Suspension Behaviour, Or misbehaviour!

Hi Peter and Ciaran

Please put my mind at rest and double check the part number for the rear spheres. One of you has a saloon the other an estate, the cylinders are different sizes, so do both use the same spheres?

Regards

XMexc

xmexclusive, refer to the pdf catalogue from IFHS here

http://www.wien-vienna.at/images3/KATALOG_...KUGELN_2005.pdf

if you want to know EXACTLY what spheres your car left the factory with. GSF sell only a small range of spheres, trying to minimise the stock they are required to maintain, I guess. For example, my car, the 12v V6, has seen about 3-4 different sphere combinations throughout the years -Citroen trying out different set ups I guess, and then there's also the difference between the H1 and H2 suspensions-. GSF sell just one combination for my car. Note that, in the above catalogue, the numeric value in the sphere code refers to pressure, and the string value following to the orifice, probably. I have been able to find the orifice details also but that's what I only have in hand...I think Lizarte's website (http://www.lizarte.com/eng/productos/buscar_marca.asp?idf=5) (the other of 3 external official manufacturers) includes the orifice sizes...The other manufacturer is Technosir in Italy, if I remember.

bTW, GSF spheres are AMTEX, and of course no harm will be done by using not exactly the specified type on your car, might even be softer than it should...

George

My Xantia used to make a sharp hissing sound for a second or so after turning off the ignition. I traced it to a failed O ring on the front electrovalve, this was letting pressure leak away very quickly.

Steve.

I have just double checked and the GSF No for the rear estate sphere is definitly N 45358.

Peter.N.

Steelcity - where about in the electrovalve was this o ring?
My s2 2.0 makes the same noise and will not remain soft at the front for more than a few seconds after turning the ignition off (- door open)
Cheers
Mike

Hi Mike,

The photo of the failed part is here -

http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/3104DSC00209.JPG

The failed O ring looks like a piece of string.

I replaced it with a O ring bought in a blister pack from the car spares shop. I placed another one in a jar in some LHM at the same time to watch for swelling. The one in the jar is still fine, that was Christmas eve.

Steve.

Thanks Steve
I'll have to take a look at my front one.

I've just fitted new spheres to the sides this afternoon, will do the middle one tomorrow perhaps.
I must say, theres been a mild, noticible improvement in the suspension already, I'm hoping changing the centre sphere will help it further.

The two top ones came off without too much hassle, in fact I found someone had already helpfully left some chisel marks in them, which mine just slotted right into

Cheers for everyone's help, will report back how the middle sphere goes.

Cheers!

Ciarán.

Excellent news.

I don't whether this will ever be relevant to you Ciaran, but I thought I'd pass on the final solution to my hard front suspension.

After new Acc + corner+centre spheres all round, LHM drain, hydraurincage fill, pressure regulator, Susp ECU VN05N's replaced, new diodes in the electrovalve wiring.......the suspension was improved but still not soaking up the bumps as I thought it should.

I was about to go down the route of swapping electrovalves and checking the system hyd pressure, but on a whim I swapped the susp ECU's from my (spares hack) red XM...hey presto!! lovely soft suspension! left the ECU in situ. Put the 'broken' ECU back into the red one, suspecting a rock hard ride....nope.....lovely soft suspension!

I can't explain why but now both my XM's are lovely and soft, just by swapping the susp ECU's, so if you do all the right stuff and you're still not happy try another ECU, it worked for me

Hi Wirdy

Did you by any chance note the code and part numbers on your two ECU's?

Regards

XMexc

Hi Wirdy,

I'd forgotten about your suspension woes (bet you hadn't though! ), glad you got it sorted. It quite amuses me when problems on this car either resolve themselves (as in the case of my headlight washers the other day!), or go away without explanation when you alter some seemingly insignificant variable.
Its happened to me several times, reminds me why I like them so much!

BTW did you ever find a strut top for the Activa?

Ciarán.

This post has been edited by Ciaran on April 01, 2007 09:00 pm

Wirdy, maybe your ECU just needed a hard reset (there is some "memory" there I beleive, should be reset after battery disconnected) or maybe there is some sort of connector issue.

To be scientific I guess you should swap those ECU's back and see if you get your hard ride back again, but I suspect you will leave them where they are now:-)

Didn't take note of the long numbers but both were 'H5' and both had build dates within 6 months of each other, so quite fortunate having my two XM's as contemporaries.

No Ciaran (thanks for looking for me) I dug out all the corrosion and found there was actually plenty of sound metal beneath - just pitted really - so cleaned up & resealed with copious quantities of RTV. Put it in for MOT two days later (bear in mind this RTV is GREY and stood out like a sore thumb!!) tester commented on it so I explained - he seemed happy that I was someone who was being proactive about the potential problem. The only advisories were ' both rear direction indicators not yellow enough' - yep, the amber coating on the bulbs was flaking off. Activa is now sold to a workmate - and it's already looking FAR TOO DIRTY for my liking!!

Well, the 'broken' ECU was removed for three days whilst I replaced the VN05N's- so that should have let any residuals decay. The connectors were cleaned but were already clean as a whistle.

....and no, I not swapping them back again....I'm leaving well alone....if it ain't broke.......