Am i doing the right thing?

[CitroJim]

Harry, definitely agree, do the aux. belt and tensioners too...

[falling-out-with-my-car]

Composite Pulley you are joking? That's a tad scary, Ive had a cast iron pulley fail on my 1.9td xantia. a rare occurrence
apparently. yes Ive always had the water pump and pulleys/belts renewed at cambelt changing time, its like taking a gearbox of to repair the synchromesh and not replacing the clutch at the same time uneconomical.

[CitroJim]

They're not that bad Nigel... Very easy to replace and not generally known to catastrophically fail. They give plenty of warning..

[Chris570]

They're not that bad Nigel... Very easy to replace and not generally known to catastrophically fail. They give plenty of warning..

When it sounds like the bottom end is knocking that's the pulley. Mine was bad for about 10k before we changed it to coincide with the belt change.

[harryp]

Yes Jim, the "etc, etc," was to cover it all..... . It is such a PITA it always seems much better to do it all at the same time. I do not want to come home via the RAC again (good service ); 180 miles on the back of a lorry ; then sourcing parts etc with no transport was not endearing .
Regards,

[CitroJim]

I agree, riding home on a recovery truck is no fun at all

[falling-out-with-my-car]

My 1.9td has been on the recovery truck 4 times this summer in 8 weeks it was getting to the point that I was embarrassed to ask them to recover the car from my home. alternator caught fire, aux belt snapped twice and the bolt in the new tensioner came loose.

I know you chaps have put up a lot of information for me and others to read but I have decided against the purchase of this car purely because the seller is asking a tad to much for it, apparently he has a Lotus to restore.
his last email said that he had to ask a garage how often the service intervals were on the cambelt apparently it was due two years ago the last change was in 2003 12 years ago, that has put me right off it.

I'm going to give my Xantia some VIP treatment, I will get her restored nicely over time, buy an expensive car cover and run her only in dry weather. I'm going to buy one of those little 3 cylinder tax free cars for all the short trips to town and back and keep the Xantia for the long journeys to see family and friends. I will be rigging her up to a maintenance charger just like the 2cv which has a stereo and alarm that drains the battery.

Martin at Pleiades has said he will weld new sills to the Xantia next year if they have rotted by then, this is my regret with the Xantia I waxed everything else but not the inside of the sills. I did the pillars but not the sills

whilst Martin fitted the new alternator for me he allowed me to refresh the wax oil under the Xantia. I had to wait for him to raised the car about four times during the fitting process, he even stopped to have his sandwiches whilst I brushed the wax oil on but I managed to get it all done for the winter ahead.

I cant help thinking being as the car had new drive shafts and bottom arms and bushes this year she may last me a little while yet, there is no catalytic converter and after a long weekend of driving the 2cv a ride in the Xantia really makes you appreciate just how well and how comfy she is to drive.

Thank you all for your information and wisdom in this subject matter. there has been such enthusiasm about it that I somehow feel I am letting you people down.

Regards. Nigel.

[harryp]

Nigel, don't feel too bad regarding not waxing the inside of the sills - did my Renault 20 TL many years ago. It was off road for about 5 years and when I came to look at it with regard to transferring parts over to a body shell I had had welded, found the sills on the donor rotted through . The paint had peeled off the inside (yes it was painted??) and curled up taking the wax with it, whilst the outside underseal was sound. Most odd .
I guess the other (Senior) Forum Members will tell you that this is all about asking questions and gathering information sufficient for many needs; and occasionally trying to assist with answers . Regards

[CitroJim]

Nigel, no worries, often it's best to stick with the devil you know...

You were unlucky with all those breakdowns. Chances of a repeat of any of them are infinitesimal...

I had to be recovered last year when my erstwhile V6 burst an LHM hose. Previously I had to be recovered home in my previous V6 when the ignition coil packed up..

Statistically the Xantia V6 is the most unreliable car I've owned... Touch wood no other Xantia has let me down and I've had enough of them these past ten years...