Had the Xantia (95 TD) for 6 weeks & 2.5k miles now). I think it's great - really quiet and smooth, although the steering is a bit light and lacks feel around straight ahead. I do think it has a bit of a Jekyll & Hyde character - the feeling is mostly of floating along in a smooth relaxed cruiser, being superior to everyone else, but if you give it a bit of a poke it handles very well for a big heavy car, and gives more confidence as you turn in hard. Great!! Can't wait till I can afford an HDi 110 (and a trip to superchips <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>) or even an Activa (which is what I really want, but baulk at 27-30 mpg!)
It seems to have a bit of a starting problem though <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle> - when cold it starts OK after heating (slighty rough, but that's to be expected!) does sound a bit slow cranking though. However, when hot it won't start without heaters, and even then takes 7/8 strokes before it fires. I will check the battery, connections, earth connections etc, but I thought I had read somewhere this was the case with a lot of xantia TDs? Anybody come across a reason / solution? My BX TD with a bosch pump would start first compression without heaters when hot, and after 3/4 even if it had been stood an hour or two.
Richard
Xantia - Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde??
Moderator: RichardW
Richard,
I usually stay out of "oil burner" problems mainly due to my experience being with Japanese ones and fairly primitive diesels at that, however this one rings a bell back from my days of driving the smokey, smelly & noisy, as I say, far removed from todays versions, but I used to have to use the pre-heat in Australia, in summer and after I'd travelled a distance in my Mazda. It was used as a commercial vehicle hence it rarely got cold even by tropics standards. In my case, it turned out to be the battery slowly dying and although it sounded as though all was well, it was obviously just a whisker too slow to make it fire without previously warming things up.
Fitted a new battery & the problem was solved.
Just a thought, but it had me and all the "experts" fooled.
Alan S
I usually stay out of "oil burner" problems mainly due to my experience being with Japanese ones and fairly primitive diesels at that, however this one rings a bell back from my days of driving the smokey, smelly & noisy, as I say, far removed from todays versions, but I used to have to use the pre-heat in Australia, in summer and after I'd travelled a distance in my Mazda. It was used as a commercial vehicle hence it rarely got cold even by tropics standards. In my case, it turned out to be the battery slowly dying and although it sounded as though all was well, it was obviously just a whisker too slow to make it fire without previously warming things up.
Fitted a new battery & the problem was solved.
Just a thought, but it had me and all the "experts" fooled.
Alan S
Richard.
Roughness on cold starting could be due to one or 2 defective glow plugs - had this on my BX when I first got it and new ones improved things a but but the real problem was dirty injectors - when they were replaced it starts amazingly well from cold, and with no heat at all when hot.
Roughness after startup from cold could be minor air leaks - look for perished pipework, loose connections and bad filter gaskets. Its also worth having a look at the priming pump for perishing etc.
By the way is your cold start device on the pump working properly. it should advance the pump timing when cold giving a slightly raised idle speed. This should be noticeable on the rev counter, dropping back by about 50 revs when warm. If its not working check the operation of the cable from the waxstat in the thermostat housing - it should pull tight on a cold engine and be slack when hot. The thermostat unit is about £18 and assists smooth running from cold.
finally - perhaps I should have mentioned it first - a good battery and electrical supply is of course vital - from what you say you are suspicious of yours but once started it shouldn't make any difference at all which is why I have left it to last.
Jeremy
Roughness on cold starting could be due to one or 2 defective glow plugs - had this on my BX when I first got it and new ones improved things a but but the real problem was dirty injectors - when they were replaced it starts amazingly well from cold, and with no heat at all when hot.
Roughness after startup from cold could be minor air leaks - look for perished pipework, loose connections and bad filter gaskets. Its also worth having a look at the priming pump for perishing etc.
By the way is your cold start device on the pump working properly. it should advance the pump timing when cold giving a slightly raised idle speed. This should be noticeable on the rev counter, dropping back by about 50 revs when warm. If its not working check the operation of the cable from the waxstat in the thermostat housing - it should pull tight on a cold engine and be slack when hot. The thermostat unit is about £18 and assists smooth running from cold.
finally - perhaps I should have mentioned it first - a good battery and electrical supply is of course vital - from what you say you are suspicious of yours but once started it shouldn't make any difference at all which is why I have left it to last.
Jeremy