Ever wondered whats behind the upper rot???

[citroenxm]

......... on the Xantias... behind the back door..

Well now you can, I went to see my old V6 last week, and opend the back door. This is on the drivers side..

Anyway, I was greated with



Rather scarey. But not a massive issue, Ill try and cut that profile out of one of the Xantias that need to go...

[Citroenmad]

That looks like a good one Paul, the Xantias body failing area.

How do we stop this? Must be a water/dirt trap?

[citroenxm]

Not sure really... BUT, how come its some cars and not others. This one is a 1997 P reg (First UK V6) however, Ive an L reg 1994 which is just about perfect.

But the same with S2 cars. My V reg exclusive is perfect so far, yet a customers T reg (BOTH same year) is just about as bad as this V6..

Heres a thought thats just hit me. Both the V6 and the S2 SX HDi that are bad are NON sunroof cars. The L reg and my exclusive both have GOT sunroofs!

Ill have to re-check the Green SX HDi Ive got in to strip next, no sunroof and see what they are like.

[Citroenmad]

Im not sure how there could be a connection between sunroof cars and non sunroof cars in that area. It must be through water getting into the sill area from the rear wheel arches.

Mine is a 97 build car without a sunroof and is going slightly in that area.

[citroenxm]

There you go Chris... you just said it.. yours is a non sunroof car and going in that area...

[Citroenmad]

Seems odd

[DickieG]

Im not sure how there could be a connection between sunroof cars and non sunroof cars in that area. It must be through water getting into the sill area from the rear wheel arches.

I think you've hit the nail on the head there Chris, any damage to the plastic bung in the front of the rear wheel arch will let gallons of water into the sill each trip and if the sill drains are blocked = perfect conditions for rust.

[citroenxm]

Look again.. Its NOT the inside of the cill here.. Its the outer side in which the rear arch is welded over... So its not water in the cill.... Its too high up to be Cill problem..

[DickieG]

Look again.. Its NOT the inside of the Sill here.. Its the outer side in which the rear arch is welded over... So its not water in the Sill.... Its too high up to be Sill problem..

I have and the location is pretty much directly ahead of the wheel arch bung.

BTW whoever has been living in there was making a break for freedom by the look of it.

[Citroenmad]

Does that cavity go up to the roof pillar? It doesn't look like it goes down to the sill?

Could still be water sitting behind the panel but from a roof drain?

Richard, that was my first conclusion, though mine doesn't seem to have a bung on the NS rear sill.

[citroenxm]

Gutter drains are external. Remember, these things rot inside outwards hence not seeing it untill its at the outer side, or too far like this girl!

Its apparently NOT mot though, as its not massivly structual. The T reg HDi Xantia I mentioned above is bad, though not this bad, but its MOT last week had no mention of this area rust on it.

[DickieG]

I wouldn't be so sure about it not being considered as an MOT fail as the rear seat belt lower mounting is very close by.

[citroenxm]

I agree Richard, but nothing was said as its outer skin more then the inner strengthend layer that the mount is bolted too.

Which ever way, it needs re building. Ill be getting the said V6 back summer time so I shall cut these sections out of a TD thats to go, and prehaps any other ones that look good before they go..

[Xaccers]

It's the same as estates, down to poor welding along that seam.
Check which factories the cars were built in as some could be worse than others.
I need to strip back and rebuild Cassy's, but perhaps after I've treated the rust hole in Juliet...

[Norlander]

Look again.. Its NOT the inside of the Sill here.. Its the outer side in which the rear arch is welded over... So its not water in the Sill.... Its too high up to be Sill problem..

Could it be a gap in / failure of seam sealant at the front top of the wheel-arch, as can happen with the ZX ... allowing water off the wheel to be sprayed in to where the thicker steel of the inner panel forming part of the wheel-arch, and the outer rear-quarter bodyshell, converge and run close up against each other (on ZX, with a thin layer of sealant or sound deadener between them for the final few inches, which then itself gets saturated as the water seeps its way down)?