Terrible Suspension Grinding Noises

Paranoia is a terrible thing with an XM. thanks to everybody for all the help and suggestions. I have semi-solved the problem - the recent loud noise was in fact the plastic tray protecting the hydraulics pipes hidden right under the car which had part broken off and dangling close the ground. Nice simple repair.

However having given everything a good pull and prod and check I think i have confirmed the wishbone bushes could do with being replaced and i also need to correct the (mostly) hard setting i seem to have. Oh and sort out the sticky height adjuster. Hopefully then my tyre wear probelm will cease and the recent strut will be better protected.

I should not be too surprised by this wear and tear because i have very much used this car with lots of load since i've owned it. Right now the entire car is full up with a 2ft diameter oak tree trunk (each bit took two people to lift in) plus whatever branches would physically fit. A dread to think what the weight is. Still, i'll offload this and go back for the really big bits later! This time it might even warrant a picture. Oh i wish for an estate.

Noz:
do you have any ECU devices left over from your order last year please? i'll get some new diodes over the weekend for immediate repair.

George,
its funny you ask about the wheel. it should be an alloy, but presently i am using the spare steel because of the tyre wear problem. I thought i might as well wear out the spare tyre to match those on the car!

Hi Gav,

Yes I've still got some VN05N's left. Drop me a PM with the number you need and your address.

Cheers

noz

This post has been edited by noz on January 26, 2007 06:26 pm

Indeed, I read it on

http://www.planete-citroen.com/forum

I'll try it out myself in a cluple of weeks time, only as a diagnostical tool though, to check the role of *that* valve in my hard-ish suspension problem and exclude/confirm a few possibilities. Note, the valve's body thread is treated to "Loctite" so apply again before putting it back together. Nothing else to remark afair.

regards
George

PS

and of course this trick will only work if your e-valve(s) is not leaky. That's easy to check from beneath car by just unplugging the return pipe at evalve, engine running. Hydractive II e-valves have been known for wear of the valve's rear seating point which makes them leak and then there is not enough pressure to push the hydraulic valve into "soft" position -see document, credits to Laszlo from Hungary for that-.

G