Citroenmads Citroen blog.

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 10 May 2010, 20:47

Yes, I've currently got a manual 1.9TD hatch. XM's look good, not sure I'd like to own/run/maintain one though.

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 10 May 2010, 21:07

Oh, thought you had an estate for some reason. I cant say we have any alarming tales of Xm repairs or costs. Infact they have always been so dependable. Nice to have a simple car, which, compared to a C5, it is.

I had a fantastic day driving the 2.1 yesterday, what a car they are. Even now they amase me at how well they ride, handle and how cosseting they really are. Flick the sports switch and its changed again, handling a C5 could only dream of. Impresses me every time, i never get tired of Xms.

I could buy a lovely Xm for the money ive thrown away at this C5 in the three months ive had it.

(p.s., as you can tell, im very dissapointed with my C5 at the moment. Hopefully it will blow over!

)

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 20 May 2010, 22:49

In my quest to get my C5 near perfect ive been getting jobs done here and there. Though very few are straight forward!

I had two new michelins fitted last week, £266 for the pair, but they were not balanced correctly. My rears which i got at the start of the year have never been perfectly balanced either. So when i took it back to get the new ones rebalanced today i got them to do the backs too. Id had the backs done about 3 times since i got them.

They said all 4 were well out of balance, however there is very little difference, still a slight vibration through the wheel and from the back. The back makes more of a thudding sensation as if a tyre is not totally round. So ill have to go back again, maybe ill try another place, see if they can do any better. There is more weights on one wheel than i have seen before, must be half the weight of a brick on there! Ive no idea why this place cant balance wheels. Each time ive had tyres from ths place, which is the biggest tyre supplier in the North East (no clues there then) ive had to go back various times to them to rebalance them.

Before i go back im going to swap the wheels with the C5 estate and make sure its not my car.

Ive had the occasional error message about an airbag fault. I was going to look at the connectors under the passenger side floor but didnt have time, ill give that a go at the weekend.

One of my front brake discs got rather burnt after nearly catching fire about a month ago when the handbrake got stuck on. I cleaned up the brakes but one is distorted. That was my other job for today, fit new discs and pads on the front. So ive got TSW discs and Mintex brake pads.

I really need to get a tool to wind back the pistons, finding out another way to do it and fiddling around with the handbrake cables took me the best part of the afternoon and evening!

Still, the brakes are smooth again and the handbrake is working as it should. Hopefully it wont cook these discs.

I had a very enjoyable weekend at the CCC Northern event last weekend, very nice to meet some FCF members at last, shame we didnt have the traction there, but its running like a dream at the moment. Hopefully ill be at a few more this year.

Im enjoying my C5 very much at the moment, once i get the wheel wobble sorted it will be much nicer

Unread post by **xantia_v6** » 20 May 2010, 23:06

I have dealt with a couple of places, which despite averagely skilled operators could not balance Xantia center-less wheels properly, because their wheel adapters could not center the wheel accurately enough.
At one place, when the machine said the wheel was balanced, I got them to tke it off the machine, turn it through 180 degrees and put it back on the machine, and the machine now said it needed more weights!

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 21 May 2010, 10:33

Yes, i think this place is a little hopeless for balancing wheels.

Ive just swapped my front wheels with the estates (same wheel size and design) so ill see how it is now. Hopefully the vibration will have gone meaning it is just my wheels.

Unread post by **myglaren** » 21 May 2010, 16:45

Citroenmad wrote:Yes, i think this place is a little hopeless for balancing wheels.

Ive just swapped my front wheels with the estates (same wheel size and design) so ill see how it is now. Hopefully the vibration will have gone meaning it is just my wheels.

That place wouldn't be North Eastern Tyres & Autocare by any chance?

I have had mine done quite painlessly by my local ATS (South Shields).

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 22 May 2010, 09:51

Yes it would Steve, the one down here. I always use it but i usually have problems with wheel balancing.

Dont know if i can be bothered to take it back there again, they will no doubt get them wrong again.

We have an ATS in thw town, might give them a go.

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 22 May 2010, 21:31

Out of all the fast fit tyre style places ive alwys found ATS to be very good at solving wheel related problems

In fact they are the only ones i would ever use...

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 29 May 2010, 16:07

Ive finally got my wheels balanced correctly today, i went back to the same place, who did manage to do it, eventually. Third time lucky on the fronts and fourth for the rears

Also got a pair of tyres for the estate on today, Goodyear Excellence 215.55.16. The ride and noise is much improved, very nice tyre. Not sure how grip is yet but its certainly nicer over bumps. Much cheaper than the michelins i got the other week too, £212 for the pair, £54 less than the michies.

For the first time since ive got my C5, at this present moment its perfect, not a single fault. I hope it stays that way!

Ive been hearing about the possibility of lowering a C5 slightly via a lexia, i wouldnt mind seeing if that is possible as they look a little high in my opinion. I think there was a thread recently about it on here, ill have to dig it out.

A few recent pics of my C5 and our Xm at the recent CCC event:

Still need to try and find a cover for the headlamp washer on the Xm. Other than that, its going very nicely.

Chris.

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 14 Jun 2010, 13:19

Ive had some questions about the sphere regassing equipment we have and Jim asked for some pictures.

Our regassing equipment is very old, though modern ones are obviously quite similar. It looks a little old but it does the job nicely.

First off is our pressure tester, made from a GS cylinder, a bottle jack and a specially made frame to house it. There is a screw in cap on the top to keep any dirt out which is made from the end of a sphere welded to a piece of metal for a grip:

I hunted for ages trying to find a sphere with the regassing nipple on already, i eventually found this old crusty one. Once you have the regassing nipple fitted to the sphere its very easy for furture top ups, no need to even remove the spheres from the car in some cases.

As you can see this sphere has about 44Bar in, i think its a Xantia front sphere, which should be 55Bar.

This is our testing gear, made by H&S:

Together with the gas bottle and stand for ease of use:

I thought id take some pictures of the thing working. I wanted to increase the sphere to the standard 55Bar pressure. If the nipple is fitted then two 19mm spanners are needed to remove the top cap of the nipple. If its not fitted the standard end screw needs to be removed and this fitted. The regas gear screws into the top of the regassing nipple. The end of the regassing gear is nylon and easily damaged, so its best to keep it screwed into a spare nipple when not in use.

Once the sphere is connected up (it obviously doesnt need to be attached to the pressure tester to regas), you can turn on the gas. It should be done so a slow leak of gas enters the sphere. Its very handy if your letting the gas go in slowly that the guage on the regassing gear stops at the pressure which is already in the sphere - which is why, if you know the spheres on your car are reasonable, this can be done on the car without the need to test the pressure on a tester first, but only if you know the spheres are still good, as this will give you an indication of what pressure is still in there anyway - you then let a little ore gas in to get the needle on the gauage to move again.

Needle paused at spheres pressure:

One your at the Bar you want, lock off the gass and release the pressure, on this on with the little brass valve. Dissconnect the gear and replace the cap on the nipple. And there you go, jobs a good'en:

As you can see, i retested the sphere after which is now at the recommended pressure, 57 actually:

(I forgot to tap the gauge on the regassing gear, which usually brings the needle a little higher, explaining for the difference in pressure between the tester and regasser)

If your really into a soft ride you can increase pressure slightly above standard. Say 60 will give a slight improvement. Though do not go mad! 5 more is ample.

Obviously care needs to be taken to ensure only good spheres are regassed and used. Its usually recommended that a minimum pressure of 15-20Bar remains in the sphere before regassing. Spheres with less should not be regassed as there is a danger that the diaphram has been damaged, usually by impacting with the end screw.

Incidentally, we do have a display pack somewhere with spheres which have been cut open and damaged diaphrams to show what could happen. But i can't find that at the moment.

I hope thats slightly informative!

Chris.

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 14 Jun 2010, 14:12

Citroenmad wrote:I hope thats slightly informative!

Yes it is, very! Makes me want to send my spheres to you for testing and re-gassing

But that means being without a car.

davetherave · Unread post by **davetherave** » 14 Jun 2010, 15:15

Excellent pictures and guide chris
That makes me want to get a regassing rig even more, it does seem fairly easy to do.

Another one to add to the wish list anyway.

I like the sphere tester too, seems fairly sturdy!
Dave

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 14 Jun 2010, 23:17

It does really come in very handy, once your set up with the equipment the only cost is the regassing nipples and the gas. We usually check and top up the Xm spheres every 18 months-ish. Really makes it easy to have them riding as they should all of the time. Though saying that neither the Xm estate or traction has spheres which have been regassed. Pressures are all fine at the moment.

The tester is very sturdy, your method of pressure tester is possibly slightly easier, as this one needed a frame to be welded up.

We do still do the occasional sphere regassing for some Citroens we know, though its not often now.

Ive been looking for a Xantia on the net, im thinking i need to put the regassing gear to more use ... but why are they so far away from me. Anyway, if one pops up i like i might just get one for a while, or thats my plan.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 15 Jun 2010, 09:19

Citroenmad wrote: Ive been looking for a Xantia on the net, im thinking i need to put the regassing gear to more use ... but why are they so far away from me. Anyway, if one pops up i like i might just get one for a while, or thats my plan.

Wish you'd have said Chris

You could have taken mine for a spin, just to get a feel of an Activa.

In fact, if you want it, make me an offer

At least you know it and its history. There'd be no surprises with it, unlike some you may buy from the 'bay.

10 spheres would keep the regassing rig in good employment!

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 15 Jun 2010, 14:56

That would have been nice Jim

I was thinking about a diesel one, though an Activa is something ive always wanted, a well sorted one would suit me.

When are you thinking about selling your Silver Activa?