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Author
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Topic: The LHM story
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Alan
S
Hopping Mad
Member
Posts: 88
From: Queensland, Australia
Registered: Mar 2001
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 posted 26 March 2001
06:39 PM    
Lots of new (and sometimes not so new) Citroen owners ask what
colour LHM is supposed to be. The above examples were taken
from my 90,000klms BX 16V just after I bought it. The car had
a log book showing all the services done, but unfortunately
the previous owner relied on the service guys honesty &
in any case probably didn't know what colour it should have
been. If serviced when it should have been (as per the filled
in logbook) this fluid should have been changed at 60,000klms.
Some of the garbage in there was not in the reservoir. Should
be of some help to owners as the colour we reproduced in both
samples is pretty accurate.
This came from a guy in Germany when I posted my LHM comparison
on an overseas Bulletin Board. The arrows tell the story.
Old LHM -> new Hydraflush -> hydraflush AFTER it had been
in the system & done its job -> new LHM
I had a little trouble interperiting his symbols on this but
I think that this was the LHM either after 2500 or 25,000klms
after the system had been flushed.
Can we buy Hydraflush in Australia & how much it costs seems
to be a mystery as is whatever you can use as a substitute.
I have heard it suggested that blue aircraft hydraulic oil @
around $3 per litre can be used but if anyone is game to give
it a try, give us the word after the event.
Alan S
[editted
by gibgib to enable images on the request of poster]
[This message
has been edited by gibgib (edited 27 March 2001).]
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David
Cavanagh
Hopping Mad
Member
Posts: 87
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 26 March 2001
09:03 PM
Alan
S,
Hydraflush is available here, one of our suppliers at work has
it in stock so I can check the price for you. It is a debate
as to how good it is thow, some people insist on it others recon
its just just another one of those special tools that you don't
really need, at work we just let the customer decide, the color
of LHM thats easy but sometimes what is hard is trying to work
out weather a drip is coolant or LHM, sometimes the only way
to tell is to taste it (apprentices job).
Regards,
David.
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gibgib
G'Day Mate!
Posts: 179
From: Sydney, NSW, Australia
Registered: Apr 2000 
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 posted 26 March 2001
09:41 PM
Alan
do you want me to edit your post so as the pictures appear in
your post?
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Alan
S
Hopping Mad
Member
Posts: 88
From: Queensland, Australia
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 27 March 2001
07:15 AM
quote:
Originally posted by gibgib:
Alan do you want me to edit your post so as the pictures
appear in your post?
Yes please
gibgib. To me, Citroens are simple to operate in comparison
to computers
Look forward to your info on Hydra David; agree with you about
LHM & coolant. One big disadvantage to DIY. No apprentice
& causes "maritals" when you get the kids to do
it 
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DoubleChevron
Hopping Mad
Member
Posts: 33
From: Ballarat,Vic,Aust.
Registered: May 2000 
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posted 27 March 2001
10:24 AM
Hi
guys,
in case
you didn't realise, LHM is $113 for 20litres through BP (bloody
cheap, Brake fluid for my old 'D' is double that).
Hmmm, 5cars
that run and I'm riding my bike to work... CX = broken clutch
cable, DS and ID - in bits being restored, GS = didn't renue
rego, BX = girlfriends driving it...
What I really
need is another car to drive for when my CX stops!!, anyone
have another old citroen that doesn't go for me to park out
the back 
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David
Cavanagh
Hopping Mad
Member
Posts: 87
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 28 March 2001
10:06 PM
Alan,
I crashed out with the hydraflush, my man imported litres of
it years ago and was so slow to sell when he finally sold all
the didn't reorder, he also said none of the people who bought
it said it was worth it, they said any improvement was so small
you hardly noticed it but most agreed that by the time you thought
about hydraflush your hydralics were probably to far gone to
save, no one seems to buy it just to service there car as the
book suggests, they all wait for a problem and then winge because
it didn't work.
I don't know anyone else who has it.
David.
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Alan
S
Hopping Mad
Member
Posts: 88
From: Queensland, Australia
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 28 March 2001
10:57 PM
David,
Have you ever heard the story about the aircraft hydraulic fluid?
It surfaced last year when a guy in Holland started selling
an LHM substitute which he claims makes Cits ride & stop
better & gives longer life to the hydraulic system. It's
called Renard Blue Hydraulic fluid. Citroen promptly gave it
the thumbs down & told owners that they would void their
warranties if caught with it in their systems. These guys over
there swear by the stuff & claim that PSA & Total are
trying to keep any opposition out, which may or may not be right.
However in the middle of the debate, a guy pops up & politely
says it's a rip off as it's only aircraft fluid which is a fraction
of the cost of LHM. After firstly denying this, they eventually
admitted that this was the case but that the secret was the
additives which were in it to give it better lubricating properties.
Someone then popped up & quoted the brand (of aircraft fluid)
& type, where it could be bought & at what price &
claimed he got this information from the guy at Plaiedes &
basically agreed with the proposition that it can be used in
lieu of LHM. Nobody seems game to talk about potential long
term damage & as cars overseas don't seem to last as long
as ours, to them it really isn't an issue.
Incidentally, this debate on LHM last year came about through
someone saying that it was rumoured that LHM may start to disappear
in the near future due to Citroen phasing out the hydrapneumatic
system in favour of the more mainstream type suspensions etc
& the use of the very expensive LHM+
If you're interested, you can read about the Blue LHM at Ron
Veltkamp's website.
I would be interested in people's comments on this, yours in
particular as you work at the coalface.
http://members.tripod.com/citf2/citf.html
Alan S
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David
Cavanagh
Hopping Mad
Member
Posts: 87
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 29 March 2001
09:10 PM
Alan,
Well I don't know, I've never heard of this aircraft fluid you
talk of, I will look into it but I really don't alter from what
the manufacture recomends, I could just imagine fitting an expensive
hydralic pump and it failed and trying to get warranty on it.
I do here of alternative fluids being used, we had a CX from
Alice Springs in running transmission fluid in its hydralics,
the owner said its been there ten years and never a problem,
he said all Cits in Alice used it, I have seen lots of damage
caused from wrong lubricants that "experts" say is
ok so I tend to stick as close as possible to original.
David.
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DoubleChevron
Hopping Mad
Member
Posts: 33
From: Ballarat,Vic,Aust.
Registered: May 2000
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 posted 30 March 2001
12:17 PM
Hi
Guys,
there is
people looking into this fluid problem at the moment. It's an
ongoing huge task, but checkout here:
http://www.compufort.com/users/cando/tony.html
for the latest.
and here
for summarys of what's been found to date:
http://www.compufort.com/users/cando/
Auto trans
fluid is probably the worst type of mineral oil that can be
used as it's full of friction enhancers so the band in the auto
box will grab. Thin motor oil would be much better, at least
it's not going to wear components out...
We have
very cheap LHM here, so why not keep a 20litre drum of the stuff
in reserve if you live somewhere like Alice Springs??
seeya,
Shane Leviston
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James
Moderator
Posts: 130
From: Auckland, NewZealand
Registered: Aug 2000 
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 posted 30 March 2001
07:36 PM
OOOhhh
thats rite youre cars dont have shocks ? Do they have springs
?
Thats what this LHM thing is about !!
You are correct I know nothing of citroen. The only fluid brand
I use in my lovely 405 is Amsoil.
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The
LHM story 
