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Firm suspension after Pleiades sphere recon
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tpr   
Mon May 04 2026, 01:15pm
Joined: Jun 11 2024
Member No: #5543
Location: Newbury
 Hi all

As recommended by Robert at BL Autos after finding my (presumed original) sphere pressures down a bit, I had my spheres reconditioned at Pleiades last week.

Now the ride does not seem right; I am feeling all the bumps. It was especially bad on a straight and fast road that is not entirely smooth (A30 from Sutton Scotney to Stockbridge).

So today I fired up the ol' Diagbox, which I don't have much experience of using. No suspension or AMVAR faults reported other than U1205 lack of communication with the steering wheel angle sensor. I tried some actuator tests. The AMVAR ones seemed ok, although with a much more noticeable difference on the rear than on the front. The rear firmness one was ok. The front firmness one did not make any difference; it seems hard either way. (This is judged by trying to bounce one corner or end by hand.)

My guess is that the recon of the front centre sphere failed and it is now locked hard with no pressure, so switching it in for a soft front does not make any difference. Is that a reasonable guess?

Not casting any aspertions on Pleiades; we all know that anything can happen in Citroën ownership and it usually does. But I just wanted to try and figure out what the problem might be before making the two-and-a-half hour each way trip over there again.

I guess I could save the trip if I could find someone more local to just replace that sphere, and send the recon one back to Pleiades to see what they think of it. But my friendly local garage isn't very happy with doing suspension stuff where I would need to turn up with the Diagbox/Lexia to depressurise then repressurise and bleed. Any ideas for someone more local to me in Newbury (M4 J13)?
MGmike   
Tue May 05 2026, 06:54pm

Joined: May 21 2017
Member No: #3151
Location: South Queensferry
 Your diag seems to be sound and the centre regulator sphere appears to have failed after regassing. I've had a 2.2 in for repair with failed regassed spheres so I can confirm it happens unfortunately.

I don't live near you to help but I can send you a used sphere to change if you're up for it?
Tjensen   
Wed May 06 2026, 10:58am

Joined: Jul 17 2012
Member No: #954
Location: Bergen
 I had an experience with a regassed sphere (on a DS) that suffered an internal explosion. Nitrogen gas all inside the system with interesting and surprising effects. Healed itself, but of course i needed a new sphere.
tpr   
Wed May 06 2026, 11:04am
Joined: Jun 11 2024
Member No: #5543
Location: Newbury
 Thanks Mike, but I think I need to find someone else to do the actual change.
MGmike   
Wed May 06 2026, 05:18pm

Joined: May 21 2017
Member No: #3151
Location: South Queensferry
tpr wrote ...

Thanks Mike, but I think I need to find someone else to do the actual change.


No worries. The only garage I know closer to you would be Southways Automotive in Fareham but I suspect he'll be well booked up. There's no harm in asking
 

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