sunk, as soon as the engine was started, the rear end sunk immediately and required the 15 seconds of fast idle to regain its composure. Until the suspension reaches its full height, the brakes barely work at all. When at normal height, the suspension is comfortable and the brakes are excellent although I have never really liked the on/off nature of the brakes, the lack of feel through the pedal and ease at which the ABS modulator cuts in. Is this another fault?
We believe all spheres are original so would it be sensible to replace all six of them together and is this likely to fix all three faults?
Many thanks for your time.
Ian. Cumbria.