xantia buying help / advice

flashgit · Post by **flashgit** » 07 Aug 2011, 20:47

hi,

welcome. this is my first post

Always wanted to own / drive a citroen and see what they actaully feel like.

Seen a nice td on autotrader (1997).

What should I check / watch out for?

Any common faults?

Any quick things to check for? (never had a citroen before)

thanks

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 07 Aug 2011, 20:49

Welcome to the forum, firstly what model of car are you talking of Xantia, ZX, XM?

citroenxm · Post by **citroenxm** » 07 Aug 2011, 21:06

Would most likly be a Xantia, as they have the "un normal" suspension to "Other Drivers" - absolutly no disrespect to you Flashgit...

So welcome...

You would also need to clarify the exact car, as in 1997 they had a change over on R Reg... so you can get S1 and S2 cars on the R reg.

Have you a link to the Ad for the car?

Paul

flashgit · Post by **flashgit** » 07 Aug 2011, 22:13

hi,

its a 1997 p reg. turbo diesel

I actually saw it in an old autotrader magazine (two weeks old), I cant seem to find it on the net. have rang the guy and he still got it.

What do I need to check. How do i make sure the suspension "works"

Post by **myglaren** » 07 Aug 2011, 22:23

There are lots of things to check, most quite simple but firstly, where are you?
If there is another member near to you they may be willing to let you experience a well-sorted Xantia so you can get the feel of the suspension as it should be and demonstrate the system and functions to you.
They may even accompany you to view your potential purchase and help you decide if it is worthwhile - most have some faults and that is why they are offered for sale as most believe that the suspension system is extremely complex, difficult and expensive to work on whereas, forearmed with a bit of knowledge freely available here, most problems are relatively simple to rectify and the costs are generally reasonably painless too.
The upside is a suspension system like no other.

A good read thorough the Xantia posts on this forum would provide an invaluable aid to acquainting yourself with the problems you would be likely to face and the methods of solving them.

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your purchase.

Post by **CitroJim** » 07 Aug 2011, 22:40

Welcome Flashgit

myglaren wrote: If there is another member near to you they may be willing to let you experience a well-sorted Xantia so you can get the feel of the suspension as it should be and demonstrate the system and functions to you.

Steve, I think that's an excellent piece of advice and Flash, if you're anywhere near me, I'd be happy to show you around a Xantia and the things to look out for when viewing a potential purchase...

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 07 Aug 2011, 23:02

What trim level is it as they have different suspension.
LX/SX have normal hydraulic suspension with 6 spheres (1 at each corner for the ride, and the accumulator at the front and anti-sink at the rear which are reserve pressure stores ie emergency brake pressure should your pump stop turning), and VSX/Exclusive which have hydractive suspension, same as LX/SX but with two extra spheres, the corners are harder than LX/SX and the two extra spheres (one at front, one at rear) provide the soft ride, switching to firm when you throw the car about a bit

Pop the bonnet and check the oil level (should be between the two notches on the dipstick) and coolant level (should be at the bottom of the cutouts as you look into the tank) as coolant is very important to these engines, overheating is one of the few things that can kill them.
Then get the car up and running, and listen at the front for a loud tick/click from the area of the accumulator sphere (right at the front of the engine, slightly to the passenger side).
If there is less than 30 seconds between ticks, it will need replacing, and chances are the one at the back, the anti-sink sphere, will need replacing too.
Spheres are about £23 each from GSF car parts and are easy to change.
See how flexible the leak off pipes between the diesel injectors are, if they're hard then they'll need replacing (about £10).
Bounce the car by pushing on the slam panel, it should be soft, if not then the front suspension spheres may need replacing.
Check the car height, roughly 3 fingers between the top of the front tyres and the wheel arch, and 1 finger for the rears. Incorrect ride height can make for a bouncy harsh ride and give the impression of flat spheres.
Set the car on high, beside the handbrake is the height lever, pull it vertically up to release it, and back all the way to high.
The red STOP light may come on for a few seconds or so, this is normal.
Back under the bonnet, check the clear dome on the LHM reservoir at the back of the engine bay in front of the passenger. The orange disc should be between the two red lines, although above the top line is OK Only ever fill up with LHM+ (or Total Hydrorincage which we call hydroflush when you're cleaning the hydraulic system).
Down by the front wheel arches, look at the top of the suspension struts for the rubber on the top plate being split and the metal within rusting. Check out the speared strut top thread for reasons why! Replacement strut tops are £120ish each.
Set the car on low, it should end up a few inches from the deck (don't worry if it sounds like it's farting on the way). If one end stays up or seems sluggish (normally the back) then the height corrector linkages are probably seized a bit and need cleaning and some spray grease applying. If it gets very seized the white plastic "dogbone" which links the anti roll bar to the actual height corrector can pop off, or even break the metal link between it and the anti roll bar.
Once on low, set it back to normal (the slightly thicker white line). Incidentally, don't be surprised if there's no actual difference between the top two height settings due to the age of the mechanical components.
Open the rear doors and check where the outer skin of the wheel arch meets the rest of the car, the seam can let in moisture, especially on the passenger side, and rust. If this goes untreated it can lead to an MoT failure due to the proximity of the rear seatbelt mounting point.
Go for a test drive.
Ruts and pot holes will be felt, but speed bumps etc should be much better than steel sprung suspension cars.
Check the handbrake, ideally it should hold the car well on 3 clicks.
A heavy high clutch pedal suggests the clutch may need replacing soon.

So, expect to have to replace all the spheres, if not straight away, in the next year or so unless they have been replaced recently. Also expect to do a LHM change, as this normally gets missed meaning many Xantias are going around with their original LHM plus top ups. Don't forget to bleed the brakes when you do it.
Also, don't forget the hand brake is on the front wheels so the front pistons need winding back clockwise when you change pads.
There are very few things on a Xantia that a DIY mechanic can't tackle.

One of the great things about the 1.9TD in a Xantia is it can run on vegetable oil with no conversion.

flashgit · Post by **flashgit** » 07 Aug 2011, 23:24

Im based in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The car is a lx spec

Xac - thank you for a very deatiled reply. Very helpful.

Im sick of paying too much for overpriced german trash which in my opinion is not as reliable as they are made out to be.

I notice there is a green one in the "for sale section".

Any opinions on that.

Its a good price!

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 07 Aug 2011, 23:37

Forgot two more things!
Turn the heating on and the fan up, sniff for curry/cat pee smell. The heater matrix starts to leak after 10 years or so.
It's not a hard job to replace, but by Gordon it's a long one! Dashboard out.
Also, having French electrics, they decided to run the blower fan through the ignition switch, it can draw 30-40A so eventually the switch starts to give up and the fan won't turn. The fix is to wire in a relay which was fitted as standard with Mk2 Xantias (although some early Mk2s may not have got it).

Personally I prefer the SX trim level to the LX, although late Mk1s were fitted with better trim at the same level as early Mk2s

flashgit · Post by **flashgit** » 07 Aug 2011, 23:40

whats the main difference in the sx/lx spec?

Im guesing the rest of the engine is pretty bullet proof?

What would cause a 3rd gear to crunch?

Any body based near me ?

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 07 Aug 2011, 23:47

ABS on SX, I'm sure some LX didn't have it, and with the Xantia's powerful brakes you really need it!
Better radio on the SX.
All round electric windows.
Can't remember what else, but I'm sure one of the trim gurus will be able to post better specifications

3rd gear crunch is damaged synchromesh, normally caused by the clutch cable clip going (or in Cassy's case the cable adjuster lock nut was stuck on the end of the cable, so the other nut would wind down leaving me with no clutch) and the driver having to be a tad too firm to get it into gear.
The choices with it are:
1. Live with it, going up through the gears it's easy to skip 3rd as the engine has plenty of power, and double d clutch on the way down.
2. Take the gearbox off, dismantle and replace the synchromesh
3. Take the gearbox off and replace with a good 2nd hand gearbox

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 08 Aug 2011, 07:28

SX trim over LX also has front fog lights, electric door mirrors, better upholstery (LX trim on early cars is a not very nice coarse tweed), I know SX has a split rear seat not sure if LX has it as well. Overall SX models were quite well appointed whereas LX were a little sparse.

flashgit · Post by **flashgit** » 08 Aug 2011, 14:12

Also whats the main differnce between the s1 and s2 xantias?

visually they appear similar to me!

jgra1 · Post by **jgra1** » 08 Aug 2011, 14:21

Hi Flash,

mainly the bonnet (s2 has integral grill) and therefore the headlights

and

colour coded bumpers, mirrors I think.

there are other differences. there may be a thread outlining them..

John

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 08 Aug 2011, 14:27

flashgit wrote:Also whats the main differnce between the s1 and s2 xantias?

visually they appear similar to me!

S2, passenger airbag (although this was an option on the S1) and no grab bar.
Inflated multisectioned bumpers
Glovebox that can hold more than just lace gloves
Side airbags (I believe this is S2 only and may be trim specific)
Loss of mp3 player jack on radio
Rear wiper jet spray moved to roof rather than on the wiper blade
Blower relay mod fitted at factory (some early ones may have missed this)
Grill becomes part of the bonnet looking horrible
Loss of useful odments bays on the head lamps for those nuts and bolts when working on the engine

Preference between the two shapes tends to be personal, I prefer the S1.