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Re: Lhm leak

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2022 9:20 pm
by newxmman
Hi all.

Thought I’d update. My Estate with the leak. We eventually got it up on a non drive on ramp then lowered onto four ramps. Started the car, the leak showed itself first when I turned the steering wheel. It was a heavy leak coming from a steering Union just in front of the central front sphere. The Union which is threaded, had worked itself loose over time. So that was tightened. That allowed us to address another leak coming from the ev area adjacent to the sphere. It was to the right of the ev a clear return hose which inserts at one end into a 3 mmm hose and the other end goes into a unit of some kind, height corrector? Well we renewed the hose elbow with new hose and pushed both ends on tight. We thought we d done it. But no lhm was still pushing past and spraying the unit end of the hose, it wasn’t tight enough even though it was hard to push on. So we fitted spring clips at either end. Well leak fix after much careful and frustrating search seems to be ultimately successful and through the mot it went. So satisfying finding and curing it. Goes great it does. Also fitted a new horn and changed coolant. Thanks so much boys fir all your help, what would we do without you. By the way my reg is K833fhx.

Re: Lhm leak

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2022 9:34 pm
by newxmman
Btw in answer to earlier question, not sure it has abs, assume so. It didn’t have alloy wheels but it does now, I swapped them with my donor car.

Re: Lhm leak

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 12:21 am
by xantia_v6
If you are getting pressurisation of a return line, I would suspect a blocked or pinched tube downstream. This can cause the height corrector valve to malfunction.

Re: Lhm leak

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 6:33 am
by White Exec
Agree with that. If/when the front electrovalve/suspension regulator is removed, when put back, it's quite possible to trap the clear nylon return pipe between the regulator mounting bracket and the subframe. This pinches the pipe, prevents proper return from the height corrector, and can cause height correction to seriously misbehave. (In our case, it forced the car to max height when driven.) Important to make sure the return pipe travels on top of the bracket, and not under it.

Re: Lhm leak

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 7:04 am
by Dieselman
Gravity is sufficient to cause a significant leak on a return pipe, as all the suspension returns join together.
There could be a kinked, or trapped pipe, but I doubt it, unless someone has been working on the system.

Newmanxm.
The item with the 90 degree rubber elbow is the height corrector.

A '92 Xm estate probably won't have ABS as standard...easy to see the valve block on the front left subframe, also the light should come on at Ign on.
Abs was standard on Se trim, but optional on lower trim specs.
The only estate available in Se trim was the 3.0 petrol.

Re: Lhm leak

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 8:24 am
by newxmman
Thanks diesel man! I feel better after reading the other posts! I can see what they re saying though but there is no reason for me to suspect there is any kink or pinch. The worse spray was from the steering Union thread which carries lhm. The leak from the clear return pipe was more of a drip but it was getting past the pushed on rubber hose to the height corrector and making a mess because of the places it was running to, following obvious trails as it were. I don’t have any problem with height correction as far as I can see. It seems to be running properly. I ll check on that though.

Re: Lhm leak

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 10:51 am
by newxmman
Update, went out to give the car a clean. I don’t have leaks it seems and the height seems to be behaving itself. Very happy about that!

Re: Lhm leak

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 4:00 pm
by citroenxm
Dieselman wrote:
Tue Feb 15, 2022 7:04 am

A '92 Xm estate probably won't have ABS as standard...easy to see the valve block on the front left subframe, also the light should come on at Ign on.
Abs was standard on Se trim, but optional on lower trim specs.
The only estate available in Se trim was the 3.0 petrol.
It was though a no cost option which is why so many xm had it fitted..

I had a base G reg 2.0i xm for a first one it had abs.
I've got an L reg 2.1td auto base spec it too has abs.
Alrhough the famous K ban 2.1 td Si manual didn't have abs nor did an, j reg 2.1td auto not have it and I know if another K reg 2.1td auto without it...

Anyway. My point was the G reg, base model had abs I and Remeber reading it was a no cost option.

Re: Lhm leak

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2022 6:57 am
by Dieselman
Just for reference I've checked the VIN and build date of your car.

The Rp number is 5938, which means it was built on 10th February 1993, which means it is a Hydractive 2 car, as that is from 1st February 1993.

No real issue, or connected to your problems, just for interest and reference going forwards.

Being Hydractive 2, it's worth ensuring there are additional diodes fitted into both electrovalve power supply wires, as the ones in the electrovalves are known to fail and cause irregular suspension operation.
Also the rear electrovalve aluminium body is known to corrode, eventually causing a leak, so it's worth applying some rust proofing wax.

I don't recall ABS being a no cost option, an option, yes, no cost...
Automatic gearbox was a no cost option.

I think the early Xm were specced higher than slightly later ones, then late versions of Series 1 then had items added.
For S level, my 1990 had Abs, 1991 not, the 1992's not, 1994 yes.

Re: Lhm leak

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2022 6:18 pm
by newxmman
Mmm thanks. Sorry to appear ignorant but what are diodes and where do I put them!?