My New Xantia!

[beko1987]

Hi All

I know I don't post on here too often (read the hell out of the forums though!), but I thought I would keep you up to date on my latest car adventures!

My ZX 1.9TD was getting a bit poorly. Many things started to need doing to it at once, like the brakes, driveshafts/intermediate bearing, steering column, strut top bearings. I was also quite bored of it, which is always the main reason for wanting a change!

So, I have done a buyage! I sold my ZX for £50 to a lovely chap in Coventry. This was helpful, as my new car was in Derby, so the owner of the Xantia met me in Cov, we got rid of the ZX and he drove me back to his house to collect...

A 1997 Citroen Xantia 1.9td Desire Estate!

I made a full thread here - http://autoshite.com/topic/25248-xantia-of-desires/ , and am having issues getting some photo's to upload to the internet to link on here, so you'll have to have shufty through my collection thread.

But it's ace! Low miles at 129k (ZX ticked over 291 as I got off the M40 to go to Coventry), supremely comfortable after the harsh, baggy suspension of the ZX and there's so much space! It's had the boost and fuel pump played with, so is a bit quick if prodded, has a BMW fuel filter fitted to help with running on Veg (which I shall be doing as well), Peugeot 405 seats as a previous owner found the Xantia ones uncomfortable and probably a few other things I've forgotten!

It's a bit of an Autoshite legend, I think I'm the 7th forum owner of it, which is good, as there's lots and lots of information about it from everyone who'se had a turn. I dread to think what the previous owner count on the V5 looks like when I get that back!

Immediate issues to note (been reading the forums already to start understanding it)

The buttons on the steering wheel don't work. I have been told the clock spring is a bit iffy. The buttons are currently unplugged from inside, as if plugged in they mess with the radio stations if the wheel is turned. The person who owned it at the time said the airbag light wasn't misbehaving so he left it along.

It split an LHM pipe a few weeks ago, which has been temporarily repaired. I'll get a picture of it at some point and enquire about replacing it

The front brakes squeal under slow braking, coming to a stop is when it's worse, braking at speed is fine.

It has the famous Xantia rear door jamb rust, has holed through on one side (was repaired 4 odd years ago but has come back). The drivers side has rust coming through, but isn't holed.

The front wheels need a balance. It had a last minute part worn fitted 2 weeks ago as the tyre went on the bloke I bought it off, and his mate did it for beer tokens (it's a nice mitchelin pilot) but didn't balance the wheel afterwards

The radio stays on when the ignition is turned off, but I need to look at the 2 position fuse apparently to check that

The front seats are from a Pug 405, and are tatty and torn, plus I'm not sure if I find them comfortable, so may look at a pair of random Xant front seats from somewhere

The keypad is unplugged, and I've been told to never plug it back in under any circumstances (do remember the owner at the time moaning about it playing up a few years ago), so looking for a cubby hole to replace it with

Pass front door lock doesn't, or does but then won't unlock with the plip. I have solved this problem by sitting in the drivers seat when I use the car, and using the drivers door...

The keyfob is also broken, well the housing is. Was looking at cheap replacement cases on ebay this morning, to re-shell the PCB and just swap the blade over. I have the 'dumb' spare key on my keys at the minute though, so not urgent.

So, there we go, a fleet change for me! Seem to be having a run of 90's citroens, this is the 4th:

1997 ZX 1.9 Aura
1997 XM VSX
1994 ZX1.4td
1997 Xantia

I'll start to ask questions and such soon, when I start plodding away at it, but there's not much it needs immediately. It's got nice, clean LHM in, the spheres were done not too long ago (accumulator sphere is a bit old, but it rises fine so I'm leaving that for now). Front calipers and brakes are going to be my first starting point I think!

Cheers

Sam

[Timmo]

am sure the previous guys will have looked, but have a nose at the door jamb where the wires go from car to door as they do break down and occasionally split, may be help to your iffy locking?? with mine, i just simply never bother locking it! nothing left in it of value, nothing worth stealing,

the old Xant wagons handle Surprisingly well for such a big car, pitches in on the corners where modern wagons wallow out, Love throwing mine around down the coast road,

[beko1987]

am sure the previous guys will have looked, but have a nose at the door jamb where the wires go from car to door as they do break down and occasionally split, may be help to your iffy locking?? with mine, i just simply never bother locking it! nothing left in it of value, nothing worth stealing,

the old Xant wagons handle Surprisingly well for such a big car, pitches in on the corners where modern wagons wallow out, Love throwing mine around down the coast road,

They all mention a previously iffy lock, then fully iffy one. It locks on the fob, but won't unlock on the fob (one has to open it from the inside). Locking with the key from the drivers door, all the locks bounce. Lock with the key from the passenger door and everything locks, unlocking from the passenger door and everything unlocks...

I haven't investigated it, because like you, I just don't lock it! My ZX was never locked in the 3 years I had it, can't see this being much different tbh! The only time I'll lock it is if there's anything valuable in there, which isn't too often

[beko1987]

All is well in Xantia land so far, as in I've just driven it to and from work all week!

Yesterday I parked with the modern toss at work



but today I parked at my mums (who lives 2 minutes walk from the office) to pop her in High and check the LHM level, which was fine. The LHM isn't bright, lurid green, but was green, having been changed a few years ago.

One thing the previous owner had mentioned to me is that the Height correctors were a bit iffy, confirmed to him by a citroen specialist near where he lives a few years ago. I've read the excellent how to guide for removing and overhauling them, and looking at them, I think their due.

This is the rear one



and the front one looks identically smeggy, but I didn't take a photo of that.

The spheres are also in need of replacement I think. Both of these are the ones on the rear wheels





and this the centre one



I couldn't see the accumulator sphere without the car up on ramps/stands, but I'm going to assume it too is a bit peaky. The car doesn't sink at all, but whilst the ride is generally wafty, it jars over bumps, and shakes the car and steering changing lanes on the mway and hitting the cats eyes. So, I will get them all changed at some point, possibly not very very soon, but it'll be on the list before too long. I need to get hold of a sphere removal tool though, best start looking!

One question I have though, is I want to Hydraflush her. I Hydraflushed the XM and it did make a difference. Should I hydraflush before doing the height correctors, do the height correctors whilst the flush is in or do the correctors after the flush, and when LHM is back in? It'll probably have flush in for 6 months, and I have the height correctors as point 2 on my list of stuff to do. Or does it not make a difference, and I should just crack on with the job!?

Anyway, suspension ogling out of the way, I had a closer look under the bonnet

RP Number



Some service history



and I can check the timing belt as it has no covers on...



This is the split and temporarily repaired LHM pipe, it comes off the tank and vanishes somewhere



Anyone have a breaker with that hose on that I could purchase? And then provide hints to refit it (where does it go etc)

I had noticed a light metallic jingling whilst crawling up the bypass every night this week too, and with the bonnet up it became immediately obvious that this bolt was a bit loose, and the washer was doing a dance



I haven't put the crap from the boot of the ZX into her yet, so don't have my socket set to hand so found a rubber glove tucked down the side of the windscreen washer bottle, with a load of other rubbish and affected a temporary repair



And here she is at home, a tad trickier to park than the ZX was, but I'll get the hang of it!



That will probably be it for now, my girlfriend is working friday and saturday nightshift (in a carehome, so straight to bed when she gets back), so will have no time for tinkering this weekend with a 10 month old and a 4 year old to keep happy and quiet! (might take them for a drive)

[white exec]

Corrosion checks aside, that underside is crying out for some wax protection! I wouldn't leave it a moment longer.
And you're right about the spheres probably needing renewal: they look as of they've been 'undisturbed' for a very long time.

[Stickyfinger]

Corrosion checks aside, that underside is crying out for some wax protection! I wouldn't leave it a moment longer.

And that Ladies and Gents is why I went to the SofFrance for mine.

Some wire brushing to do there.

[beko1987]

Yep, I need to get her up on the ramps and have a proper nose about. Not sure how much wax protection I will use, but I'll get some wire brushes and some goggles and have a vague clean up.

It's not had any mot issues or advisories with rust before, so hopefully it's not too fatal yet

[Malcolm]

Only just seen your post. Just let my Xantia 1.9td estate go to scrappers today. I did post it for sale as MOT failure. Passed on mechanical and emissions but sills failed. Recently got new spheres all round, height regulators were good. It's in Sherburn Motor Spares, Sherburn in Elmet if it's any interest to you if only for spheres.

[beko1987]

Ah that is a shame Malcolm, although wouldn't it have made it tricky to get the car to the yard with no spheres?

Luckily the sills on mine are good, just the hole in the rear door jamb that let's the side down, but as long as that scrapes through the mot this year, I'll get it welded up next.

Lack of funds are hampering things at the moment, I've priced up the spheres (going to leave the fronts for now, their only 3 years old) for the rear and middles, and will have a go at overhauling the height correctors. I'm hoping tomorrow to have the front wheels off, and have the calipers apart for a recce and light overhaul, it had pads earlier in the year, I'm hoping their not worn to nothing yet, just need some coppaslip on the backing plate or similar.

Shes been ace all week, even with the iffy ride, compared to the zx at 290 baggy miles, its a waft tastic place to be!

I am on half a look out for a leather electric drivers seat though, even a tatty one, I hear they adjust more than manual seats. Dont care about the passenger seat, I don't sit there!

[beko1987]

Plus Google maps puts that yard in Leeds. I'm down in Oxfordshire (not a million miles from citrojim), so possibly a bit far to pop past and go raiding, even if it is a shame to see good parts go to scrap!

[Malcolm]

Such a sad day for me. Would have felt better if someone could have made some use of mechanicals. I let new rear discs and pads go with it in the boot. When I took it in and told the guy, he said you can take them. Just a shame neither of us saw the others post sooner. Good luck with yours.

Sent from my GT-N8000 using Tapatalk

[beko1987]

Well this morning was fun!

I popped to the shops last night, and after a few hundred yards noticed that I was pointing upwards in the drivers seat... After checking the seat adjustment I realized the rear of the car was down low. I knocked the lever into intermediate, and the back shot up to the top. a few more yards of bouncing before I could pull over ensued...

Plenty of citrobatics eventually got it riding lever, I had to put her into high, then down to low, then when the rear started to lower put the lever into normal and it caught and stayed. Continued to the shops, back home and put it down to one of those things

Until this morning, when the whole thing carried on! I called work and took the morning off at short notice (helps having a petrolhead boss, much jokes about cheese and baguettes were mentioned), so I got changed, and on the hottest day of the year (so it felt) I got her up on ramps



A quick shufty underneath revealed the plastic dogleg had come off



I must at this point say a big thank you to the Xantia facebook group, being on a tight schedule to get it fixed I opted for facebook for live responses, which worked quite well, and I've learned alot! What I reckon has happened (with my new found knowledge) is:

The rear height corrector seized (several previous owners have said it needed looking at)
The dogleg popped off as it does, hence the odd rear end

So, I had a look. (and made mistake number 1), I removed the bolt holding the height control rod, and removed the rod and bracket.
Everything was seized, but with half a can of brake cleaner, some wd40, the remains of my plusgas (I'm glad that's run out, I dropped it ages ago and liquid shoots out of the nozzle at an angle as well as straight ahead) and some spray grease, got it moving well again. I put the rod back (magnifying mistake number 1 by not checking it's position), got it down from the ramps and checked...still no good

So, back up again, and I thought I would have a look at the height corrector itself (was 10am by this point). I bought a set of cheap flare spanners from ebay, and in true chocolate tradition the first union I tried rounded off slightly.



Some swear words were uttered, and the first rolly smoked... I then decided to leave that the hell alone (can anyone link me to a GOOD spanner for the very stiff and corroded unions?)

I put the dogleg back on...

Someone on facebook then explained to me the importance of the position of the height control rod and it's bracket, so I had another look at it. With the car on, and in normal mode on the lever, I manipulated it up and down until it was ok, then tightened the bolt and went for a quick test drive. Aha! Tools away, quick shower and a fair few citrobatics confirmed that she now rose and fell, and went back to the normal height position. The rear end seems too low now though, as confirmed by me spending the last half an hour reading about the 1 finger rule...



But she drove to work ok, a little bit juddery from the rear end on occasion, although a fair bit more floaty, the rear end sinks and rises now when I get in it...

So, I guess I need to fine tune the height. Someone else on Faceache suggested that I slacken the height adjuster rod off again, then settle the bracket in the middle of the 2 springs, maybe even measure the extreme ends of movement and position it in the middle), then tighten it up based on that. I have not touched the ARB clamp, so won't look at that yet. If properly positioning the height adjuster rod (I vaguely lined it up with the old dirt line) doesn't work, I'll rotate the ARB clamp ever so slightly and see if that makes a difference

Am I likely to break her driving to work and back for the next 2 days? (45 mile round trip) with the back end slightly too low?

Either way, a nice throw into the deep end of rear height adjustment! I really want to get the HC out and stripped down as per CitroJim's guide, but need a better union spanner first (and some more brake cleaner now), and I learned how minute the adjustment is. Laying under the car (below the line of the ramps, just (if I breathed in), barely 4mm of movement sent it up and down.

I forsee a fair bit of on and off the ramps at the weekend as I adjust, off the ramp, citrobatics, let it settle, finger test, back on the ramps, adjust, off the ramps etc, best get some more diesel!

There is also a very small water leak from the engine, it drips down and off the sump, although I can't see where it's coming from (only briefly looked tbh). Will just top it up if need be for now, will look at that another day!

[chinkostu]

best bet is to get it back on ramps, undo the rod again and push/lift the car until the heights about right, then tighten the rod. seeing as you haven't touched the arb clamp its likely the corrector can't open fully as the manual override is stopping it!

[beko1987]

Thats my thinking Stu, its got to be the rod as that's all I touched!

Although 16 miles home, the rear was sitting perfectly. It had sunk a bit over the 5 hours I was at work, but came up ok.

Ive left it in high tonight to see if it's sinking, not ruling out dead spheres, but could do without them tbh, I don't mind the height corrector as all that takes up is my time!

[xantia_v6]

You don't need to worry about spheres (for the symptoms described), they can't cause height errors, and they cant cause sinking, only harsh ride and loss of braking pressure reservoir.