popping plastic hydraulic pipes

nige! · Post by **nige!** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:49 pm

Hope you guys can help with my first question.

I have a problem with the plastic Y connector that takes narrow clear pipes containing LHM fluid, its located in the engine bay, passenger side by the steering rack - very handy to get at.. not! Anyhow one of the pipes going into the Y kept popping off, dumping LHM everywhere.. getting a bit hacked off with this I superglued it on, anyhow another pipe going into the Y is popping off now.. so i will probably glue this on too. Am concerned though there is somtihing more serious a miss here. Is it that maybe the Y connector and the pipes require replacing. I did hear second hand that pressure can build up in the hydraulic system if the spheres are shot, the suspension this year was a bit rubbish so i replaced the 4 corner spheres with new Citroen ones, suspension is much better, should i be changing the accumulator as well?

many thanks
Nige

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 1:44 am

nige! wrote:should i be changing the accumulator as well?

If the intervals between ticking is greatly reduced (say under 15 secs), yes - otherwise, no as it won't gain you anything.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 7:33 am

Is this the 'Y' piece on the top of the filler cap with 2 tiny clear plastic pipes coming from it?

If so its not part of the pressure system - and the 2 pipes are vents which lead into the inner wing. they seem to pull tight and I think this is due to the ends of the pipe being trapped somewhere and pulling tight. Never bothered to investigate but they are only vents.

Re-routing or clamping may help.

If the reservoir is overfilled the surplus will come out of the join between the plastic top and the green can.

nige! · Post by **nige!** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:45 am

Hi
it looks exactly the same as the Y piece at the filler, but its the one down by the inner wing.
When the pipe blows, I loose all my LHM pretty quickly.

I have also noticed that I dont get an accumulator tick at all, i certainly used to it was quite regular.

cheers

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 4:45 pm

The Y-connector and plastic pipe keeps popping off, if the accumulator sphere is flat.

When the accumulator sphere is flat, there is practically nil hysteresis between the upper and lower cut-out/cut-in pressure points on the working regulator.
Result is missing clicking as the regulator cant work properly then.
Also there will be pulsating short high peak pressures, which shoots off your plastic pipe ...
Further - a flat accumulator sphere removes most reserve pressure for your front brakes, when engine (and then pump) halts.

nige! · Post by **nige!** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 5:19 pm

Brilliant.. thankyou

When i reomove the accumulator sphere are there any special precautions?, i will move the height lever to its lowest position but apart from that is there anuthing i should know

thanks

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 9:36 pm

No need to set the height to lowest.

Instead you set the height up maximum and wait until the height is gained.
Now stop engine and loosen the pressure relief valve bolt (12mm head) on the Pressure Regulator ½ turn.
When the main system pressure releases, the priority/safety valve closes off the suspension which then stays at the set height.

Much easier to work on the accumulator sphere with a raised car

Search the forum for advice on re-gaining pressure - can be a teaser.

nige! · Post by **nige!** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 9:47 pm

if i didnt mess around with the prssure relief valve, would i then not have any problems re-presurising the system?

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:30 pm

nige! wrote:if i didnt mess around with the prssure relief valve, would i then not have any problems re-presurising the system?

If you don't "mess about" with the pressure relief valve, you'll get a face full of high pressure LHM when you remove the accumulator sphere when you remove it.

The advice was given for a good reason, not just for a "mess about".

nige! · Post by **nige!** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:21 am

apologies if my last post sounded a bit fippant - is that a word?!

What I was gettting at is that when i did the other spheres, i didnt touch the valve i let the pressure out by lever to the floor and pumping on the brake pedal, ok.. there was a bit of LHM at some velocity but not alot - i also didnt have any problems re-pressurising the system, would the accumulator sphere be any differnet. The car is our everyday runner, this time of year it realy has to be on the road, I dont want it off the road whilst i arse about for days re-pressurising it, but if its not so bad i'll give it ago, now to find that valve.

Aerodynamica · Post by **Aerodynamica** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 11:20 am

Hi Nige, yes it's different for the accumulator sphere - it's not connected to the other spheres all of the time so it's pressure can be released (or held) separately. The pressure of the suspension spheres is present at any time where the car is standing on its tyres until it is set to the low position. The accumulator can have pressure even while the suspension doesn't and so needs to be dealt with individually.

Just follow what AndersDK has said and you'll be fine. Don't remove the 12mm bolt though! just loosen and unwind a maximum of one turn.

You don't say what BX model it is as the accumulator can sometimes give trouble removing it as access can be tight depending on the model and recently when I changed mine a rusty nearby pipe broke!

Repressurising: if you fit in the new sphere, leave the 12mm bolt untightened, and start the engine to run for a minute. Access is not great but with the engine running, now tighten the 12mm bolt and wait until you hear some noises and hopefully a click - either way after say 30 seconds, loosen the 12mm again and wait 10 sec, repeat the tightening until it clicks and loosen again - repeat this a couple of times and then finally nip up the 12mm bolt and hopefully it'll have all self primed!

When you've done it once it's a piece of cake!

demag · Post by **demag** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 11:30 am

That IS useful. I didn't realise you could leave the height on high and take the accumulator sphere off. Saves grovelling round under a flat car.

classic2cv · Post by **classic2cv** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 11:42 am

AndersDK wrote:No need to set the height to lowest.

Instead you set the height up maximum and wait until the height is gained.
Now stop engine and loosen the pressure relief valve bolt (12mm head) on the Pressure Regulator ½ turn.
When the main system pressure releases, the priority/safety valve closes off the suspension which then stays at the set height.

Much easier to work on the accumulator sphere with a raised car

Search the forum for advice on re-gaining pressure - can be a teaser.

wow you lean new things every day

i'll try that as my accumulator sphere needs changing

it would be wise to prop the car with a couple of axle stands as a back up when your under it

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 1:12 pm

[quote="nige!"]apologies if my last post sounded a bit fippant - is that a word?!

If you mean flippant, then yes

Dont forget that sometimes when people are giving advice, it can sound a bit harsh or like a telling off, i can assure you that its not, some members are just a bit more direct with their typing. So dont worry about it.

The longer you're on here, the more you'll learn & also which members are the real technical tour de forces, & their advice you can trust & rely on as well

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 3:19 pm

AndersDK wrote:No need to set the height to lowest.

Instead you set the height up maximum and wait until the height is gained.
Now stop engine and loosen the pressure relief valve bolt (12mm head) on the Pressure Regulator ½ turn.
When the main system pressure releases, the priority/safety valve closes off the suspension which then stays at the set height.

Much easier to work on the accumulator sphere with a raised car

I didn't know that, I depressurised all the system with the car on stands to remove/change the accumulator. This I felt (maybe wrongly) was safer as using a hammer and chisel to loosen the accumulator was likely to shake the car and cause a sudden movement in suspension.

Are you saying that when the suspension is on high then being under the car is safe? If so, how long will this safe period last? Surely the message is to jack and support hydropneumatic Citroens whenever working underneath?

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popping plastic hydraulic pipes

popping plastic hydraulic pipes

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