French Car Forum

I beleive this is the alarm ECU.

Yes! you must bleed, otherwise you'll get airlocks which willl cause overheating and damage to headgasket. When you've drained off, put a hose in the header tank and give it a flush through. Close the drain screw. Put in a few litres of water - I use water collected in the dehumidifier - then add the required amount of antifreeze. Top up with...

Depends on your Xantia modelyear.
From '93 the servo is the same system as used on BX'es : a FlowDivider (FD) controlling flow to the servo & regulator.
AFAIR from '96 you have the 2-port HP pump - the one port used exclusively for the servo - and NO FD.
Both systems will instantly react to a weak HP pump.
But also the FD is a wellknown bugger.
I...

It sounds like a problem with the Rear Height Corrector. Check the plastic linkages to the anti roll bar first - if they're loose that could cause the problem you describe. If they seem ok, the HC unit itself is likely to be worn.

I had a 96 Saxo a few years back and that was a dark metallic green colour called Amazon Green - its a very common Saxo colour. Later Citroen changed the name to Rainforest Green.
Colour code will be 5 letters eg. EYCCR (Quartz Grey) and is normal stamped on one of the suspension turrets.

Mark,
Simplest explanation is that the park position on any auto transmission is effectively working on the same principle as a flywheel or cog with a solid pin being jammed in between a couple of the teeth. It jams it solid.
As autos take the power from the engine via a fluid coupling or torque converter as it is called, there is no direct...

Hm, well the recommended oil by Citroen is Quartz 5000 diesel which is a 15W40.
I actually use Quartz 7000 semi synthetic which is 10W40, and have done so in the 3 ZX TD's I've owned.
The newer generation DW8 and HDi engines, which are very similar to the XUD series in the bottom end must use either 10W40 semi or 5W40 fully synthetic according to...

Well -
It should not be necessary - since you wo'nt have any pressure in the brake lines - unless you press the pedal.
Maybe the Book of lies just wants to be sure that nothing happens - if you do something thoughtless - like removing a suspension cylinder to get at the brakes

no you havent made a mistake the car is fine but it takes a good driver to master the zx.
possibly you might need some extra driving lessons because when you go from a family car like the astra estate to the super quick zx 1.9 d it might be a little unnerving. the gas pedal needs to be pushed down a little harder than the family car though.

Just noticed today that under hard acceleration and then changing gear I did get puff of smoke from the exhaust from 1995 zx 1.4i with 76000 miles. However when I accelerated hard again later to see if it did it again it didnt. Anyone have any ideas becuase im think among the lines of valve stem seals or maybe valve guides.
If im correct, how long...

CARAVAN? Oh my God. That'll be 2 of you on this very forum then (the other,Dave Bamber the only person in the Uk to tow a caravan with a Berlingo?)
Have a look at and also for some details. I think (?) towbars should be 94/20EC approved now. Towsure UK offer a ZX towbar at a very reasonable £59.95 but it isn't EC approved. I am not quite sure if...

Phil,
I can't answer your question, other than Mine does that too ! I find it will not start without heaters if it has been stopped more than a minute or two, and even then it takes 3 -5 seconds of cranking before it starts. I wondered if it might be the battery, but as it starts haven't bothered to do antything about it. I know that the cold...

Paul,
You've got two options; first is that for some reason, non genuine brake pads seem to be more likely to do this than non genuine...nobody can explain why. It has been suggested that the anti-rattle clips may not be fitted correctly. If it only happened after the brakes had new pads fitted you can do no more than to start there.
Option two is...

Smoke from wheel ??
This could be leaking servo oil that burns on the brakes, explaining both symptoms.
You should have a servo oil reservoir - check if it's bottom up empty - indicating an exploded servo line spraying against that wheel's brake.

Yes the pump may be adjusted - but you do'nt want to do that.
Power from a diesel mainly relies on 2 facts :
As much free/cool air intake/feeded as possible.
A very easy way to get rid of exhaust gases.
If you try simply feed more fuel - the lambda figure will quickly rise above 2 and the diesel engine reaches the black sooth point - where you...

matt, a word to the wise, you get what you pay for! make sure pads and disc's are good quality and ensure that the discs are seated well on the hub,ie free from dirt and grime. possibly your calipers are slighty siezed on one side.
mike

I think the recommended method is to wash it out with petrol. Obviously it should be dry before refitting and I think caution should be excercised with compressed air and if its used to blow it out there might be a build up of static which could cause an explosion / fire - not a pleasant prospect if like me you would probably have petrol up your...

Most likely is the small rubber gasket between the intercooler and the inlet manifold. Leaves a gap about 1 - 2mm thick which whistles like a good un! Available only from main dealers I think (guys at AS couldn't find it when I wanted one for my BX anyway), but it only costs a couple of quid.
I doubt you will see much improvement in the...

Matt -
- wot u meen by best place to get stuff from ?
The fluid comes in 5L cans, which is exactly the amount you need bar 0.9L or so, dependent on how messy you are
It's wellknown that this forum used to be directly under a well reputated spares dealer homesite.
Try their on-line shop list for present price-level. Might not be cheapest you've...

edwards & sons, Billericay, Essex

or 01277651486
been going years.

you should be able to adjust the cable slightly by repositioning the outer cable position. It is held in place by a simple clip. The temperature control is a little difficult to get at because it is underneath the control block, but not too bad really. A torch and a mirror would be useful so you can check the layout before you do it.

The rev counter gets its information from a sensor which measures flywheel (engine) speed. The sensor is found in the gearbox bellhousing with a lead coming off it.(black on my car) It is likely that the sensor is either contaminated or broken which would cause this problem.

Have a look at the burrent 'best ZX' thread for some comments on TD and ordinary D.
Jeremy

Um, well Turbo CT was a 2.0 petrol turbo, the CT meaning Constant Torque , apparently.
Bit confused by that.

hmm, well you could get along to a local motor factors. Most of them sell expanding aluminium truncated tubing in various diameters for just this sort of thing, and its not expensive. Choose the right diameter, and pull it out to the length you need.
As for where you take the cold air from, should be OK as long as its not too low down and...

Dave -
Sorry - but it's hard to remember all the car models each individual member here owns/drives

does anyone have or know of a complete leather interior for my 1997 xantia activa. as the car is dark grey metallic any colour would suit.i would prefer a dark red but anything considered as long as it is reasonably priced. thanks.

Ian -
Rattling cat's are a common problem, but not necessary an indication of immediate action. You may wait untill the car needs the usual service & preparations for next MOT.
There's no need to worry about non-genuine parts, they are warranted like anything else and works the same. If not - they'd never had a longterm business anyway.
Go enjoy...

Can you wrap a spring or cable tie round the assembly to hold it together?
Jeremy

Could be an engine mount - or a drive shaft. Engine mounts can probably be inspected visually (with difficulty) - have a good look at the back stabiliser - the round one at the back of the engine visible from underneath. This one may be difficult to check without putting it under load but an indication may be given by trying to rock the engine...

csk -
I agree this is annoying - but the fact that no other noises overdo this ticking tells you your AX is a nice car driving - at least
Why not simply give it a first try by replacing that annoying creature -
Indicator relays are standard components - only a few standard types exists - and they are cheap - some £10-15 should readily do it.
It's...

Hello,
Thanks to the folks that gave me advice about my radio. The problem is now sorted thanks to a guy at:

He sorted out the code in no time (on Sunday evening too!). So I think the guy deserves a bit of free advertising. It only cost £9 :o)

Why?
Dave

This happened to me.You should see COD in the lcd display when the ignition is switched on.Enter your code,which could well be 1111,they are very simple codes.Then press the top of the square tuning button(the upward pointing arrow.That solved my problem.Your citroen dealer may be able to get your code if 1111 is not the right one.

John -
As you know the belt manufacturers have to follow stringent international standards, to ensure the belt quality. I think the tensioning requirements on newer engine types are due to the fact of cambelt failures on the older engine types.
Car manufacturers are simply trying to narrow in the way these belts must be tensioned, to ensure a safe...

How do you drive that poor Volcane in daily use ??
I thought it was impossible to have such long term bad mileage w/o clogging engine/exhaust totally with carbon ??
I really think you should have the car serviced. In any case the cat is likely w/o any use now, and you'll probably have MOT problems next.

That's a temp difference of 22deg - quite good performance I'd say.
How did you manage not to catch a cold sitting in such a cold car

Not knowing for sure on Xantia, I still think the fuel flap lock pin may be reached from inside luggage room, behind inner covering.
This was possible on CX'es, guess Citroen still left a designed way to acces the lock an Xantia's also.
Once you get a chance to let your Xantia have a most-needed drink, have the central-lock mechanism serviced....

Depends on your daily use!
Wife loves her ZX non-turbo diesel and it drives very sweetly and is a very nice car, doing between 40 and 50 mpg (about 45 on general town driving.)
Our only real observation is that it no ball of fire on motorways. It will cruise for ever at an indicated 80 or more but the acceleration won't break your neck! My TD BX...

Is the back of the car lightly loaded and the fuel tank nearly empty?
If so the back brakes are not really meant to work. I know that this is a strange statement but there is a valve (or valves) somewhere which are designed to limit the rear brake effort when the car is lightly loaded to prevent rear wheel lock up. From what I remember of the...

Just took the car for a short run & I do mean short....what a thrill and a half that was!!
It now is no longer stable above 90kph and when driven in a (hopefully) straight line it ducks & dives all over the road. The steering instead of feeling direct & responsive feels light as though it is barely touching the road & in fact when you hit any...

Name and shame them!

Dave thanks for the reply
Been and had a look, the play is in the track rod to rack ball joint, this is also the bit that the hydraulic ram attaches to.
Anyone know how this attaches to the rest of the rack and is it available as a part? (GSF or Citroen)
Thanks again
Rory

Depends where the play is I think, if its in the track rod to rack ball joint then it may be possible.
If there is lift in the rack at the nearside, and this is a common mot failure of a steering rack, then it will require a new bush and this is very unlikely to be available to the diy'er, but if anyone knows otherwise.........
Dave

Has this problem existed ever since you owned the car, or is it more recent ?
It sounds like the side-light and/or fog circuit is linked into the stop solenoid circuit somehow, and keeping it live, I'd check for wires close together, and make sure they are both fully insulated.
I think the fogs are on a relay linked to the side lights, maybe...

The fans run while the aircon is active to maintain air flow over the condenser, this is regardless of vehicle speed or ambient temperature.
The engines idle speed is increased when the aircon is active and is achieved by the same method used to increase idles speed at cold start, this being via vacuum diaphragm and electrovalve, the valve(s) is...

Oh, go on then, since nobody else is going to say it I will. Big End?
Did you really mean TWO LITRES of oil? My guess is it's now way over the top, or or was way below the min before.
Could also be that you've blown a set of diodes in the alternator - this can make a knocking noise as the alternator comes on/off load.
Difficult to tell without...

STS -
I think it's a bit off topic listing here hate or love garages
As you know - there are regulations on what you may express in public about explicitly named persons or parties.

Alarm ECU is under the passenger seat and prone to getting attacked by water if you have either of the (uncommon as alarm) problems of leaking heater matrix or leaking scuttle (wet passenger foot well). It certainly sounds like this may be the root of your problems. It is also not unknown for the Alarm ECU to just go into a strop and refuse to...

Might be worth trying Andyspares/GSF Reading as that branch seems to specialise in Citroens. My local branch seemed to think that the only Citroen ever made was the 2CV and didn't think that they were part of a larger group which specialised in Citroens. Not surprising really as I think that branch was decended from VW specialists.
Jeremy