Travels & travails with a C15 (& other vehicles)

[xantia_v6]

Xantias with alloy wheels were supplied with a steel spare which should have spacers welded to the bolt holes so that the alloy bolts fit.

Be aware that Xantia wheel bolts came in different lengths with different tapers and shoulders depending on the style of wheel and production year.

Your C15 probably has a timer relay for intermittent wipe, probably blue.

[Gibbo2286]

Xantias with alloy wheels were supplied with a steel spare which should have spacers welded to the bolt holes so that the alloy bolts fit.

Be aware that Xantia wheel bolts came in different lengths with different tapers and shoulders depending on the style of wheel and production year.

Your C15 probably has a timer relay for intermittent wipe, probably blue.

I thought they were steel until I tried a magnet on one, actually just a basic wheel, alloy painted brown.

[myglaren]

I had to try the magnet trick too, just to confirm.

They may as well just have chucked a standard wheel in there.

[xantia_v6]

Mine is rusty.

[van ordinaire]

So is mine - VERY! (looks like it's spent the last 20 years under a pier - not a car).

That idea so you can use "alloy" bolts on a steel wheel is just weird - what did they think the taper was for? OK, so I don't need some taper bolts - but I really would like another ally (or even 2 - then I can have a pair of winter tires for the front).

Not seen a relay anywhere on the C15 but I suppose even M. 'Aynes should confirm whether there is one. However not sure if the suggestion is that I'm wasting my time trying to find an alternative stalk - OR that it might be the relay that's at fault, in which case I don't understand why applications of contact cleaner to the base of the stalk provides a temporary remedy.

Quick update - just ordered el cheapo back box from Mr Auto ( ) who cares it probably won't last long - with those rear arches, neither might the car

[white exec]

The extra welded-on bushes on the steel spare are there to bring the thinner steel spare up to the same thickness as the alloys. That way the same length bolts can be used on it. XM is the same. Replacing the steel spare with a 5th alloy is straightforward.

[van ordinaire]

Yes, thanks, but I had sort of worked that out - & to provide a flat surface for the underside of the head BUT, I still think it's weird (mind you, I wouldn't mind a job lot to mount winter tyres on - but I'm getting ahead of myself).

It took 3 years to find a 6th wheel for the C15 (@ sensible money) - then, like buses, 3 came along together, never did find a full-size spare for the STS (perhaps not surprisingly) so not wildly optimistic about finding even one for the Xantia.

If that blue relay is the 6 terminal one, it'll have to wait for a "spares or repair" C15 to come up. Why it should be >10 times the price of corresponding item for, say, VW or SAAB is beyond me.

[van ordinaire]

Took the C15 shopping this evening. It was cold enough for the screen wash fluid to freeze on the screen - but it still burst into life (after a week) as soon as the pre-heat light went out. Sadly, it rather puts the Xantia to shame in that respect. Also impressed with how quickly the screen cleared, inside & out - without the benefit of a heater fan!
Had thought about having a grovel under the dash, where the fusebox is, to see if that's where the wiper delay relay was - but it was just too cold & dark!

Got an e-mail today saying the rear box for the Xantia had been dispatched - so unlikely to get it in time for MoT on Saturday AND & I'll miss my free re-test as it's too close to Christmas; still it's only £30 where I go in Paignton &, providing it doesn't need any welding, should be ready for 1st Saturday they're open in the New Year.

V5C also arrived today. 1st thing I noticed was there's no longer a record of the previous owner, presumably that's a data protection thing, the 2nd was that, under "Special notes" it says "Was registered as R413 BXP." - yet the date of 1st registration is given as January 1999, which is patently untrue. I'm tempted to take that up with DVLA, although I suspect it'll be hugely unrewarding.

[van ordinaire]

Xantia surpassed itself this evening, doing a passable impression of the C15 in the starting dept. Not as cold (3°, if the o/s temp. is to be believed) as Thursday evening, but not run since being parked up last Sunday.

Good run down, just wish I could have warm feet! Either I still haven't got the hang of the heater controls OR there's no 'stat.

Opened the porch door & found the TCA (it's certainly NOT what I understand a wishbone to be) I'd ordered. Sooooh,seems like a crack of dawn start (literally) in hope I can fit it before the MoT. Couple of smaller packages too: I pair of the several bulbs I'd ordered from the same place; they're 6w halogen sidelights, ostensibly for the C4, which seems unlikely as they're BA9's (NOT T10's as I thought) - still they'll do for the red Cherokee (which has "chrystal" headlamps) & 2 bonnet stay clips. Couldn't resist trotting out & fitting one, even though it was about 10:30! The other one's for the C15. Turns out they came from "Tomo Citröen" in Uxbridge - anyone know (anything of) them?

[van ordinaire]

Best piece. laid plans & all that . . .

It's raining so nothing's going to get done pre-MoT, not even the No: plate lamp that's gone out - as it's proved impossible to remove in one piece! In the event, I was saved the ignominy of failing on that when I realised it's the lens you flick out of the lamp - not the lamp out of the tailgate; I blame Haynes' poor quality photos!

However, equally embarrassing, was a fail for washers BUT they did work after I topped them up last weekend - & not had cause to use them since On the way back, I tried them, could hear the pump (so it's not that - or the fuse) although nothing from the jets but then the low fluid light came on! Must be a leak, the reservoir is, of course, hidden but (a) are they prone to leaking (b) anyone got one?

Read up on replacing the TCA's & that's so obviously NOT a D-i-Y proposition (at least not in my circumstances). Car's quite nice to drive but something that's going to have to go to a garage for almost everything's not for me. Unless (a) the garage will give me mates' rates or (b) a family member is interested, once it's served its purpose over Christmas, it's going for scrap - the very fate from which I thought I might have saved it.

Seems I was a bit hasty, both in buying the parts I did AND writing off the Xantia as a lost cause.
The tester, who's obviously familiar with tis type of exhaust joint reckons it might be the clamp – or the sealing ring but won't know 'til he gets the clamp off. Why am I even talking to a garage about doing the exhaust? Because the big failing point was a rotten rear sill (hmmmm, not happy, reason I accepted the rusty rear arches,was the huge bill from Chevronics for, i.a., underbody welding in that region). Still he quoted an acceptable figure for the work to get a pass, he'll get the exhaust bits sale or return – AND he can do it next Saturday!

Loads of “advisaries” - but he agrees they can wait 'til the Summer, and they can be the subject of another post.

[van ordinaire]

Had a look at the C15's wiring diagram y'day & wiper delay only a 5-pin relay (aren't they orange - same as the HRW timer?) not the 6-pin blue job that costs 1/2 as much as a cheap C15 (or Xantia for that matter!).

Seized upon the, at times, better weather today to further investigate the washers on the Xantia, having discovered the rear would still work (but is it supposed just to run down the window, rather than spray with any force?) & as there's only a single reservoir it couldn't be a leak (despite the low fluid light coming on). Fixed now - by simple expedient of reconnecting the hose up from pump to the "manifold" under the trailing edge of the bonnet. That just leaves the welding (o/s sill) & exhaust [reconnecting/sealing (possibly new) tailbox] which is being done in return for beer tokens, in prep. for free re-test on Saturday.

Finally replaced (i.e. put back, not changed) the Xantia's dipstick: bonding the handle (for want of a better word) to the blade (ditto) with ye ancient Araldite seems to be good, less sure about the specific "soft plastic" adhesive I used to repair said handle (in 3 places). Only time, & trying to withdraw it, will tell.

Oh well, time to hit the road, the Great Wen beckons - not an altogether unpleasant experience (the drive up NOT the destination!).

Back in London, made good time, especially considering condtions which proved the super sophisticated wipers are best left to their own devices AND, demonstrated the rear wiper seems to have sorted itself out (exercise, relay contacts cleaned by use? who can tell?). I'll clean the glass & if it's still streaky, treat it to a new blade but otherwise its performance is quite acceptable now (although still not convinced about the washer jet).

[van ordinaire]

Everything was right this evening for putting the winter tyres on the C15, at least at the front - except I needed to get to Lidl's before they closed the last check-out. Made do with fitting the new bonnet-stay clip (remember the Xantia didn't have one at all - & I was offended by the cable tie it relied on - so when I found them on-line,quite by chance, I ordered 2). Set off down the road & something clearly wasn't right with the steering: heavy, pulled a bit - yes, of course, a soft OSF tyre. A few mins. with Lidl's finest "mini compressor" & job's done. More out of curiosity than anything, I plugged it into the (Chinese) socket that replaced the cigar lighter after that went bang - & melted one of the internal clips. Only used it for the SatNav a couple of times before, but it worked well enough - although the pump did seem a bit slower than previously, when it's been run off the battery.

[van ordinaire]

Glanced at the C15's OSF wheel as I left the house for work - & that tyre was v. soft. How can that be? Suddenly it's lost as much air overnight as in the previousv week! Thought I ought to change it, rather than leave it flat all over Christmas - but then got back from work later than I hoped, & really didn't want to delay my departure for Devon. It'll just have to wait - & finally get the winter tyres put on.

All this talk about how busy the roads were going to be had almost convinced me to take the scenic route; even that entails a bit of the A20, which turned out to be quieter than usual, so I pressed on, no much traffic & NO reduced speed limits on the M25, 40mph stretch of M3 suspended, A303 was fairly quiet. Thought they'd even got it wrong about the weather - 'til I crossed into Zummerzet. Interesting aerodynamics the xantia estate has, wipers must've been on for 15 mins before anything appeared on the back window!

So, all in all, excellent journey down - but very disappointing to discover, on arrival, new exhaust not arrived (e-t-a was LAST Friday!) - & with no e-mail not a lot I can do.

The (coloured) LED's arrived though. They were s'posed to be a bit of a diversion, assuming I get an MoT (later) in the morning but, just for fun, couldn't resist fitting the blue one in the glovebox light: it's a sort of trade mark thing, ever sonce my S-type Jag. It does provide better illumination, but not sure I don't prefer the "solid" blue of the earlier one.

[myglaren]

You mentioned earlier in your blog that American cars have 'half years' and a couple of days later was reading something that featured a 1967½ Mustang in it.
Forgot all about it until another book I'm reading had Saint Louis du Ha! Ha! in it.

[CitroJim]

You were lucky you had such an easy journey down Van Pleased you did and and do have a truly lovely Christmas