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Xantia questions

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pompey_dave:
Hello all

Im new here, and glad I finally found somewhere that may be able to help with 3 questions I have about my 1999 Xantia 1.8LX

1st question, when I brake, it feels like it brakes hard, soft, hard and feel as if the car is rocking back and forth, and when it comes to a near stop, the brake pedal feels like it judders a bit...Its recently had new pads and discs before I got it.

2nd question, where is the switch for the heated rear window? Every car ive had has had a switch thats easy to find, but I cant seem to find it.

and finally the 3rd question....to the right of my steering wheel there is a switch with something on it, and 3 curved lines coming from it with a large cross through it, what is that?

thanks all

DocBrown:
Hi,
welcome to the forum.
If the brakes feel like they're pulsing it normally means the discs are suffering from either DTV (disc thickness variance) or are warped due to wear/corrosion or it can be due to incorrect fitment of the brake pads and thus unequal pad wear. Xantias tend to be heavy on front brake wear because of the way the brake bias is towards the front wheels.
If you can have a look at your front discs without the wheels on check for a wear ridge both sides. If it's pronounced then it's highly likely the discs have worn and because thinner discs cannot disipate heat as well they can distort. Happens a lot since the handbrake works on front discs so if the car has had to stop after long braking i.e leaving a motorway on the offslip and having to stop at a junction the very hot discs will be clamped by the pads but as the discs aren't rotating, heat soak build up and after a short number of these events old discs can warp. It doesn't help that the handbrake also works the front pads so the same effect can happen if you're having to hold the car on the handbrake. (Not the best of designs)

The heated rear screen switch is next to the hazard and air-con switches near the clock in the middle vents.

The switch with the 3 curved lines and a cross is part of the alarm volumetric sensing. This switch overides it so if you have to park up with the kids or a dog in the car (obviously not when it's sunny or warm) you press the switch to prevent internal movement from triggering the alarm. You can also use it if you need to park up with the windows slightly open but the car empty. Any air movement wont trigger the alarm with the switch engaged.
You may also have another switch next to it which locks out the rear electric windows to prevent them being opened by rear passengers.

Hope this helps

Doc

pompey_dave:
thanks for that, not sure if the alarm is still working!

As for the braking, if I have not even done 1k on them discs and pads, what else may the problem be as they are still new? It had been mentioned that it could also be bleeding not being done properly as the rear suspension doesnt rise as it should, would that be related?

It does rise, but it takes its time, and the front is working ok, everytime I turn the car on the STOP light comes on, after a short time it goes off and the front moves into its position

thanks again

DocBrown:
This answer is a biggy. Apologies in advance.
May be a silly question (sorry if it is) but are the front pads fitted correctly. It's very easy to get the small metal 'pip'  on the back of the pad misaligned with the slot in the caliper piston. This metal pip MUST be in the slot otherwise the handbrake adjustment mechanism will not work properly and it will also force the pad to run at an angle thus causing uneven wear, sticking piston and caliper. These are reaction calipers. If the pads are off vertical the piston won't contract and move outwards smoothly. Eventually the piston can seize and cause rapid wear to the discs.
Are the handbrake cables correctly adjusted? Too tight and they effectively come on as the wheels are turned left or right. Should have a few millimetres of slack when the wheels are turned.

What condition is the LHM fluid and the filter screen in the LHM reservoir? Is the fluid at the right level as checked in service high mode. The orange float should lie between the upper & lower red lines on the sight glass. The fluid should be emerald green and clear enough to be able to read newsprint through (when a sample is put into a glass jar). Any other colour means it's overdue for a change.
How many miles has your car covered?
Does it have service history or evidence of previous repairs/servicing carried out?

The stoplamp should go out after a second or two if the system hasn't been disturbed. Trapped air will mean the pressure isn't building up since air is compressible and fluid is not. The pressure regulator is mechanical and relies on opposing pistons and various springs to sense and adjust to pressure changes in the hydraulics. Any trapped air or knackered components will cause rapid pressure fluctuations which can cause the pulsing brake feel through the pedals.
Have you noticed if the accumulator/pressure regulator has been ticking more than ususal? In good condition you should hear it click maybe once every few minutes or longer. If it's ticking more often or for longer then chances are the regulator and/or accumulator sphere is not holding pressure. It's good practice to change main accum sphere when the suspension spheres are replaced. In the event that the brake/suspension/steering system loses pressure, the accumulator sphere in good condition should retain enough system pressure to stop the car safely. 

Even though the hydropneumatic suspension is supposed to be self priming, trapped air bubbles will cause all sorts of mischief.
Carry out some 'Citerobics' at least five times from service hi to service low. This ensures all the linkages are free to move and in theory should self prime the system. However it may be that you need to put car in service low and then open the pressure relief screw 1 turn then tighten and then put car in service hi mode. It should raise quickly and equally although older/higher mileage cars can often raise at the front first before the rear comes up. So long as it eventully rises and the big red stoplight goes out then everything should be fine. However you should bleed the brakes whenever the discs, pads, calipers, hoses, pipes and spheres have been changed or disconnected.

Rear brakes must be bled when there's weight on the rear suspension otherwise you won't get full fluid flow from the bleed nipples. The fronts can be bled with the weight off the wheels. All bleeding is carried out with the engine/pump running. You hold down the brake pedal with a bit of timber or a broom and simply open each bleed nipple until LHM free of bubbles flows out.
Changing brakes on a Xantia, XM, CX, DS BX should be treated like any other conventional car in that when the caliper pistons are forced back to fit new pads, the hose should be clamped and the bleed nipple opened to allow the excess fluid to flow out instead of back into the pipes. Even if the hydraulics haven't been disturbed, it's possible that air bubbles have formed due to 'cavitation' where a combination of an old high mileage pump and maybe old fluid can break down under the sheering forces at work through the pump and produce gas bubbles.
Also leaking suspension spheres will allow the nitrogen to bubble into the hydraulic hoses and pipes.

To summerise;
Put car in service low, release pressure screw. You should hear fluid hiss as fluid flows back. Tighten screw
Put car in service high. It should raise quickly and stoplamp goes out and stays out while engine is running.
Carry out Citerobics five times.
If this doesn't improve brake feel, bleed all the brakes. 
Hope this helps, let us know what you find.

Regards
Doc

pompey_dave:
can you help by showing me a picture of what the bleed valve/pressure screw thing on the suspension looks like please? Its got a few tubes and other thigns all around that area, although I do know what part im meant to be looking at, and wahts these arobics? is that going low, high, low, or is there more to it?

I will appologise if I sound dense, its just all I have ever owned were Rovers, Escorts, a Honda, a Suzuki Swift, and the odd vauxhall. This is my 1st Citroen, my other french car I try to forget about as that died quickly on me and caused me no end of trouble (renault savanna!

I will admit, im a total novice when it comes to knowing what parts are what on the suspension as ive only ever owned or worked on springs, this suspension is all new to me! But as for the clicks, I get a couple when I turn the car off or on, nothing loud or constant...seems to give a coupe of clicks then stops, once the front end rises it stops...the rear does go up and down a bit, but its all front end movement mainly

As for the brakes and pads, that was done by the garage that I got the car off of, so I must have to check that when I try to bleed the braking system this weekend, I know how to do that, done it alot in the past...The handbrake has the usual few clicks, not too low or high up, seems fine to me, and I get no feeling of being slowed down or dragged back on hard turning, just glides round bends

I have looked at the fluid level bit, and it has 2 round discs inside, 1 at the top and 1 at the bottom if I have understood that correct, due to the rear not going up and down so quick I am unsure of the level increase when the rear is up....When I got the car tyre repaired the other day, they put the suspension up, front went up but back didnt, although once they started the car again to reverse it out, the rear decided to rise then!!!

Also, as for the rear heated window switch, all I have on my dash is hazards, then air con, then traffic master "pain in the rear end" button...and on the other side, 1 switch for the passenger mirror

im starting to wonder if the fluid needs topped up!

As for milege, its just over 105k...service history, not sure about as I havent recieved it yet

i will add this quickly, ive not had the car very long, month or so really, and I have NEVER worked on, or owned a Xantia or even a BX before

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