Hi!
I've just bought a Xantia Activa, from a friend of mine. It's a V reg, in what appears to be in reasonable condition. Even the aircon works! It's had a lot of money- several thousand- spent on it, but there's one item which is poor- there's a smell of coolant in the car. I think that it's the octopus, (I've had BX's, from new....), but I should be pleased to be proved wrong.
A secondhand Xantia Activa
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Stickyfinger
- (Donor 2016)
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- x 1973
Re: A secondhand Xantia Activa
The "octopus" does not carry coolant....it is a set of oil return collector tubes for the suspension systems oil ((LHM...the Green stuff) .
How much Citroen ownership experience (hydraulic cars) do you have ?
Are you planning to work on the car yourself ?
How much Citroen ownership experience (hydraulic cars) do you have ?
Are you planning to work on the car yourself ?
Last edited by Stickyfinger on 12 Nov 2024, 22:24, edited 1 time in total.
Alasdair
Activa, the Moose Dodger
Activa, the Moose Dodger
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myglaren
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Re: A secondhand Xantia Activa
I would investigate the heater matrix first off as this is high on the list of things to fail in the cooling circuit.
Mine did just as we were about to set off for a concert in Birmingham, 400 miles round trip.
Luckily we could take daughters mini.
Just as well it burst before we set off.
Mine did just as we were about to set off for a concert in Birmingham, 400 miles round trip.
Luckily we could take daughters mini.
Just as well it burst before we set off.
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Stickyfinger
- (Donor 2016)
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Re: A secondhand Xantia Activa
Alasdair
Activa, the Moose Dodger
Activa, the Moose Dodger
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LHMfanatic
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Re: A secondhand Xantia Activa
Sticykfinger, mea culpa-I drove back from Bourne (having got the train there) and went to bed, knowing I'd got the thing wrong. My first ever car was a Citroen, a GS, at 18, in Lyon, and I've now had 52 Citroens. I'm 68....and I have a DS, for about twenty years.
Did you get your 3 litre from Shaun Lilley?
Yes, I thought that would be the case, and if it wasn't a Citroen, you'd be surprised. The matrix works, ie it gets hot, (unlike the other one, which gets vaguely warm), but I shall be waiting for a dry day or three before getting into the underside of the dash. I've only just put the instrument panel back in the other one...
Did you get your 3 litre from Shaun Lilley?
Yes, I thought that would be the case, and if it wasn't a Citroen, you'd be surprised. The matrix works, ie it gets hot, (unlike the other one, which gets vaguely warm), but I shall be waiting for a dry day or three before getting into the underside of the dash. I've only just put the instrument panel back in the other one...
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Stickyfinger
- (Donor 2016)
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- Joined: 28 Mar 2013, 21:05
- x 1973
Re: A secondhand Xantia Activa
Hi....
No, not Shaun's converted car.....my one is a LHD I got in France 9-10 odd years ago.
Check under the front carpets....
Are you getting any water loss ?
Do NOT be tempted by any old "Stop-Leak"..... ONLY use Forte Stop-Leak brand if you really feel you need to....this will only be a temp measure as normally it is the O rings that fail. Others block the oil cooler and heater matrix.
Universal thru-bulkhead fittings are obtainable (Citroen ones are NFP) via the ActivaClub.Fr (well worth joining, great chaps).... they also have Facebook pages
No, not Shaun's converted car.....my one is a LHD I got in France 9-10 odd years ago.
Check under the front carpets....
Are you getting any water loss ?
Do NOT be tempted by any old "Stop-Leak"..... ONLY use Forte Stop-Leak brand if you really feel you need to....this will only be a temp measure as normally it is the O rings that fail. Others block the oil cooler and heater matrix.
Universal thru-bulkhead fittings are obtainable (Citroen ones are NFP) via the ActivaClub.Fr (well worth joining, great chaps).... they also have Facebook pages
Alasdair
Activa, the Moose Dodger
Activa, the Moose Dodger
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LHMfanatic
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Re: A secondhand Xantia Activa
Alasdair, you guessed it- there's water under the front carpets. One effing day, and I've got a leak! I've got some Forte, which will have to do pro tem, and I shall join the Activa club in France, as well. I hope that the Forte will work until the weather warms up a little, fortunately it's not my only car!
Tim
Tim
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Stickyfinger
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Re: A secondhand Xantia Activa
Awww booger.... I wish I had not been correct
Alasdair
Activa, the Moose Dodger
Activa, the Moose Dodger
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LHMfanatic
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Re: A secondhand Xantia Activa
Ah yes, but you were right, and now it's get the whole (@?*^! out, which thanks to your input, is much simpler than it needs to be. (or not, as the case may be!)
The selling garage, whom I know well, said that they'd put a product in the matrix, called something else, which would stop it- apparently they do this all the time......I didn't suggest that they have a different version of "all the time" to me.....
The selling garage, whom I know well, said that they'd put a product in the matrix, called something else, which would stop it- apparently they do this all the time......I didn't suggest that they have a different version of "all the time" to me.....
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CitroJim
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Re: A secondhand Xantia Activa
Welcome to Activa ownership! I've had three in the past and done maybe 10 or 12 heater matrixes in them over the years so I feel your pain...
Any cooling system additive to attempt to stop matrix leaks can cause big problems, they can clog the oil cooler and worse, they can 'weld' the matrix bulkhead connector together and make it very difficult to separate. This part of the job needs huge care at the best of times to avoid damage to the connector.
As Alasdair says, only use Forte Stop Leak...
Good luck and any problems, you know where we are
Any cooling system additive to attempt to stop matrix leaks can cause big problems, they can clog the oil cooler and worse, they can 'weld' the matrix bulkhead connector together and make it very difficult to separate. This part of the job needs huge care at the best of times to avoid damage to the connector.
As Alasdair says, only use Forte Stop Leak...
Good luck and any problems, you know where we are
Jim
A bit of a Citroen AX fan...
A bit of a Citroen AX fan...
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LHMfanatic
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Re: A secondhand Xantia Activa
Right!
I've got the Haynes manual, but I'm a little concerned with it- I didn't need to take the steering wheel off (and the airbag!) to reinstate the instrument panel, and so I wonder how much else I won't need to do on a Series 2.
Jim, 10 or 12? On 3 Activas? What???? Does Phil G know about this !!!
I'm about to use Forte, until Spring, the garage isn't big enough for me to get inside it, and it's full of the DS anyway. Then I shall breathe deeply, and get on with it. Hopefully, I'll get both of the Tractions working by then....
I've got the Haynes manual, but I'm a little concerned with it- I didn't need to take the steering wheel off (and the airbag!) to reinstate the instrument panel, and so I wonder how much else I won't need to do on a Series 2.
Jim, 10 or 12? On 3 Activas? What???? Does Phil G know about this !!!
I'm about to use Forte, until Spring, the garage isn't big enough for me to get inside it, and it's full of the DS anyway. Then I shall breathe deeply, and get on with it. Hopefully, I'll get both of the Tractions working by then....