Pauls HDI Xantia Exclusive.

[citroenxm]

The dreaded MOT loomed on the Xantia Exclusive due 5th December....

So after adressing a bottom ball joint on the nearside I thought ok.. lets go for it!

So went in today, at 228,000 miles and sat patiently waiting while watching the MOT man go around...

The result, a PASS.... Yaay... Only one dust cap on a drop link, a rear brake pipe slightly corroded, but I got the feeling its the pipe Clip that holds it on a curve to the rear subframe, just before the curly windings... and the other two were simply under trays odscuring components, and engine cover obscuring engine...

The brakes impressed me the most, front axle Left wheel drag was 20 and right was 23 the front brake force was left 285 and right 306 making a 11% imbalace which I consider low... the hand brake actually gave opposite readings, left was 305 and right was 292 claiming a 7% imbalance.. the rears had equal wheel drag, and a left of 154 and right of 149 making 15% imbalance...

Emissions were even better, Zero Drift Max 0.10 actual 0.01 Mean Value Max 3.00 acutal 0.22 and FPT Mean Max 1.50 actual 0.22

So all in all, for a car that does about 27k a year and has the oil changes when told to (shes over due) Im rather pleased with all that!

Another year - well, untill an XM arrives to take over!

[CitroJim]

Well done Paul, that's always a lovely result to get a pass like that... I know what a nail-biting time it is...

Watch that brake pipe though - it was on the clamp just before the coils where Chris570's went on his XM... Might not be a bad idea to do a pre-emptive strike on it...

Roll on the day you're back in an XM - I'm sure it won't be long...

[Northern_Mike]

The dreaded MOT loomed on the Xantia Exclusive due 5th December....

So after adressing a bottom ball joint on the nearside I thought ok.. lets go for it!

So went in today, at 228,000 miles and sat patiently waiting while watching the MOT man go around...

The result, a PASS.... Yaay... Only one dust cap on a drop link, a rear brake pipe slightly corroded, but I got the feeling its the pipe Clip that holds it on a curve to the rear subframe, just before the curly windings... and the other two were simply under trays odscuring components, and engine cover obscuring engine...

The brakes impressed me the most, front axle Left wheel drag was 20 and right was 23 the front brake force was left 285 and right 306 making a 11% imbalace which I consider low... the hand brake actually gave opposite readings, left was 305 and right was 292 claiming a 7% imbalance.. the rears had equal wheel drag, and a left of 154 and right of 149 making 15% imbalance...

Emissions were even better, Zero Drift Max 0.10 actual 0.01 Mean Value Max 3.00 acutal 0.22 and FPT Mean Max 1.50 actual 0.22

So all in all, for a car that does about 27k a year and has the oil changes when told to (shes over due) Im rather pleased with all that!

Another year - well, untill an XM arrives to take over!

Well done Paul. I'd get that brake pipe sorted though...


As for oil changes? Well, pah... A good friend of mine has a Mondeo TDCi on an 03 plate. It's not had an oil change since 2007 when it was on 123,000 miles.

Still going strong today apart from a rattly DMF at a somewhat incredible 275,000. Of course, he tops the oil up now and again, but that's all. He'd got bored of it by 2007 - bought it with only 5000 on the clock, decided to run it for a bit longer while he decided on a replacement. It never broke, and 5 years on the engine is as good as ever.

For some reason, he's just bought an Alfa to replace it with. He likes unreliable tat. He has 5 or 6 Lotus Esprits..

[DHallworth]

That's good news mate!

Fingers crossed you can solve that cutting out issue and you're sorted!

David.

[citroenxm]

I thought Id add this here on a fuller note...

The car had been suffereing from a cutting out issue for some time. Any more then 3k and full throttle STOP DEAD... middle of te road, passing someone what ever.... it would just stop. So I had been resorting to light driving... slow acceleration, light throttles, with this no cutting out..

Any way, I aquired a replacment pump.. and fitted it last Monday... The car has transformed! NO Cutting out, slight better performance.. more confidance in the car now.. The NEXT issue I had was a Siezed or Siezing UJ joint!

The UJ so I thought had been bad for a while, in fact felt like I had NO PAS... so was sighting myself for a UJ swap...

However, I needed to fit two front legal tyres, so I decided to rob two Alloys off the V6 and fit them to the front of the HDi... So, I did one side at a time, then put the car back on top setting, removed the axle stand put the car back on Ride Normal cleared up and set off home... Hang on.. Wheres that Siezed UJ joint gone???? Amazingly, the steering has decided to work PERFECTLY!!! Self healing UJ.

On Thursday when I did the swap I thought it was just a one off.. however, it has performed faultlessly went to Liverpool yesterday and back... all OK..

So thats two jobs done one to go.. Front disks to cure a horrid steering judder under brakeing!!

But thats all Ive done on THIS car so far... Also need to think about spheres, shes getting a bit hard.. Ive fitted a front centre, so must be the two corner ones..

[CitroJim]

Excellent news on the pump and UJ Paul

Is the hydractive working properly? That may be why she feels a bit hard...

[Citroenmad]

That is excellent news that you have found the cause of the cutting out problem. I bet thathas restored your faith in the car now.

Also, well done with the MOT pass

[citroenxm]

Well, other then this motor that just KEEEEPS going with no further issues.. there has been little to no issues since I swapped the pump..

By little issues, the steering UJ started siezing up and went lumpy.. I confirmed this by spraying WD40 on it which helped loosen it up.. untill it dried out and went lumpy.. Anyway, the upshot, in my lasy way with my own car (is there a Z in lasy? Opps i think there is) I did NOTHING in attempting to swap the lower UJ, and only got as far as finding another, in which in the shed I found two both in good order. In the mean time I carried on useing the car and just delt with the lumpy stiff steering. I then found If I drove through water it freed up...

Anyway. I carried on regardless, then all of a sudden the steering completely freeded up, and has been light as ever before!! No more issues.

else where on here I think there has been topics of warped front disks.. Which was prooven a Myth and disks dont warp, where its more implant of dust or what ever.
Anyway, the Xantia was juddering badly when braking... Yet AGAIN in my own lazyness, I lef them.. However, over time and with VERY heavy braking from 75 mph I am now again finding the brakeing is somewhat becoming smoother again..

A miracisaly self fixing car.

Prehaps if we all sat through and lived with a Siezed UJ or juddery disks, they would all fix them selfs...

IM NOT SUGESTING ANY ONE DOES ANYWAY....

[CitroJim]

That's a bloody good old Xantia you have there Paul

[bxzx16v]

Paul I was in Barnsley yesterday at my mates house and the two Renault 25's are still there sat on someones drive , a ph2 an from what I could see a ph1 , do you want me to find out any info about them ?

Mark

[citroenxm]

Hi mark.. yes thought you were going to.. the plan is to still pick one up when i sell the xm sd.. but a phase two. Not a phase one

[bxzx16v]

Sorry about the delay , I will enquire next time I'm over which could be 2/3 weeks , the ph2 looks to be a 2 ltr petrol at a glance , they've certainly not moved for a while by the looks of things .

Mark

[citroenxm]

The ph2 will be a two litre but with a 12v head.. and depending on which trim txi or txe will be 140bhp for the txi or 125bhp for the txe.. yes the txi is a higher spec even though txe is also an I ...

[citroenxm]

Well... this blog is quiet... thats because nothing happens!

This last weekend we went up to Yorkshire again... in total around 600 miles in a weekend, taking the Xantia now up to 257,010 miles..

However, on the trip home I found that there was a lack of throttle response when I put my foot down, on further examination I also noticed pluumes of black smoke at the same time, and lack of power.

So I pulled over to have a look around. I also could hear leaking air.

Anyway, while revving the engine, I noticed a blast of air on my hand on the throttle, and upon removing the intercooler to inlet manifold pipe I found a small split, about 20mm long on the UNDERSIDE of the inlet rubber pipe.

I had a go at taping the pipe up with pleanty of insulation tape - I was near Malton on our way home.. tried it. it was better, but I was still getting excess smoke.

We pulled up at cheshire oaks (went from malton to cheshire oaks before my next stop) went for late lunch. I decided I KNOW its no good now, Ill cut it down.

The pipe diamiter is slightly smaller after the connection, however, after a bit of a warm engine has softened the pipe it fits on perfectly with a very nice tight snug fit..









The blue tape is the remains of the "Attempted Seal" I tried...

Heres how small the split was...





So, so far thats all to report.. I know for mot at the end of the year I have a nearside wheel bearing to do, rear anti sink valve still leaking, Ive still not changed it.. and there was a mention of a rusty pipe at the back..

Im likely to be in her this weekend...

[Citroenmad]

Your Xantia is certainly a good one Paul, a real workhorse. Will catch up with you this weekend no doubt