New member and new Citroen owner

HDI · Post by **HDI** » 11 Oct 2009, 17:31

stevetheskaterboy wrote:Thats quite alright lol.
Just got in and went for a drive, a little annoyed that I got stuck in traffic for 35 mins but it was good, the more i drive it the happier I am.

Not the Stourport Road by any chance ?!

Post by **myglaren** » 11 Oct 2009, 17:32

Biggest problem is that once you are used to Citroen brakes and get into another car, you'll wonder why they won't stop

stevetheskaterboy · Post by **stevetheskaterboy** » 11 Oct 2009, 17:35

Indeed it was, I forgot about the gilgal roadworks and got stuck again!

I already tested every function in the car before buying, but went through them again and everything works, dont like traction control though, will be avoiding that in future.

Right I have just had a friend ring me, he works for a motorfactor in birmingham, just offered me 5L of Citroen official LHM Plus for £22.99, is that a good deal?

HDI · Post by **HDI** » 11 Oct 2009, 17:39

sounds about the normal dealer price for LHM.

stevetheskaterboy · Post by **stevetheskaterboy** » 11 Oct 2009, 17:45

Well im thinking of getting it cos thats their price, but he puts his discount on it it goes down to £14.99

I wana make sure that I get everything i need and then im going to to:

*oil and filter change
*LHM
*transmission oil
*pollen filter

Wana stay on the safe side and make sure i keep on top of things

HDI · Post by **HDI** » 11 Oct 2009, 17:53

Yes , thats a good price !

Just changed the pollen filter on mine as the ventilation was very weak.
Not surprised it was when I saw the state of the one I removed ! Blocked almost solid. Ventilation now very good.

stevetheskaterboy · Post by **stevetheskaterboy** » 11 Oct 2009, 17:57

I have checked the one thats already on, its in ok ish condition but why not get rid and start afresh? lol

Now just gotta work out the radio code, didnt come with one, but would like to make sure i get it in case the batt has to come off. Can a citroen dealer find out the code?

Post by **myglaren** » 11 Oct 2009, 18:04

Depending on the radio, this thread may help.

stevetheskaterboy · Post by **stevetheskaterboy** » 11 Oct 2009, 18:06

Thats another job done lol
I gotta say thanks to everyone on here, its great to have such friendly people to help out!

stevetheskaterboy · Post by **stevetheskaterboy** » 11 Oct 2009, 19:54

Right, just been doing some work

* changed oil filter
* new oil (full synthetic 5w-40)
* new air filter
* Spark plugs changed
* new wiper blades
* good wash and polish

Now i need to replace the coolant but unsure of what brand to get? any idea cos i plan to buy it in the morning and do the job before work in afternoon.
A friend has a XM and uses halfords advanced antifreeze/coolant, is that a good way forward?

HDI · Post by **HDI** » 11 Oct 2009, 20:33

Use Honda long life coolant , available from Honda dealers. Use it because of the following :-

Increasingly severe operating conditions and the advent of lower maintenance requirements have resulted in significant changes in the variety and the concentration of additives used in engine coolant. Also, the continual improvements in engine and vehicle design have challenged coolant suppliers to design products that perform well in a more demanding environment.

To meet these needs, Honda engineers have developed a superior, high-quality coolant that has several advantages over the competition.

Some antifreeze, although labeled as safe for aluminum parts, may not be compatible with Acura cooling system components. Extensive research and testing by both Honda R&D and CCI, the manufacturer of the Honda coolant, have proven that the abrasive silicates and/or borates found in most domestic coolants can cause these problems:

- Silicates bond to the surface of the water pump seal and act as an abrasive, causing considerable seal erosion and coolant leakage. In actual tests, the silicated coolant caused early leakage. This leakage increased dramatically until a substantial portion of the coolant had been lost. In contrast, the Honda coolant had almost no leakage through the duration of the test.

Chart here, entitled "Coolant Leakage from Water Pump Seal", showing Leaked Coolant Volume in ml as follows for each test duration in Hours:

24 hrs: Honda Coolant 0, Typical Silicated Coolant 21 48 hrs: Honda Coolant 1, Typical Silicated Coolant 36 72 hrs: Honda Coolant 2, Typical Silicated Coolant 47 96 hrs: Honda Coolant 2, Typical Silicated Coolant 55 120 hrs: Honda Coolant 2.5, Typical Silicated Coolant 56 144 hrs: Honda Coolant 3.5, Typical Silicated Coolant 57 168 hrs: Honda Coolant 4, Typical Silicated Coolant 58.8 192 hrs: Honda Coolant 6, Typical Silicated Coolant 63 200 hrs: Honda Coolant 6, Typical Silicated Coolant 64

- Silicates tend to gel and settle in the coolest parts of the cooling system, causing radiator plugging and overheating.

- Borates cause pitting corrosion on the cylinder head.

- Silicate inhibitors are difficult to stabilize and, therefore, limit coolant shelf life.

Most commercially available coolants were originally designed for cast iron engines. Silicate, an inexpensive additive, was added to coolants to prevent aluminum corrosion, but the long-term durability of the combination was not tested.

In contrast, Honda coolant was designed specifically for aluminum engines. It contains an organic corrosion inhibitor instead of silicate. This superior formula gives these advantages:

- No silicate abrasion of water pump seals. For example, these graphs show the surface roughness of two aluminum water pump seal rings. Seal A, exposed to silicated coolant, shows considerable damage. Seal B, exposed to Honda coolant, displays only minute wear.

(graphs here, showing roughness across the surface, with A a very wiggly line, and B a very smooth line)

- No plugging or overheating caused by silicate gelling.

- Excellent corrosion protection for aluminum components.

- Long-term corrosion protection for other cooling system materials (steel, cast iron, copper, solder, gaskets, seals, and O-rings).

stevetheskaterboy · Post by **stevetheskaterboy** » 11 Oct 2009, 20:51

ok but when i do the system flush i have to remove the thermostat, if I do that I have to remove the batt neg lead right?

Will i then have to enter the radio code because i dont have it :S

deian · Post by **deian** » 11 Oct 2009, 21:13

Maybe Citroen sell it under Total as they like Total oils, but as Stempy says the ESSO LT-71141 one is the true correct one for either the ZF 4HP20 and the Siemens AL4 box. Forget Dextron oils. And the boxes are not sealed for life!

HDI · Post by **HDI** » 11 Oct 2009, 21:31

stevetheskaterboy wrote:ok but when i do the system flush i have to remove the thermostat, if I do that I have to remove the batt neg lead right?

Will i then have to enter the radio code because i dont have it :S

No , just drain from the bottom rad hose or rad drain tap. To do a thorough job , refill with plain water , run upto normal temp with the heater on , then drain and fill with the new coolant.

stevetheskaterboy · Post by **stevetheskaterboy** » 11 Oct 2009, 21:35

fantastic, ill get onto that in the morning

as for the auto box oil im struggling to find the right oil at a none stupid price :S My local dealer even went as far to say that they dont supply to the public because the box is 'sealed for life'

any ideas?