New Xantia Owner with Questions

[hilldweller]

Hello Experts!

We've just purchased a 1998 td Xantia, and are very pleased with it (my last car was a 309 which ran until it just didn't any more)

I have a couple of questions about some things I've noticed just to prepare myself in case they will incur a lot of money and hassle to get them fixed. I hope some of you can find the time to help out a little.


* Every now and again there is a noise coming from the engine/wheel on the passenger side which sort of goes ch---ch---ch--- and the interval between the noises speeds up slows down depending on the revs.


* When moving off there's a bit of a groan. Like a vibration noise coming from the engine.


* When the engine is warmed up and has been running a while there's an occasional ticking noise when idling.


* Above the rearview mirror in the car's ceiling, is a little removable panel with something sticking out of it. I've taken the panel off and there's a little bit of circuitry. The bit that sticks out into the car's cabin is broken and looks like an assortment of transistors with a cover missing. What is this? And if I need it is it expensive to replace?


* The cam belt was replaced in 2003 (at 65,000 miles), the car has now done 111,000 miles. I would like to replace this anyway, but am curious whether I need to do it as priority (what with Christmas coming up and all that!). I've been told by a garage that 5 years is advised as a maximum but would appreciate some independant advice.


And that's about it I think. Sorry if it's a long list. The car is very cool for lugging us and our nippers about in, just want to make sure it won't leave us stranded on the continent if I can avoid it!

Thanks for any help

John

[CitroJim]

Hi John and a very warm welcome

I reckon all of the first set of noises can all be laid at the door of the auxillary belt and it's tensioner. I'll hazard the spring-lioaded tensioner has failed (a common enough problem) and the belt is running loose and flapping around a bit. It could just be adjustment. Check it carefully and also check the crank pulley is healthy. It's a dual-mass harmonic damper with a rubber annulus between the masses, If this starts to break up it can lead to serious isses. Also check the crank pulley is on tightly as well.

Carry out the adjustment procedure as in the Haynes Manual (BoL) but follow the instruction for the 2.1TD (don't ask!) as the procedure for the 1.9TD in the BoL is only applicable to very early models. If you cannot achieve adjustment, check the spring tensioner is good. If not, replace it post-haste. You can see if it is duff often by eyeballing it. If it looks out of square and the belt is running a groove or so out on the HP pump pulley, it's a sure sign. the needle rollers fail in it. Easy to replace.

The occasional tick is nothing to worry about. It's just the Hydraulic pressure regulator cutting in and out. It should happen in excess of 30s intervals. Any less means your Accumulator Sphere is due for replacement.

The box of tricks in the roof is the Infra-Red receiver for the Central Locking and Alarm. It works in conjunction with the key "Plip". It sounds well dead.

A scrapyard will provide a replacement and your existing "Plips" should be able to be reprogrammed to it.


Keep any questions coming John and again, welcome to our world!

[hilldweller]

Jim, thank you for the warm welcome and swift reply!

You may have noticed that I'm not very car-techie, but your advice has been very reassuring in that I now have an idea what the problems are when I take the car in for a look over at a garage.

What would you recommend for my cambelt? It's been 5 years and 50k since the last one!

John

[CitroJim]

What would you recommend for my cambelt? It's been 5 years and 50k since the last one!

Personally, I'd get it changed as soon as possible John. That's getting on for the top of the safe change interval and over-due on a time basis.

Having the cambelt done is the ideal opportunity to give the auxillary belt arrangemenst a good look at.

When you have the cambelt done, get the cambelt tensioners and water pump changed at the same time. Water pumps have a nsty habit of failing a couple of weeks after the cambelt is replaced if they're not changed at the same time. A perfect opportunity to replace the coolant as well! Sounds a lot of work but it'll give great peace of mind and it'll not need doing again any time soon

Do get the auxillary belt looked at soonish as if it does shred or come off the pulleys it can chew it's way through the cambelt covers and wreck the cambelt as well. That effectively wrecks the cylinder head unless you are very lucky; the same applies if the elderly cambelt lets go.

[hilldweller]

Ok, I'll pop down the local Citroen specialist next week & see about getting the belts and spheres sorted. The car has a FSH but many of the more recent services weren't done at a Citroen garage and there's no mention of the spheres being replaced (which I've read somewhere need to be done every 50k miles or so).

As you say, if we can get all these little worries sorted over the next couple of months it'll make the motoring more pleasurable. Thanks again Jim.

[red_dwarfers]

Hi John, welcome to the FCF!

Jims answered it all really, though it does remind me that I need to look at my dual mass crank pulley as I have a funny feeling that it may be starting to crack up...

[Xaccers]

If the suspension spheres are low on gas or even flat, they'll feel a lot bouncier.
With the car idling, you should be able to bounce the front with ease.
Also stand at the front of the car and listen out for a ticking noise from the sphere at the front of the engine.
That's the accumulator sphere (accumulates pressure which is handy as it lets to brake properly should your aux belt snap when you're driving!).
If it's less than 30seconds between ticks, then it needs replacing, in which case the anti-sink sphere (like an accumulator but at the rear of the car) is also likely to need replacing.
Some garages "forget" to change them.
Also check the colour of the LHM in the resevoir, it should be a nice green colour. Check in the service book to see if it's ever been changed.
It's another thing that some garages "forget" to do.
If it needs changing, first replace it with hydroflush (aka hydrorincage) which you run on for 500-1000 miles and it cleans any gunk out of the system, then replace that with new LHM.

They're all things a DIY mechanic can do themselves over a weekend, which other than saving you money, also makes you familiar with the car and lets you know exactly what has and hasn't been done.

[hilldweller]

Ok I popped to the garage this morning and was told it'd be about £45 to replace the accumulator and £120 for the aux tensioner and spring. Along with £130 for the cam. That sound about right?

Red Dwarfers- thanks for the welcome! But I have no idea what your second sentence means!

Xac- it is less than 30 secs for the tick, more like every 5. I will check the other bits at the weekend, but what's the LHM? Is that what it says on the tank?

[Ross_K]

* Above the rearview mirror in the car's ceiling, is a little removable panel with something sticking out of it. I've taken the panel off and there's a little bit of circuitry. The bit that sticks out into the car's cabin is broken and looks like an assortment of transistors with a cover missing. What is this? And if I need it is it expensive to replace?

I had the same problem - I ended up buying a cheap Chinese RF central locking kit from ebay. It was something like £25 including postage, and has a much better range than the infrared plip.

[Xaccers]

LHM is the beautiful green blood that runs through the hydraulic system powering your steering, brakes and suspension.

If your accumulator is ticking every 5 seconds, then it's time to change it, and as I said, in all likelihood, the anti-sink sphere at the back will need changing too.

Where are you based?

[red_dwarfers]

Red Dwarfers- thanks for the welcome! But I have no idea what your second sentence means!

No worries
The Dual Mass crank pulley is on the end of the crankshaft and turns the sepentine (auxillary) belt. Its dual mass as there is an outside metal bit and an inside bit, a circle of rubber is inbetween the 2 of these, and this can crack after a few years/high milage.

[hilldweller]

I had the same problem - I ended up buying a cheap Chinese RF central locking kit from ebay. It was something like £25 including postage, and has a much better range than the infrared plip.

Yeah the key is in a bit of a state too, truth be told. God only knows what's happened to them to cause the key and central locking orb thing to get smashed up! I'm not classing this as a high priority problem, a couple of spare keys which open the door by putting them into the lock will do me for the time being!

Where are you based?

Belper in Derbyshire. The first Citroen specialist I visited didn't look too hard and just quoted for replacement of everything I mentioned, but I've since spoken to another one (in Ilkeston, Derbys) who has offered to check out the auxilary belt for me while the cam belt and accumulator spheres are being changed. Which seems a bit fairer since it may only be adjustment. I'll mention the anti-sink sphere when I take it in, and will look at the green stuff when my funds are replenished a bit!

Thanks again, chaps!