Yet another advice needed = XM steering

DomF9 · Post by **DomF9** » 23 Oct 2004, 20:33

This old XM I bought. Lower steering universal flexi joint, ie uj on footwell floor. Can't find it in GSF online store. Anyone know where to get one, or the part number, ideally NOT from Citroen as expensive?

NiSk · Post by **NiSk** » 23 Oct 2004, 20:48

I've never heard of them giving any trouble, even on very high milage cars - so you should be able to pick up one from a breakers.
By the way - do you know if the car is fitted with DIRAVI steering (does it automatically return to center, even when the car is standing still)?
//NiSk

nick · Post by **nick** » 23 Oct 2004, 21:03

I had one of these joints 'fail' on a BX, or rather the MOT tester failed it because it was "obviously badly perished" and said he couldn't replace it because it was "a specialist job mate". I just took the car somewhere else and they passed it, no mention of the flexi joint!
In fact every MOT tester the car was taken to over the next 10 years made no mention of the flexi joint, and the car still had the original flexi joint on when it was scrapped at 19 years old last year!
Having said that, I have seen another BX where the joint really <b>was </b> perished, and was causing play in the steering.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 23 Oct 2004, 21:10

Was DIRAVI steering ever fitted to RHD cars?
jeremy

NiSk · Post by **NiSk** » 23 Oct 2004, 21:53

Oops - you've got me there, I assumed as many of the early V6s i Sweden had Diravi, that the same applied to the UK.
//NiSk

DomF9 · Post by **DomF9** » 23 Oct 2004, 23:06

OK peeps, this is how it is =
When you turn the steering wheel, there are areas where there is huge resistance, resulting in not nice travelling experience, ie corners.
The UJ on the floor is obviously out of alignment with the bottom of the steering column, or the column out of alignment with the UJ. No roughness on the wheel itself so doesn't feel like the inner doughnut gone. Can't find any mention of the UJ on the floor on GSF's store.
Can't think why any of it would be out of alignment. It is almost as if the column is warped and the lower end is therefore trying to describe a circular motion but being limited by the UJ's position.
Could use some help on this. Know I've got to replace something, just dunno what. Altho it's an MoT failure, I couldn't live with it like this for long. Got to accept I have to drive the old ZX for a few weeks more.... Not much chance of getting any XM spares from here (South East) - biggest breakers in s/e, Bridgers, haven't had any XMs for months.
Note, it seems to be the 2.0-litre singlepoint injection.
Nisk, didn't get a manual or handbook with it, but looked in boot and can't find any form of access to the back of the fuel filler, other than a small 2-inch circular plastic blanking cover, but it's too far forward to give access to the solenoid. It just about would give access to the front end of the filler area, if I could get it off!
Also, the steering doesn't self-centre.

nick · Post by **nick** » 23 Oct 2004, 23:31

From your description of the column almost trying to make a circular motion, perhaps one of the bushes inside the column itself has slipped out of position or is badly worn, allowing the bottom end of the column to move about?

DomF9 · Post by **DomF9** » 24 Oct 2004, 00:01

The only other place is from the engine side of that floor uj, to what it joins onto, ie the rack?

crooser · Post by **crooser** » 24 Oct 2004, 00:57

domf9,where are you in the south east?anywhere near dover?

DomF9 · Post by **DomF9** » 24 Oct 2004, 02:28

Gatwick area

DomF9 · Post by **DomF9** » 24 Oct 2004, 02:30

Can get to dover easy. Why you ask??