All 4 spheres went suddenly!

[adamskibx]

The ride suddenly got quite hard on my car. It is crashing over bumps and so on. However, when doing the bounce test on each corner of the car, it feels too soft..... So soft in fact that my body weight on the front bumper is enough to sink it all the way to the bump stops. However, when it comes back up to the pre-set height with me still on it, there is no springing left in the spheres. Its very odd as normally it would struggle to move that far down initially if the spheres are flat. I have had to bite the bullet and order 5 new spheres (accumulator too), and some hyrdraflush. The LHM is black and is 20 years old (it looked green when i took some out the tank a while back, but on doing the infamous lube to the front struts, the fluid that came out the return pipes was disgusting.

[jeremy]

No gas in the spheres = no suspension movement - so I should imagine that yours have reached that stage where they have nearly collapsed - and when you undo them they will spray about 1/2 litre of LHM over your neighbours car!

[DLM]

Just a thought - how are the other hydro functions (brakes, steering)? Though I guess it's theoretically possible to reach a very hard place all at once, I've found low lhm level and pump problems are more likely to give an all-round problem - a machine-gun-like rattle from the pump is usually the giveaway. Having said that, it does sound like new spheres are in order, and plenty of rags and plastic bags will be needed when changing them if they're as bad as it sounds.

[adamskibx]

The pump is being changed for the one that was original to the car at the same time, as the current one is from the donor engine, and it has a "reconditioned by plaides" sticker on it so id imagine it went at some point and was replaced with a recon one. Even so, it is loud (like a machine gun!), and I have bled the system etc, checked fluid level and so on. I have a suspition it is weak as the car moves up slowly and in jerky movements unless you rev the engine (the struts are not at all sticky) The steering also seems heavier than I remember it when parking. The other symptom is a persistant hissing when the car is running below 1000RPM (instead of clicking), but the car clicks like mad when you put the suspension on MAX until it has stabalised. I have been told on here before that the hissing means that the pressure regulator ball bearing needs re-seating with a copper faced hammer.

Looks like I have a busy and expensive weekend ahead!! It needs TAX too before the end of this month

[Mr B]

Check the LHM feed pipe from the tank, it may be split and drawing air.

[jeremy]

The pressure regulator non return valve should be re-seated with a brass punch - if you've got a hammer with a 6mm head then you might be able to use that but rather you than me as the ball is in a hole.

If the thing is cycling very often and the sit in the boot test does not produce a rise then the accumulator has probably failed. My TD (which has had very little use recently) was making short 'chuff' noises when I drove it yeaterday and when I stood on the towbar with the engine off did nothing so I've got to replace its accumulator (Annoying - I don't suppose its done 5000 miles and is less than 2 years old - and was new! - What's more annoying is I replaced a perfectly good one as a precaution as the ABS relies on the thing to some extent)

If after replacing the acumulator the thing still cycles more than every 30 seconds then is the time to re-seat the ball. No harm if you do it at the same time as you replace the accumulator - but not instead.

[AndersDK]

Have tried the PR valve reseating on my turbo no help.
Its developed a constant ticking with a new acc sphere fitted - and this sphere has been checked perfect on wife's 16RS.

Have now found a constant high flow rate from the brake doseur valve return lines to the reservoir. No doubt the cause of the constant ticking.

Apart from the ticking the only other symptom is a quick loss of brakes after engine stop.
The rear sinks within 15mins - about normal for a tired BX.

[adamskibx]

Umm. OK. Ill just change the accumulator sphere first I think, then get hold of a brass punch. I had'nt visualised the system correctly, and for some reason thought that I could get at the ball with a hammer. The sitting in the boot test drops the car about 12 cm, and it will only come back up with the engine on, although I have never had a BX that comes up with the engine on. The rusty old GS I messed around with for a while would come up with the engine off though.

Even if the spheres are not to blame for the poor ride, they are certainly getting close to the end of their life, so even if they just help the process of ellimination, then at least the car will ride and handle better afterwards. My plan of action is:

Drian LHM the propper way,clean tank and filters, car on axle stands etc, replace pump, accumulator sphere, then refill with Hydraflush, then replace spheres, bleed system and brakes again, then drive the car for 1000 miles, then replace with LHM. Or maybe I should change the spheres when I have to depressureise the system to get the current LHM out? Im wondering what the best order is here. Im hoping that the fluid that goes up and down into the spheres mixes well, and that its not like a dead end like the brakes.

[jeremy]

Your old spheres may be too feeble to force LHM back within living memory - which is why you will probably get the lHM fountain when you remove them.. If they are each holding 1/2 litre of dirty LHM it makes all the other work rather pointless - so change them early on in the job - ie first!

Good spheres only hold a few drops of LHM.

[Geoffrey Gould]

Hello just something small really,well 2 things,it could pay you to get the cut in and cut out pressures of the pressure regulator checked, I was led on a long chase with hydraulic system problems that turned out to be caused by low pressure, also when changing the LHM, the tank has a razor sharp edge on the opening, despite being carefull I still have the scars to prove it.
Cheers.
Geoff.

[jeremy]

Once the car has reached the correct height the height corrector shuts - so - pressure too low, warning light stays on and car stays down, pressure too high - something may burst - but height corrector will shut and isolate the suspension when it gets to the required height!

[Kitch]

No gas in the spheres = no suspension movement - so I should imagine that yours have reached that stage where they have nearly collapsed - and when you undo them they will spray about 1/2 litre of LHM over your neighbours car!

Si's neighbours car was too far away. It got me and him instead

[jeremy]

Actually happened to me - thought the spray was contained at the time - and it was later that I noticed. . .a few green drops - not many but i wonder where they came from.

Could only pray for rain which didn't happen for weeks!

[Kitch]

It actually took me a few moments to work out what was happening

I thought someone had filled the LHM res with Mountain Dew.

[DLM]

OK. Ill just change the accumulator sphere first I think, then get hold of a brass punch.

The only way to do this is with the acc sphere off, so you might as well try it in the middle of changing the accumulator. It doesn't tell you what the problem was out of the two, but it (should) do no harm, so long as you don't lose the ball-bearing.....[/url]