More hydraulic woes

BX596 · Post by **BX596** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 7:59 pm

Right.A few weeks ago I changed the alternator,disturbing the main feed pipe to the pump.After much headscratching and requests for advice,I primed the pump-back end not coming up,haevy steering,delay in brake operation. I bled the rear brakes(a saga in itself) with no appreciable difference.Got a pump (thanks Richard) and fitted it this morning.I now have steering and suspension

but there is still a delay when pressing the brake pedal.Do I need to bleed the fronts,or does anybody know of a reason why my brakes are still dodgy.There was no problems with ANYTHING till I knocked the bloody feed pipe offf

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 9:00 pm

Not being that techie dean, i'd try bleeding the fronts, air seems to get itself trapped in the brakes quite easily i guess.

Not wanting to teach you to suck eggs, have you double checked the hydraulic pipes going into the fdv for tightness?

There arent any splits in the rubber hydraulic pipes anywhere? If there is any dripping lhm, that might be an indicator of where air could be getting in?

Hope you get it sorted mate, mine seems to be pissing lhm at an increased rate these day's, i tried tightening up the pipes on the fdv as that was a suspect area for mine, but i could only access the top 2 & not the bottom 3

Linegeist · Post by **Linegeist** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 11:01 pm

Experience taught me that tightening that pump belt is totally counter-intuitive. You FIRST tighten it like any normal human being, and then you tighten it some more. Once you've done that, you can nip the bloody thing up a tad for luck!

I had a similar problem to yours with my Mk1, after I'd 'serviced' it and changed the belts ........ where the steering would suddenly go heavy on me - scary stuff - and the brakes would sometimes feel strange too .... especially when the weather was wet. It was a hairy old French retired Citroen mechanic in the same village as mine who solemnly informed me that it was the pump belt slipping under load.

He was right too! He watched me adjust that belt - and then asked me if I was gay.

When HE adjusted it, it was tensioned like a violin string - but the hydraulics went back to normal as a result.

Just a thought like.

Linegeist · Post by **Linegeist** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 11:02 pm

deleted

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 12:24 am

Good answer

BX596 · Post by **BX596** » Mon Feb 22, 2010 5:22 pm

Well we're nearly there,the pump belt is now bar tight.Messed about with the PR screw and got the car up.Still a slight delay on braking and back end lifts a little under heavy braking,but it's drivable.Could somebody please explain the procedure with the PR screw so I can see if I can get it perfect

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Mon Feb 22, 2010 7:19 pm

If you've got the suspension up and the brakes bled, I'm not sure what else you can do

Does your ABS light work?

BX596 · Post by **BX596** » Mon Feb 22, 2010 7:21 pm

ken newbold wrote:If you've got the suspension up and the brakes bled, I'm not sure what else you can do

Does your ABS light work?

Yep

tom · Post by **tom** » Mon Feb 22, 2010 8:07 pm

Easy one this! Back end rises under braking. Beginners' stuff indeed. Bleed the back brakes. There is still air in them. The best way is to take two lengths of clear washer tube, each a BX long and fix them onto the bleed nipples. run the ends back to the reservoir over the car, down the windscreen and start the brute. Foot on the brakes until the air is purged. You'll see it. That WILL cure the rise and the delay.

BX596 · Post by **BX596** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 12:36 pm

tom wrote:Easy one this! Back end rises under braking. Beginners' stuff indeed. Bleed the back brakes. There is still air in them. The best way is to take two lengths of clear washer tube, each a BX long and fix them onto the bleed nipples. run the ends back to the reservoir over the car, down the windscreen and start the brute. Foot on the brakes until the air is purged. You'll see it. That WILL cure the rise and the delay.

Almost right.Some numpty(who shall remain nameless

) had forgot to tighten the pipe into the caliper.Tightened the pipe and bled the brakes and the brakes are almost perfect(I reckon there's still a little bit of air in there)The steering still loads up now and again,but I can live with it for the time being

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 8:24 am

the PR bleed valve/screw (12mm spanner size) on the front of the regulater, undo no more than 3/4 of a turn, and with engine running at tick over for about two minuites, then hold the rev's up at about 2500 rpm whilst closeing the bleed valve,

this it the method citroen used to state after working on the hydraulics, for bleeding the main system back in the DS,GS and CX days,

regards malcolm

tom · Post by **tom** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 8:43 pm

That won't bleed the braking system though; there are no return pipes from the calipers so the only way out for air is through the bleed nipples.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 9:05 pm

no Tom i know you cant bleed the brakes via the regulater bleed valve,as i have worked on and around citroen's for quite a few years, some of which at citroen service agents,

but if you read BX596 second post in this topic he dose ask how to bleed the regulater.

regards malcolm

tom · Post by **tom** » Wed Mar 03, 2010 6:09 pm

citronut wrote:i have worked on and around citroen's for quite a few years, some of which at citroen service agents,

but if you read BX596 second post in this topic he dose ask how to bleed the regulater.

regards malcolm

That pretty well explains the quality of the Citroen service agent!
You are giving the wrong solution to the problem rather than giving the correct one and thereby exposing the man to unnecessary physical risk, failing to solve the problem and making matters more difficult for him instead of explaining why the procedure would be unnecessary. Yep. sounds like you are a bona fide Citroen Agent!

BX596 · Post by **BX596** » Wed Mar 03, 2010 9:28 pm

Is it possible to "get it wrong"?I have pressure,but it seems as there is not enough to make everything work as it should,if you know what I mean

The suspension comes up,but slowly,the brakes work,but aftera second or 2,the steering is OK most of the time,but gets heavy after a bit.Hydraulics is not my forte.Give me a spanner and tell me what to fix and I'll fix it,but this is beginning to seriously piss me off