Xantia Hdi Suspension Problems

[Guest AnitaD]

Hi there.

I have a Y reg. Xantia HDi TD estate, which we've had for about 18 months (of hell!) High mileage, but regularly and well serviced before we bought it. Also have P reg 1.9 TD estate which has been, and still is, an excellent workhorse. Currently the HDi is a very hard and uncomfortable ride, and the movement in the rear is very slow and minimal. It had new rear spheres last April (might have been recon. don't know!), a new anti-sink sphere in June, and a new height corrector (after it had sat down and refused to budge) in August. After the rear spheres were fitted it was fine - the ride had previously been hell,- except for just a slight hardness and occasional bounce, which we tended to ignore. In September a friend of ours came to our assistance as the bumping got worse and the car wasn't rising and falling as it should. He diagnosed one dead front sphere, and did that for us, as well as draining the system (vast amounts of sludge and the LHM was dark brown!) and putting in Hydraflush. The ride was fine again, but the levelling etc. was still odd. We did 3,000 miles with the Hydraflush, and our friend changed it again to LHM. Immediately the ride became hard and bumpy, and the rear hardly moves at all. It will rise slighly after about 10 minutes of revving. If one pushes it down, it's solid, and if one tries to lift it up, it's solid. Does this mean the spheres have gone again, or is it something else? We carry large weights all the time, and also have to negotiate a lot of those damned speed bumps, but our other one coped OK. The front behaves as it should.

By the way, not able to do anything mechanical ourselves, for various reasons, so please don't blind me with too much science! I have peered under, with it safely on ramps, last August when it sat down, and also managed to spray WD40 on the linkage, but that is about the extent of my expertise.

[DickieG]

It sounds as if the rear suspension arm bearings might be shot. When looking at the car from the rear do the wheel's look vertical or more like / \ ? If they do look splayed out and the rear suspension is stiff when changing height and squeaks when being driven, then the bearings are shot.

 

Alternatively it could be that the recon sphere's have burst their diaphram due to the heavy loads being placed in the car, as there are small points on the inner side of the sphere's which puncture the diaphram when the sphere's lose gas or a very heavy load is put in the car. If you got them from Westroen they offer a 3 year guarantee.

 

Have you tried exercising the suspension by moving the height lever to each position when the car is stationary with the engine running? Doing this at regular intervals can help free up stiff linkages.

[Guest AnitaD]

It sounds as if the rear suspension arm bearings might be shot. When looking at the car from the rear do the wheel's look vertical or more like / \ ? If they do look splayed out and the rear suspension is stiff when changing height and squeaks when being driven, then the bearings are shot.

 

Alternatively it could be that the recon sphere's have burst their diaphram due to the heavy loads being placed in the car, as there are small points on the inner side of the sphere's which puncture the diaphram when the sphere's lose gas or a very heavy load is put in the car. If you got them from Westroen they offer a 3 year guarantee.

 

Have you tried exercising the suspension by moving the height lever to each position when the car is stationary with the engine running? Doing this at regular intervals can help free up stiff linkages.

 

 

The wheels look fine, not splayed at all. Something groans from the rear when the engine is stopped, but nothing whilst driving. Haven't recently exercised the suspension. Meant to do it, but forgot! When husband comes home we'll try it again. Last time we did it, which was after the LHM was put back, it was OK. I admit I suspect the spheres now, to be quite honest.