....is about the !!*??**!! idiot who designed the oil filler cap on my 95 1.8i Xantia. It's always been a real pain to remove this thing, because it requires an extra jiggle and lift to release it once I've turned it, but there's nothing you can really get hold of to do it properly.
So there I was last night, just around dusk, in a hurry and topping up the oil. Sure enough, as usual the damn oil filler cap played hard to get - then it suddenly sprang out and disappeared over the top of the engine. And landed, inevitably, on the ground underneath the engine bay.
Much cursing, handbrake off, shifted the car manually (good job I remembered not to start the engine with the cap off). And there it was, completely filled with grit. Half an hour to clean it up. Just what I needed.
Aaaargh! Can anybody give me the address of the fool who designed that thing? I have the monkey wrench ready and waiting.
This morning's little whinge..........
Moderator: RichardW
Mike,
I can't speak for the Xantia oil filler but if it's the same as the BX I must admit, it's a mongrel of a thing to move. In that case, it's a black plastic cap with an "O" ring fitted & a couple of breather hoses connected to it.
Every BX I've ever owned or anyone in my family has, I've serviced the cap first up & with outstanding success.
Firstly remove it from the car and give it a good wash in petrol or degreaser and wipe it dry. Remove the "O" ring & clean out the groove it fits into. Clean inside the cylindrical cup it fits into with a solvent & again, wipe it clean. Spray silicone release spray around the walls of the cup and wipe silicone grease or at a pinch vaseline around the "O" ring before fitting. When fitted, spray silicone release spray over the actual cap including the "O" ring where it fits into the cup. Refit in position & refit brearther hoses.
That has been a permanent solution to all the BXs we have. If your Xantia is similar, I see no reason why that wouldn't also work on that. Could be worth a try...saves the homicidal thoughts towards the designers; they are French after all!![:D] [}:)]
Alan S [;)]
I can't speak for the Xantia oil filler but if it's the same as the BX I must admit, it's a mongrel of a thing to move. In that case, it's a black plastic cap with an "O" ring fitted & a couple of breather hoses connected to it.
Every BX I've ever owned or anyone in my family has, I've serviced the cap first up & with outstanding success.
Firstly remove it from the car and give it a good wash in petrol or degreaser and wipe it dry. Remove the "O" ring & clean out the groove it fits into. Clean inside the cylindrical cup it fits into with a solvent & again, wipe it clean. Spray silicone release spray around the walls of the cup and wipe silicone grease or at a pinch vaseline around the "O" ring before fitting. When fitted, spray silicone release spray over the actual cap including the "O" ring where it fits into the cup. Refit in position & refit brearther hoses.
That has been a permanent solution to all the BXs we have. If your Xantia is similar, I see no reason why that wouldn't also work on that. Could be worth a try...saves the homicidal thoughts towards the designers; they are French after all!![:D] [}:)]
Alan S [;)]
Hi,
May I suggest one other added task to do with the filler cap.
Fix a length of nylon cord of flexible wire to the cap, attach the other end of the cord or wire to some convinient fixed point.
This will help on two counts:
1. If the cap is dropped, it won't end up on the ground.
2. If the cap comes off in motion, the cap is not lost.
I did this after the cap of my BX blew off, covering the material on the fire wall with oil, yuk, cap was never seen again.
Cheers
May I suggest one other added task to do with the filler cap.
Fix a length of nylon cord of flexible wire to the cap, attach the other end of the cord or wire to some convinient fixed point.
This will help on two counts:
1. If the cap is dropped, it won't end up on the ground.
2. If the cap comes off in motion, the cap is not lost.
I did this after the cap of my BX blew off, covering the material on the fire wall with oil, yuk, cap was never seen again.
Cheers