Suspension 71 LHM
106 Citroen XM Internet Reference Version 1.0
3/3/99
Brake lines
How to replace LHM ? Haynes manual method does not seem to bleed all the pipes to the wheels etc.
I am replacing the front brake pads on Sunday so I will attempt it then.
Rear suspension not rising
Changing LHM on a XM may cause some problems due to air that got into the LHM hoses. After the last
LHM change on my XM it wouldn’t rise for about half an hour.
I think you should wait with the change of the rear legs untill you’re absolutely sure that that is the
problem. Also you shouldn’t pay for the height corrector and have your own one put back into your car.
You have to try to bleed the system a lot of times and then the car might rise again. You could also try
some hydraurincage, LHM cleaning stuff that has to be changed again after 3000 kms of driving.
LHM and Dexron
General feeling is that LHM is the only stuff to use - everything else has different frictional properties and
viscosity profiles, even if it is compatible with the seals. On semi-auto Ds, it makes the gearshift
decidedly odd, apparently. On an XM in the UK, I’d say you;d be mad to use Dexron (which is more
expensive here than LHM).
And as for expensive - from what I’ve seen, stateside it’s about the same price as here in the UK, but you
pay approx 1/4 what we do for petrol. Now stop complaining. (grin)
If you use the proper LHM, you won’t need to replace it twice a year, every 18 months or so should do.
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Hydraulic Fluid and Filters
The importance of changing the fluid every two years and cleaning the hydraulic
filters regularly cannot be stressed enough. A properly maintained system makes
a Citroen an absolute delight to own, abuse it at your peril. My XM was suffering from jittery and heavy
steering and loss of hydraulic pressure on start-up. You covered the process of renewing fluid recently,
just one tip I'd like to add. Remove and clean the hydraulic filters (mine were absolutely black, dealer
serviced from new?) in a strong mixture of detergent (washing-up liquid ideal) and warm water, scrub
carefully inside and out with an old toothbrush. Rinse well and blow-dry with a hairdryer. Results in
perfectly clean filters, and you don't end up stinking of petrol!
If after renewing the fluid and having primed the pump, etc., you can't get any hydraulic pressure on
start-up, as I couldn't - panic! - I discovered an airlock in the pump supply pipe at its lowest point, and
rectified it by removing pipe from pump, dropping end below the lowest point until fluid flowed out and
quickly reconnected pipe to pump. Fluid everywhere but it was the only option left.
After all this the hydraulics were better but still not right, the pump was working overtime, slow operating
suspension, etc. Accumulator sphere maybe? But I'd had it recharged only three months previous, and
I've had no problem with recharged accumulator spheres in the past contrary to your article recently. On
investigation I found the accumulator sphere was very loose, hence the low pressure. Always make sure
spheres are tight. All was OK then. just the brakes to bleed now (removes all old fluid trom lines,
changing the fluid in the reservoir doesn't renew this fluid!) after I've renewed discs and pads.
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