Extra pressure on Spheres

[yoseff]

On my personal 2011 C5 tourer , i feel the rear a bit too stiff and with short travel , and i'm suspecting about lower pressure on spheres , specially on the regulator.
In the meanwhile , i got 2 front regulator spheres (One from a C5 front regulator and other from a C6) and after tested, they seem to be on the 60 bar (To be honest i'm not fully trusting in that tester , as i think they should have lost more pressure with all this time)
My question is: As the 2 regulator ones should be on the 52 Bar originally , if those ones are 60 Bar , could that be too much pressure? What if one has less pressure than the other , will that pose a problem? Couldnt find much information , but i suspect that those 2 central ones share the same path and are not independent per wheel side , so if one has 60 bar and other 50 (for example) while one gets stiffer , the other will continue providing "springness" and so the system would work a bit like a progressive spring (Like those cars that have 2 springs per side - a smoother one and a stiffer one)

Whats your thoughts on that? Anyone tested with extra pressure on regulators?

[Kees]

You are right, it's no problem to use this sphere's.
The one with lower pressure will have less volume above the diagram, but you wil not notice this.
At my car a have 2 sphere's with 60 bar at the stiffness regulator and at the corner 2 with 52 bar.
P.s. i have not a tourer, it's a berline V6/3.0
Greetings,
Kees.

[yoseff]

You are right, it's no problem to use this sphere's.
The one with lower pressure will have less volume above the diagram, but you wil not notice this.
At my car a have 2 sphere's with 60 bar at the stiffness regulator and at the corner 2 with 52 bar.
P.s. i have not a tourer, it's a berline V6/3.0
Greetings,
Kees.

Thanks. Great to know that. I was actually afraid that it could become too soft with that extra pressure , but if from your experience it is ok , i will then try it.
Actually has been quite a long time that i've been thinking if it woudnt be a good idea to have extra pressure in spheres , specially in the regulator ones , in order to get a bit more of the typical flying carpet ride , at least in soft mode.

I have a friend who recharges spheres , so if i'm happy with the results , will ask him for extra pressure in them when i get them re-gased.

[Sloppysod]

I have a friend who recharges spheres , so if i'm happy with the results , will ask him for extra pressure in them when i get them re-gased.

I didn't think X7 spheres can be recharged, like earlier models. I may be wrong … I have been once before…

[Kees]

Last time i checked how the stiffness regulator works, i did this with a led.
The conclusion of this is, with almost every thing you do he changed from soft to hard and keep this sometimes longer than a second.
For example, if you accelerate, brake's and also if there is a bump in the road.
When you apply the sport stand it all happens sooner.
So, i disconnected both stiffness regulator's and because you get an error i fool the system now with a 10 Ohm/10 watt resistor.
This means that my car is always soft.
So you can say, i have a car with HA3 + system but now without the +.
I also machined the sphere's, so i can refill them, and also vary the pressure.
Greetings,
Kees.

[yoseff]

Last time i checked how the stiffness regulator works, i did this with a led.

Where did you connected the Led? I did that on a Xantia Activa some years ago, but have no idea where to pick the signal on the C5. That would be an interesting mod.

The conclusion of this is, with almost every thing you do he changed from soft to hard and keep this sometimes longer than a second.
For example, if you accelerate, brake's and also if there is a bump in the road.
When you apply the sport stand it all happens sooner.
So, i disconnected both stiffness regulator's and because you get an error i fool the system now with a 10 Ohm/10 watt resistor.
This means that my car is always soft.
So you can say, i have a car with HA3 + system but now without the +.

Could be possible to fit a switch that would bypass the regulators (With the 10 Ohm/10 watt resistor in one position and direct on the other)? So 3 modes would be available on demand: Soft (Regulators disconnected) , Auto and Sport

On the Xantia , current on Electovalves was needed in order to have regulators on soft mode. I imagine that on the C5 is the opposite? No current for Soft and current to Hard (Central spheres off the system)
Would like to better understand the Hydractive 3+ system...

I also machined the sphere's, so i can refill them, and also vary the pressure.

That's exactly how my friend does. That's a great system

[yoseff]

I have a friend who recharges spheres , so if i'm happy with the results , will ask him for extra pressure in them when i get them re-gased.

I didn't think X7 spheres can be recharged, like earlier models. I may be wrong … I have been once before…

Yes they can , but it's more work than with the earlier models.

[Kees]

I picked up the wire at the stiffness regulator at the front, because the location is at the right front, so easy to access, and also connected the resistor at the loose connector, the same at the back stiffness regulator.
If you want to have the possible to change to the normal situation, you have to use relai's at front and back.
But i think, you don't want it, because the car's behavior is so much better you get the idea, that they have all roads resurfaced.
In the past i had the GS, GSA, BX and XM.
All with only sphere's at the corner, this system works fine, now they went on with development, and my opinion is, that it is not a improvement.
P.s. you are right, that the Xantia and XM have current for the soft mode, and the C5 not.

Greetings,
Kees.

[Kees]

I also find out, on the service box, that citroen deliver 2 types of H.P. pomp voor the car, one for smooth road and one for bumpy roads it's not the difference in the pomp itself, but the soft ware in the computer on top of it.
It's dependent of the VIN of the car.