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C6 Suspension 'Pitching'

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dsharples   
Mon Aug 11 2014, 09:11pm

Joined: May 18 2010
Member No: #119
Location: Woodbridge
Rocking back and forth (like a see-saw motion) over say, the undulating sections found on the northern anti-clockwise part of the M25, sounds like front spheres to me. Probably a corner gone. Spheres are very hard to diagnose on a C6.

There is no "fault code" or "detection". Dealers will just say "they all feel like that sir". One test is to brake just before and into "well known" gentle-ish sleeping-policeman/traffic bump (at lowish speed). And then try and crest it at a pre-determined low speed without braking.

If you car bounces upwards v.sharply when braking, and mildly less when not braking, it should show you that a) your suspension is working, and b) that your front spheres are shot. The C6 will always "firm up" under braking over a speed-hump - but the ride goes from Comfort to OK with decent spheres, or from OK to F1 car with poor spheres.

After 2 years, my after-market spheres were already 30%-40% down, making the ride noticeably poor. My Citroen ones were c.60% down at 5 years old, and one front had failed completely.
Hattershaun   
Tue Aug 12 2014, 07:25am

Joined: Dec 19 2010
Member No: #320
Location: Bedfordshire, UK
'Wasted', you may wish to have all the spheres pressure checked, this will tell you how good they are and if replacement is necessary.
B.L.Autos, in Welwyn Garden City have the test equipment and knowledge/experience of working on C6 to help you.
gmerry   
Tue Aug 12 2014, 09:56am

Joined: Dec 11 2009
Member No: #21
Location: Scotland
Mr Sharples, your experience on the spheres sounds similar to mine.

I found that Monroe aftermarket spheres had a very short life (but useful in an emergency).

What brand of aftermarket spheres have you tried?

Regards
G
wasted   
Tue Aug 12 2014, 08:38pm
Joined: Feb 12 2012
Member No: #799
Location: Cambridge
Good advice, chaps. Bizarrely its the newer roads where it is most obvious - a perfectly flat new road is somehow converted to a gentle headache inducing rocking. It just cant seem to find its equilibrium. I will to do some road testing and head down to BL Autos. I'm also determined to get Citroen to update my CSS ECU version and i'll post back the new version number.
dsharples   
Tue Aug 12 2014, 09:22pm

Joined: May 18 2010
Member No: #119
Location: Woodbridge
I tried the Suplex Ones. In just under 2 years, the rears were at approx 70% pressure, the fronts 60%.

The original Citroen after c. 5 (maybe 6) years were: 1 front failed, 1 front 40%, rears 60%. (The car had stood around for a year before being registered).

So what can we conclude? In contrary to Citroen/dealer/expert claims:

* Grey Saucer Spheres do (undetectably) fail on the front of a C6 < 6 years.
* Grey Saucer Spheres do degrade on C6's at the front by 10%+ year

They are not "good for life".

And:
* Dealers won't replace them as they can't diagnose them, so very hard to use any warranty you have (my dealer said they had never replaced a grey sphere under warranty on a C5 to underpin their position). I even took the lead engineer out (who I know fairly well) and the sales director (whose car it used to be) - and whilst the latter thought it didn't feel like it used to, the lead service technician (who is usually excellent) stuck to his position (feels fine mate)
* Your ride is compromised once 30-40% of the pressure is gone - but it happens very gradually... and you only notice when you get odd body motions.

I'm now running with two new Amtex front corners, re-gassed Citroen Accumulator, and re-gassed Citroen rears (as supplied via Pleiades).
gmerry   
Wed Aug 13 2014, 08:52am

Joined: Dec 11 2009
Member No: #21
Location: Scotland
Hi Dave, very informative post.

I'm running on a right old mixture right now:-

Front corners are IFHS, Front Stiffness is Citroen
Rear Corners are original Citroen. Rear stifness are Monroe (Citroen were replaced due to external corrosion). Rear corners overdue to be replaced. Previously, I was not aware of the Pleaides option of recharging but not sure of the logistical practicalities and how long I would want the car off the road.

I have had one front corner (Citroen failure = internal spikes having puntured the diaphragm) at less than 4 years old post date of car manufacture, one very flat Citroen stiffness accumulator, others were unknown pressure.

Note, for Citroen C6 with AMVAR suspension, all spheres are accumulators since there is no damping at all in the spheres

Secondly, I'm assuming your "engineer" was a mechanic or service technician. If he was indeed an engineer, we would expect to get a system and/or mathematical analysis of the issues.

Regards
G
Kaloteck   
Sat Oct 11 2014, 11:20am
Joined: Apr 25 2013
Member No: #1271
Location: Warsaw
You mention wallowing... But it is what big Citroens are all about, isn't it ?
Why would anyone want to correct that ?
Hattershaun   
Sat Oct 11 2014, 06:22pm

Joined: Dec 19 2010
Member No: #320
Location: Bedfordshire, UK
Waft - Yes, i.e. Isolate passengers from road undulations and bumps, feels very smooth

Wallow - No, implies undesirable movements. I've experienced this, it's not good.

A bit of semantics perhaps, but just my humble opinion after 20 years of driving Citroen hydropneumatic cars.

speedfix   
Mon Dec 15 2014, 06:19pm
Joined: Sep 28 2012
Member No: #1043
Location: south west
Had a look at the 2.2 hdi suspension today as the car had to much rebound going over hump back bridges, no amvar fitted on this model.

Ride height settings to high so scribed markings on the level sensor clamping to antirollbar as the original datum points.[so I new the original start points]

Adjusted the front first to a lower position, then the rear to get the car level.

Double checked after going through the height positions [lds tank cap slackened]

Car now sits and rides like a citroen should at speeds.
Did not need it seems to use the lexia for this but time will tell!

Also the service reset can be reset without the use of lexia, I have lexia but the old laptop takes to much time for just a small job.

The only job to do after a few more runs is the tracking front and rear in case the alignment has changed.
Cojko   
Wed Jun 08 2022, 09:22pm

Joined: May 07 2022
Member No: #5015
Location: Koper
Spheres Citroen original My Citroen -35% = 82€ not avalibale
Spheres Eurorepar, membrane like Citroen original = 115€ avalible
Spheres IFHS, good replacment for original, diferent membrane = 70€ avalible

Citroen services have new update for CSS!

Now I have compleatly new C6, driving like - Click Here -
joaopt   
Mon Oct 24 2022, 04:07pm
Joined: Dec 04 2021
Member No: #4910
Location: Porto
Hi,

Is this update only for the CSS , is there any for the suspension?
Asking because I own C6 2.2 HDI, and I can't find the cause of the constant pitching at low speeds.

Front spheres and acumulator were already replaced + ride height corrected.

Thanks,
Joao
StirlingC6   
Wed Jul 19 2023, 05:45pm

Joined: Nov 04 2022
Member No: #5131
Location: Ontario
This pitching motion sounds a lot like my car.
Is it possible for Citroen dealers to apply the software update remotely some way? Being in Canada, going to the dealer isn't an option.
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