Citroen C5 Hydractive3 repairs

Citroen Hydractive3


There is a lot of prejudices regarding the Citroen suspension, of which some have no relevance. The Citroen suspension have had its mishaps, but the Hydractive 3 system and later versions have actually been very reliable.

Every suspension system comes with their specific problems, and the hydraulic system on Citroen is a sophisticated system that suffers from some of its specific problems. It's only natural that a complex system have more issues than a simple one. You have to expect a computer to have more mishaps than a pen, which doesn't mean that the pen is better at calculating.

By far the most common problem with the hydraulic suspension systems are fluid leaks, but sooner or later there will be a suspension sphere failure. This would represent a spring failure in a spring suspension vehicle.
Since the sphere perform the same task as the spring, a defective sphere is a MOT failure as sure as a broken coil spring on "standard" systems.

The sphere's conditions can easily be checked by going from corner to corner and pushing down on the vehicle corner a few times. The corner should follow the movement to some extent, but at the same time resisting the movement in both directions.
When the movement stops, the vehicle should gracefully return to its original position.
Compare all corners. If a corner feels considerably stiffer than the other, the reason is probably a defective sphere. A defective sphere makes the suspension stiff and causes the vehicle to jump when driving on a uneven road, or cause unstable cornering. A stiff rear suspension also creates all sorts of noise from the vehicle rear end.

Most repairs on the Citroen hydraulic system can actually be done as DIY, and can be carried out with the strut connected to the vehicle.


!! CAUTION !! 

Keep in mind that the Hydractive Suspension active all the time.
ALWAYS remove at least the negative battery terminal prior to work on the system.
Opening and/or closing doors OR using the remote locking system, starts a partial reset of the ECU.
As a result, the Hydractive suspension system is activated and pressurized
as the vehicle aims to level itself related to the ground.



C5 Hydraulic suspension parts
Note that this gaiter is attached to the strut with cable ties.
Do NOT follow this example. Buy new clamps with the gaiters.
  • The Sphere attached to the strut cylinder
  • The strut is attached to the axle with a mounting plate around the strut cylinder. The Hydraulic fluid pressure side pipe is also connected to the strut cylinder.
  • The rubber gaiter, with fluid return and vent pipe fitting points, covering the piston. The gaiter is pulled onto the piston at the trailing arm end and clamped to the strut at the other end.
  • The clip securing the piston to the trailing arm. 



Links to C5 Hydractive 3 DIY pages

Link: Changing Rear rubber gaiters
Link: Changing rear suspension sphere

DISCLAIMER


If you are inexperienced working on projects like those mentioned on this blog, especially but not limited to electrical or mechanical projects,please remember to read all safety precautions and use safety equipment. Also remember that during the work, it is very possible to cause more harm to the vehicle than it initially had. You might also void your vehicle insurance, create a hazardous condition, harm or even kill yourself or others. By using information given on these pages, you agree to do so on your own risk. In NO event shall the blog OWNER be responsible or liable for injuries to persons or damage to property, related to or resulting from, ANY information published on this blog. The information on this blog is published “As Is” and appear without expressed, implied or promised warranties of ANY kind. In particular the Blog Owner makes no warranties as to the accuracy, quality, completeness or applicability of the information provided.

1 comment:

  1. Do you know the two side is interchangeable or side sensitive??

    ReplyDelete

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