Xantia Speedo Problem

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Penguin
Posts: 252
Joined: 04 Apr 2008, 09:35
Location: UK
My Cars:

Post by Penguin »

Looking at the Haynes manual it seems to imply that changing the speedo cable is relatively straightforward without the need to remove the dash. Can anyone confirm this or am I missing something?

Cheers
95 Xantia 1.9td SX
elma
Posts: 3745
Joined: 13 May 2007, 02:17
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: Undisclosed
x 287

Post by elma »

The cable comes in 2 halves, I think the plastic bits are on the gear box half.

It's very easy to replace that half, I had to do it as mine was like your's.

I didn't buy new though, I went to a scrapyard as citroen charge mega money for speedo cables.

The other end doesn't look to difficult at all, but I've never taken it off so who knows?
Penguin
Posts: 252
Joined: 04 Apr 2008, 09:35
Location: UK
My Cars:

Post by Penguin »

Cheers Elma
95 Xantia 1.9td SX
Penguin
Posts: 252
Joined: 04 Apr 2008, 09:35
Location: UK
My Cars:

Post by Penguin »

OK, being the busy (lazy?) so-and-so that I am, I haven't got around to doing anything about this, but something really strange has started to happen. On the way back from Wales at the weekend for a bout an hour my speedo read 50 mph (49-52 to be precise) no matter what speed I was doing. I had my sat nav on so I had a good idea of my actual speed and at some points I was doing 25 and others 65, and all points inbetween, but my speedo didn't go ot of the range of 49-52. At one point I stopped at a road junction and the speedo stayed at 50 until I was almost stopped and then fell back to 0. As I pulled away the speedo rose accurately until about 20mph when it suddenly leapt to 50, and then stayed there again. Yesterday on my way home from work it did it again almost all the way home. If it were just reading low I could understand how it could be slipping due to incorrect alignment, but this is just plain odd.
95 Xantia 1.9td SX
dnsey
Posts: 1538
Joined: 20 Oct 2004, 01:39
Location:
My Cars:
x 19

Post by dnsey »

Sounds like the sort of problem that occurs when someone tries to lubricate a speedo (not suggesting that's the case here though). The cable-driven rotor then 'picks up' the drum which operates the needle, under certain conditions, causing the effect you describe.
Unless you're good with precision instruments, it sounds like it's time for a trip to the breakers for a replacement head. Remember to mark the new speedo with the old milage and its own indicated figure on fitting to comply with the law (at least that was the position when I last did the job).
RichardW
Forum Treasurer
Posts: 10814
Joined: 07 Aug 2002, 17:12
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: MK2 '17 C4GP 1.6 BlueHDi 120
'13 3008 1.6 HDi GripControl
x 984

Post by RichardW »

It'll be an electric drive speedo, and the speedo head is knackered - reasonbly common on Xantias. For some reason when they go, 50mph seems to be the speed read out, regardless of the input :lol: The one in my 2001 HDi (only 67k miles) is on the way out - jumps up / down to 50 occasionally. Seems worse when the weather is hot. I just ignore it and drive on the rev counter: not forking out near a ton for a new instrument panel till I really have to (provided the rev counter and fuel gauge work, should be OK :roll: )
Richard W
Penguin
Posts: 252
Joined: 04 Apr 2008, 09:35
Location: UK
My Cars:

Post by Penguin »

Richard, I was under the impression the 95 Xantia had the old mechanical drive? It certainlyappears to have a mechanical type cable rather than dual wire.

Dnsey, this problem only occured after having the clutch changed so I am inclined to believe that the 2 are linked, so I don't think it has anything to do with lubrication of the speedo (I could be wrong of course!). If it requires a change of speedo clock I won't bother. More hastle than its worth!

Thanks both for your suggestions
95 Xantia 1.9td SX
RichardW
Forum Treasurer
Posts: 10814
Joined: 07 Aug 2002, 17:12
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: MK2 '17 C4GP 1.6 BlueHDi 120
'13 3008 1.6 HDi GripControl
x 984

Post by RichardW »

Change over occured at RP 6748 which is 30th April 1995 - so yours could indeed be either :lol:

Easy check for electronic speedo is to see what it does in reverse - an electronic speedo doesn't know the difference between forward and back, so reads positive mph in reverse. Mechanical speedo will read -ve (or nothing if the needle rests against a stop pin).

The fault is certainly consistent with a failing electronic clock - but maybe the older ones are electro-mechanical with a converter in the head, and can suffer the same fault?
Richard W
User avatar
bonnyman750
Posts: 103
Joined: 21 Jun 2008, 17:45
Location: Coventry, UK
My Cars:
x 3

Faulty Xantia speedo

Post by bonnyman750 »

Have a look at the following blogsite. The info here certainly helped me to fix my speedo...

http://www.schaalbouw.nl/citroen/blog051007.htm


Cheers...
Glyn :D
Penguin
Posts: 252
Joined: 04 Apr 2008, 09:35
Location: UK
My Cars:

Post by Penguin »

Thanks for the link. Maybe that is the problem and I'm just getting hung up about the coincidence that the problem started immediately following a clutch change. I think I'm going to leave it a little while, and get it looked at next time I'm having some work done on the car. It is annoying but once you know what speed your, car is doing in relation to the revs you can gat round it. Sat nav also helps!
95 Xantia 1.9td SX
Post Reply