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Posted

Hi Guys,

 

I've not been on here for a while but I've got a problem with a 1997 Xantia I've recently acquired. My problem is that the rear suspension won't raise or lower when I adjust the height lever inside the car. The front goes up and down no problem, but the rear just stays put.

 

I've been underneath (with axles stands in place) and the little while plastic 'dog bone' is in place and secure. The small lever attached to the long rod running from the front was seized solid so I detached the rod from it and got it moving again, but although that now moves when I move the height adjuster inside the car, the height corrector valve doesn't budge.

 

My understanding is that when you move the height lever inside the car, the long metal rod should move the little lever I've just freed off which in turn should pull or push the flat height corrector valve push-rod and cause the suspension to raise or lower. I'm not sure how much movement the height corrector valve push-rod should have, but mine doesn't seem to have any!

 

Now to be honest I'm not too fussed about the height adjustment system not working because I rarely if ever use it, other than to exercise the system every week or two, and the car is sitting at the right height. My concern is that the rear suspension is very hard so I'm planning to change the spheres and after changing spheres I normally raise and lower the suspension a few times to get everything working correctly, and this is something I obviously can't do!

 

Can someone please advise me:

 

(a) How much should the height corrector valve push-rod be able to move?

 

(b) If the height corrector valve is seized how do I go about freeing it off?

 

© If I replace the rear spheres but am unable to raise and lower the rear of the car a few times will they still work?

 

Any advice would gratefully received.

Posted

Your height corrector has seized through lack of lubrication. You might be able to free it off in situ by spraying it every day for a while with plus gas or similar. You really need to have it working correctly before changing spheres. With the ride height working correctly you may not need to change them.

 

A word of warning - don't go under your car without having the body resting on stands. The hydraulic suspension can suddenly allow the car to drop giving you some serious injuries.

Posted

Thanks for your quick response. I'm guessing the previous owner who owned the car for 8 years didn't exercise the suspension on a regular basis, if at all, which is probably why the height corrector valve has seized up. Would you recommend that I ease off the rubber covers on either side of the valve and spray plus gas directly inside onto the rubber diaphragm and metal disc that's behind them?

 

Also I'm still not sure how much fore and aft movement the valve should have when working properly.

 

Thanks for the warning about ensure the body is supported on stands. I had a trolley jack and an axle stand on both sides under the sills before I ventured under it today!

Posted
No don't remove the rubber covers. Just wire brush the moving parts and spray with plus-gas and when moving easily use spray grease. This video may help....
Posted

Ok thanks for that info. I'll get some Plus-Gas and give it a try. At the moment the hydraulic cylinder with the rubber end covers does not appear want to move even though the lever it's attached to are free to move, but I'll try what you've suggested and report back.

Posted

Ok this is me reporting back.

 

I sprayed the whole height corrector mechanism with Plus Gas two or three times a day over a two or three day period but it made no difference. No matter how long I left the car ticking over the rear suspension stayed exactly where it was despite the front suspension going up and down like a yo-yo.

 

Eventually I decided to try revving the engine so I wedged the accelerator so the engine was revving at 3000rpm and eventually after about 5 minutes the rear suspension started to move. It slowly made it all the way up to full height so I moved the height control lever to low and after a few minutes it slowly crept down. I carried on moving the suspension from high to low and it appeared to be getting quicker but not by much if at all.

 

The video you attached shows the height corrector hydraulic valve push-rod moving 4 or 5mm when the setting is changed from high to low or vice versa. The height corrector valve push-rod on my Xantia only moves 1 or 2mm despite the fact that the lever operating it and the lever that the long steel actuating rod attaches to are both totally free, so I think I've got a sticky height corrector valve, but at least I'm getting movement albeit slow so thanks for your help and advice.

Posted
Well that's looking better. Spray with chain grease and keep it moving. The fact that GSF sell new height correctors indicate that they do fail and need replacing..... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Height-Corrector-for-Citroen-Xantia-/301353663737?fits=Model%3AXantia&hash=item462a13fcf9 but if you do need one, maybe breakers might be a possibility.
Posted

Yes I'll keep working it. I think the problem stems from lack of use over a number of years which has caused the valve to get stuck in one position. It might free off if I keep at it, and there is a video on YouTube of how to strip one down although it looks a bit messy, so if it doesn't free off I think I'll try a secondhand one from a breakers.

 

Thanks for your advice and assistance. New rear spheres getting fitted tomorrow providing I can get the old ones off. :-)

Posted
  On 9/10/2015 at 8:15 PM, Dodger said:

providing I can get the old ones off. :-)

Front ones comparatively easy - rears can be a ***, especially if you don't have a decent sphere wrench. Put the suspension on high, have the engine running and just get each sphere moving before switching off and depressurising. If you do the anti sink sphere, disconnect the fluid pipe before the sphere otherwise you'll twist the pipe.

Posted

I'm not planning to replace anti-sink sphere, but I've done rear spheres before on another car and this was the routine I followed:

 

 

  • Raise suspension to highest setting and reverse car onto ramps. Place axle stands under jacking points.

 

  • Crawl under car and slacken spheres 1/8 turn to crack joints while weight of the car is still on rear wheels.

 

  • Lower suspension to the lowest setting. Car will settle onto axle stands and rear wheels will rise.

 

  • De-pressurise hydraulic system by opening screw on front accumulator sphere one full turn.

 

  • Unscrew old spheres and fit new spheres hand tight, replacing O rings at the same time.

 

  • Close screw on front accumulator sphere and start engine.

 

  • Move suspension from low to high a few times expel air from the system.
  •  
Posted

I'm sure that's what my last Xantia did. It's the same as when you're changing a wheel, put the suspension to high and crack the wheel bolts, put an axle stand under the jacking point, move the suspension to low and the body settles onto the axle stand and the wheel lifts off the ground, remove the wheel, fit the spare, put the suspension back to high, tighten the wheel bolts and remove the axle stand.

Posted

I'll actually be donating this Xantia to an animal charity (www.glendrickroost.org.uk) which is run by someone who's been a family friend for 30 years.

 

Over the last 10 or 15 years I've donated four or five Xantia Estates and a couple of C5 Estates. They're great for towing their livestock trailer, hay trailer and event caravan, and the self levelling suspension keeps the car level whether they're towing something or have the boot full of dogs and/or equipment or they're towing and have the boot full as well which is normally what happens!

 

Some of the cars last longer than others and they get pretty filthy inside because they're always full of dogs, but they don't cost me much and when they're past they're sell by date I scrap them and the difference between what I paid for them and what I get for them as scrap is my donation.

 

I've actually got a C5 Estate for them as well which I bought last week on ebay but have still to pick up. That's an 04 plate 2.0 HDI 110bhp with quite a few miles on it, but it's got complete service history and had a new alternator, fuel pump, fuel tank support, brake calipers discs & pads, rear spheres, 5 good tyres on alloys and an MOT til January, so it should be good for a while! 

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