Suspension Rising Speed

Bluey1978 · Post by **Bluey1978** » Tue May 02, 2006 8:53 am

The front suspension seems very reluctant to rise to normal height when the engine is started and due to my impatience I put it into a higher suspension mode and it finally rises and then I lower it back down to the normal setting. The back rises fine, a bit judderey but then she is 18 years old.

Is this due to low pressure in the spheres (if so which ones)?

Low LHM level - have checked and it appears to be ok, but that damn little floating valve is hard to see anyway.

Just old age and I should be patient with the old girl.

She is an 88 1.9 RD.

Everything else is fine and once we get to the correct height everything is fine.

I haven't used her for a couple of weeks and took her out at the weekend and noticed she was playing up and wondered if she was letting me know she didn't like being left alone for that period of time LOL.

Will be trying citaerobics later but any help in the meantime would be greatly appreciated.

In the past she has had regular service book servicing every 5000 miles and she has just clocked up 61000k

On a totally different subject - is it possible to purchase new front door window rubbers or adjust the sitting of the glass in the runners - as the glass rises it moves in the slot, so that there is a small gap in the top right corner of the door (and the top left corner of the passenger side), obviously when you are driving this creates a bit of noise and is right next to your ear.

It is possible to shunt it over with your hands as the window is rising, but the door needs to be open and this is a pain to do.

Any ideas on solving this one aswell.....

Thanx

Stewart (oily!) · Post by **Stewart (oily!)** » Tue May 02, 2006 4:55 pm

Slow to get up in the mornings, sounds like me

They can take a little while, does the STOP lamp go out quickly? Are the filters in the LHM tank clean? is the pump belt tight? are the linkages under the vehicle lubricated (there is a pivot under the rear of the car that dries up) do you have to move the ride height lever to make the car rise? are you just impatient

It has nothing to do with spheres though.
Stewart

Bluey1978 · Post by **Bluey1978** » Tue May 02, 2006 5:08 pm

Stop lights go out fairly quickly, its probably me just being impatient - have done some citaerobics and it seems to move a bit more freely now.

LHM levels are fine as are filters, will check that linkage thing though.

The car will move up by itself - I don't have to use the in-car height adjusting lever, belt is new and tight - without being too tight I might add.

Like I said its probably just me leaving her alone for 2 weeks and her getting back at me....

Oscar · Post by **Oscar** » Tue May 02, 2006 5:09 pm

They can be slow after a long period idle.

Have you tried lubing the struts as outlined on the BX diy pages?

O

Stewart (oily!) · Post by **Stewart (oily!)** » Tue May 02, 2006 5:21 pm

I use the time constructively, pop the front on the stereo, select station, put seatbelt on, roll cigarette, off we go

Worth lubing the linkage methinks if only for peace of mind.
Stewart

M · Post by M » Tue May 02, 2006 5:57 pm

You think the BX is slow - buy a late generation Xantia with Air Con & Pas...

Switch car on..
Go back into house...
Put Kettle on...
Make brew...
Drink Brew...
Make a round of toast..
Butter toast..
Eat toast..
Go back out to car just in time to see it rise.

The BX positivly jumps up in compaison to the Xantia.

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Tue May 02, 2006 8:28 pm

Surely a late generation Xantia should have anti-sink though?!

M · Post by M » Tue May 02, 2006 8:42 pm

DavidRutherford wrote:Surely a late generation Xantia should have anti-sink though?!

It does, but it only stops the car from sinking all the way to the deck, the car sinks about 2 inches or so then locks the anti sink electro valve only works on the rear. The front still sinks too again, not to the deck but enough to take forever and a day to rise - ok in reality it probably takes about 30 seconds for the Xantia to rise - but compared with the BX this is an age.

AlanS · Post by **AlanS** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:44 pm

Marty,

I was having similar problems with my VSX but just before I went on that trip a few weeks back, I decided I'd give it a once over and did some serious bleeding via the rear brakes. On one wheel I filled an old 250 gram coffeee bottle with green froth and didn't it ever make a difference to rising, ride and brakes, all of which I thought were quite normal until then.
Might do it again soon just for the hell of it.

Alan S

Bluey1978 · Post by **Bluey1978** » Thu May 04, 2006 7:59 pm

Has anyone got any ideas as to how to solve the window problem.

Thanks Guys

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Fri May 05, 2006 12:37 am

I had a price from the Citroen main dealer for rubbers about 18 months ago which was £8 +vat. Seems expensive and I didn't proceed but still really need one for the drivers door.
I wonder if you can buy this elsewhere in a longer strip or coil at more reasonable cost that you can cut to fit as required.
It would be nice to have the new car "squeegee" effect of these rubbers again.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Sun May 07, 2006 12:13 am

I suggest you pull the window rubber out from the frame, position it correctly and glue it back in. As there is considerable surface area it'll probably stay there.

A touch of silicon on the seal and the edge of the glass will help as well.

sleepy0905 · Post by **sleepy0905** » Sun May 07, 2006 10:07 am

I agree with jeremy i had this problem I just removed the seal a bit then glued it in with some strategically placed silicone sealer blobs it has never moved since that was nearly six years ago.

Bluey1978 · Post by **Bluey1978** » Sun May 07, 2006 4:01 pm

Thanks for your suggestions, though I believe it to be the glass itself that is moving and was just wondering if new rubbers would sort it out.

Is there anyway to adjust the siting of the glass panel!!.

Thanks