Drtim's Hydraulic Thread (with Videos)

[DrTim]

I've been thinking about how to approach a thread for my cars and their hydraulic and other issues, nice sunny afternoon here in Bristol (it reached 20C) and had a brainstorm to make some videos of the cars doing Citrobics. I decided to have just one thread rather than one for each car as I'll probably keep cross-referencing them anyway. Video on my K750i phone is pretty lame but the audio has come out quite nicely really.

First go with the S1 car

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zykJYRJBTjs&hl

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zykJYRJBTjs&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zykJYRJBTjs&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Second go with the S1 car

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgbGcuEJwX0&hl

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NgbGcuEJwX0&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NgbGcuEJwX0&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

This one I've had since 1998, Now almost up to 162k. All new spheres and LHM early aug 2005. Not drive much last year. It does like being driven, its just been laid up for a week and the damn stereo has given up again totally, some vague green light is visible behind the vol knobs but main power on doesn;t work now, and my minidisc adapter is still stuck in.

Anyway, nose always goes down fast and up slow, often kicks in the rear when doing up/downs, got very hard back in march and up/downs in hard mode (which Ive never done before) seem to have made some improvements in speed and ride.

Now for the S2 car, just hd hydraflush and new accumulator, rears done last summer, probably should get front 3 done soon I guess.

Take 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA9K9DbQl4s&hl

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Take 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNTkYuakl0w

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GNTkYuakl0w&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GNTkYuakl0w&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Creaking is quite audible about 2.3 of the way thru this in the cabin.

This car is much better ride since hydraflush and new accumlator went in 10 days ago, but it is still quite "wobbly" and not fantastic on speedbumps or cobbles (any of you know Welsh Back in bristol, I find myself driving along there if not daily then several times a week.

So, Club XM crew, I eagerly await your comments and discussions about how to proceed with improving the ride in my cars.

regards

PS My attempt to inline the videos have failed but I've left the failing code in so if anyone can help with that....

This post has been edited by DrTim on April 13, 2008 10:28 pm

[DrTim]

OK 450+ miles on the hyrdraflush in the S2 car, not much change since it went in really until earlier today (yesterday really). When it went in with new accumulator ride got noticeably better, flatter, though still a bit "wobbly". Ive been doing regular ups and downs after work, mostly pointing up hill, not every day but most.

Earlier I was parked pointed downhill, this happened a week or so ago and I experienced clinky/bangy noises and a couple of "kick" when going up to high along with the usual creaking/squeeking, but when I started to video it, it stopped. Earlier, for some reason I went from normal to high instead of to low which I usually do, and again it started kicking a bit an making dual clicky/bangy noises from somewhere near the front of the dash. It persisted with this thouigh several up/down cycles, I tried sports mode and the clicks became soimewhat more frequent and the second somewhat closer to the first (1/2 sec rather than 1 sec approx, the clicks happene in pairs, the second a bit higher in "pitch" than the first). Eventually I put it in normal and the noises stopped. Creaking is also worse now. Ride has since deteriorated considerably, not as bad as when I got it and the rear spheres were problematic ginving bad osscillations, but VERY hard (even harder in sports mode) and more wobbly. Squeeking when going up to high and down to low seems worse too now.

I did get all this on video, hopefully the sounds were picked up butr I havnt uploaded it from the phone yet

Front spheres are the only ones I havn't changed in the last year, no relevant history before that. I was hoping to hang on a while (tax next month, S1 car needs as yet to be diagnosed fully attention)....

Have my electrovalves finally packed up? Is it just crap working its way thru the system? Has one or more of the front spheres totally packed up? How much longer shall I leave the hydraflush in? What is the "creaky" noise?

End of last week I thought the ride was getting worse and worse... and then the fuel warning came on, I filled it up (80 quid now!) and ride got better. As it was down to 1/2 full i filled it up agan tonight, different effect, ride still very hard.

I meant to check the tyre pressure too tonight but it didnt happen.

This post has been edited by DrTim on April 26, 2008 01:56 am

[DrTim]

Seems to have softened up a bit today, but still not quite back to where it was before yesterday's saga. No clunking when doing ups and downs, even parked in the same downhill facing spot. Tyres were OK, one was down 2 PSI the rest spot on.

Maybe its the hot weather,

[dean]

Hi DrTim

from my recent experiences you will have days when it rides smoother and days when it doesn't, i think this is due in part to muck moving around the system but this is just a guess. Mine definitely rides smoother after the car has been given a long run over a really rough road, after i have done this i always do several ups and downs, my theory is the rough road works the suspension very hard getting the system hot and dislodging muck, the ups and downs i do after the drive is to pass the fluid through the filters and strain out any muck while it is still suspended in the hydraulic fluid. whether this helps or not i dont know but it makes me feel a lot better anyway
The hydraflush should stay in the system for 3500miles and i have heard people say that cars that are very rarely used or do small mileages should be run on hydraflush permanently although i'm not sure it would lubricate the system as well as LHM!. Jorgy9 left his in for even longer until he had a satisfactory result, I'm sure you have seen his resent posts, he seems to have disappeared recently but i should imagine this is due in part to the fact that his car is riding as it should and he is still out driving it and enjoying the super soft ride
If you sit on the front of your car does the front correct the ride height as quick as the back does if you sit in the boot??? i put hydraflush in the BX i was working on a while ago and that car is really soft now and the car raises almost instantly when a load is put on the front axle, my xm however is very slow to react on the front but has become instant on the back and i think this slow reaction time has a lot to do with ride quality.

Good luck
D

[Ciaran]

I just put Hydraflush in my S1 on Friday there as its been a bit harsh of late, we'll see what the results are.

Must stick in the new droplinks while I'm at it...