Suspension 70 Hydraflush
102 Citroen XM Internet Reference Version 1.0
3/3/99
Lower the car and most of the LHM will return to the reservoir. It is ’impossible’ to get all of the old LHM
out and it is also unnecessary. Most important thing here is to clean the filters. I myself used brand new
filters which cost about US$17.
Fill the reservoir with hydraflush and drive the car for about 2000 kms. THe old LHM that was left will be
mixed with the hydraflush and clean the pipes, height correctors, pump and valves. After 1 day one
experiences that the car rises within a few seconds to its driving height from cold start on. After 2000
kms remove hydraflush and clean the filters again. Fill up the reservoir with nice clean TOTAL LHM and
bleed the system using the bolt on the accumulator.
ONE CAN SIMPLY AVOID THIS BY CHANGING LHM EVERY 2 YEARS OR 40,000 KMS MAXIMUM!!!!
OF COURSE ONE SHOULD DO THIS FROM THE BEGINNING. SO IT’S NO USE STARTING TO
TREAT THE LHM SYSTEM WITH CARE AFTER 100,000 KMS!!!
From the CX list
Buy a gallon of LHM system flushing fluid (the one I got was Total brand - are there others?) and a
gallon of LHM (try Andyspares, Plaeides orM&C Lockwoods).
Interestingly the LHM I got from Lockwoods was made by Morris lubricants and apparantly is supplied
OE to Rolls-Royce for their hydraulic systems - I know Royce pay royalties to Citroen for use of the
system for height correction only - having conventional springs for suspension.
Set the car to the low setting on the height selection switch / lever.
Turn the pressure release valve screw on the accumulator body 1&1/2 turns (usually 12mm spanner)
and leave for a few minutes so that pressure is released from the system and most of the fluid is
returned to the LHM tank.
Release and remove the filter housing from the top of the LHM tank and wait for all the LHM to drain into
the tank (the filters hold about 50cc but it seems like a lot more than that when its running onto the
floor...
Unhook the stay bar that hold the LHM tank in its cup holder arrangement and remove the tank from the
car - carefully so as not to spill the old LHM.
Remove the two filters from the mass of pipes that are left hanging down - one is a cone shape that
locks inside the housing, the other is a D shape which clips onto it.
Empty the LHM somewhere suitable (local authority collection point for used engine oil or some such
DO NOT PUT IT DOWN A DRAIN - ITS ILLEGAL).
Clean out the tank and the filters and sometimes theres a disc filter in the bottom of the tank. Use petrol
or white spirit to clean up.
Half fill the tank with the flushing fluid (it looks pretty much like normal brake fluid and is a bit un-nerving
to put in the LHM tank) and place it back in its holder and lock it back. Fill the tank to about three
quarters full and replace the top with the filters back in.
Re-tighten the pressure relief valve, set the height selector to normal and start the engine. Hold the revs
at about 1500 until the suspension comes up to normal height, then set the selector to "high".
With the engine running, top the tank up using the float sight. Drive the car normally for a few weeks with
the flushing fluid in - it will act just like normal LHM. After, say, a month repeat the above process but
replacing normal LHM in the tank. To be pedantic, you should bleed the brake systems through both
times as well.
An addendum to when this was typed was that I hadn’t bled the brakes through and I got - you guessed
it - some kind of air lock - hard to seehow, but when I bled them they felt a lot better - cured the slight
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