Test driving an SX Xantia

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 30 Dec 2009, 19:00

Oh that one, looks nice. So has the seller, Savoy garage, sourced a new ram now? Oh, you mean a ram is £700 from citroen? and the car is around £1295 on their website?

Thats not bad at all, im 22 and it costs me £750 to insure my C5. Ive had some activa quites and its hardly any more expensive to insure.

Will be interested as to how you get on, Activas are great cars. I only drove ours once but it was really something else, just brilliant.

Unread post by **myglaren** » 30 Dec 2009, 19:09

How about this one Dommo?

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 30 Dec 2009, 19:10

Thought I recognised it

Been about before on eBay very recently.

It's being offered by a dealer...

I like the bit that he has a new ram coming but will sell it separately after the auction closes

Try making him an offer Dommo.... Two days to run and no bids, you never know... It's a lovely colour: Mauritius Blue, a pearlescent metallic.

Now, in answer to your earlier question. The pot on on the throttle spindle of the VP20 AS3 is the "load" pot. It tells teh ECU the approximate load the engine is subject to by calculating throttle position vs. engine speed. It uses the information to set the timing appropriately for the given load.

The ECU contains a number of maps, just as a petrol injection ECU does, and it it uses sensor information to determine which map to use at any given time.

Unread post by **Dommo** » 30 Dec 2009, 19:31

Do we know how much he wants roughly for that activa? What would a sensible offer be?

He says he's taking delivery of the ram after the auction ends which explains the after the auction bit. He's offered it me for 700 quid with the new ram.

That bosch pump sounds relatively clever then compared to the one I have!

Sorry about the short replies as I'm on my phone!

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 30 Dec 2009, 20:08

A lot of these Xantia's come with *KV number plates, my two previous xantias had R706 PKV, and the other was R606 PKV, and this blue activa is a EKV.

I understand the R123 *KV ones are good examples (mine were lovely, a 2.1td exclusive and a V6, both mk2), they were registered in slough, where citroen headquarters were, so may have been used as business cars by citroen themselves.

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 30 Dec 2009, 20:26

Well on the Savoy website they have it advertised for £1295, so at £700 incl the ram thats a bit of a bargain maybe. Doesnt seem like a lot of money does it, nice S2 in a good colour. No tax or test though, how would you ge it home?

Unread post by **Dommo** » 30 Dec 2009, 20:38

Citroenmad wrote:Well on the Savoy website they have it advertised for £1295, so at £700 incl the ram thats a bit of a bargain maybe. Doesnt seem like a lot of money does it, nice S2 in a good colour. No tax or test though, how would you ge it home?

yeah I saw it for 1300 on their site. Seems cheap to me but I'm hoping it doesn't turn into a money pit ( which it inevitably will

) it's got tax til the end of jan apparently. And he's got trade plates so said he'd drive it to mine as long as I give him a lift home again. He says it drives and gets to pressure as it only leaks a little bit

think I should go for it?

XantiaMan · Unread post by **XantiaMan** » 30 Dec 2009, 20:41

deian wrote:A lot of these Xantia's come with *KV number plates, my two previous xantias had R706 PKV, and the other was R606 PKV, and this blue activa is a EKV.

I understand the R123 *KV ones are good examples (mine were lovely, a 2.1td exclusive and a V6, both mk2), they were registered in slough, where citroen headquarters were, so may have been used as business cars by citroen themselves.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2 ... 7443093050

As seen on my 'Citroen Xantia Activa' fan page on Facebook. For non-social networkers =

[/img]

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 30 Dec 2009, 20:47

Well if you can live with its running cost, MPG, insurance, maintenence then yes i would, id like one but cant afford to run a 2.0TCT every day as i do a few miles.

Have you looked in here: http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... hp?t=25117 for tips about what to look for.

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 30 Dec 2009, 20:48

Dommo wrote: He says the rear electrovalve cover is leaking too but he has one used off an XM for £25 (do these fit??).

It depends what one he's talking about as there are two of them, one is a standard Hydractive valve, the other is the Activa Hydractive balancing block which works in reverse so is not compatible with standard ones.

Unread post by **Dommo** » 30 Dec 2009, 21:05

I had looked at that guide yeah thanks citroenmad. I'll be printing it off and doing the checks tomorrow.

DickieG wrote:
Dommo wrote: He says the rear electrovalve cover is leaking too but he has one used off an XM for £25 (do these fit??).
It depends what one he's talking about as there are two of them, one is a standard Hydractive valve, the other is the Activa Hydractive balancing block which works in reverse so is not compatible with standard ones.

he did mention 'the one that stiffens up when you corner hard' but that could be eiher of them! Do the xm ones fit the hydractive valve ?

Cheers
oh and I think 300 miles a week will kill me on fuel too, doh!

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 30 Dec 2009, 21:10

XantiaMan583 wrote:
deian wrote:A lot of these Xantia's come with *KV number plates, my two previous xantias had R706 PKV, and the other was R606 PKV, and this blue activa is a EKV.

I understand the R123 *KV ones are good examples (mine were lovely, a 2.1td exclusive and a V6, both mk2), they were registered in slough, where citroen headquarters were, so may have been used as business cars by citroen themselves.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2 ... 7443093050

As seen on my 'Citroen Xantia Activa' fan page on Facebook. For non-social networkers =

[/img]

Went to the link, and then to the album, the red mk1 one is lush, my V6 was that colour, but it wasn't mk1 and it didn't have the spoiler, the wheels on these activa's look great

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 30 Dec 2009, 21:17

The red one is Jim, so very nice 8)

300 miles a week in an Activa might get costly

I do a similar mileage and wouldnt want one for daily use. Though actually im not sure it would be that costly would it, hmm.

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 30 Dec 2009, 21:25

I notch up mileages in excess of 350 most weeks, in a 2 litre 16V estate. Much of it's urban driving, with aircon running. I also load the electricals with headlights (always) and radio, and have roof bars on to increase the drag.

Yes, you do think about fuel bills - but it's not the defining aspect of ownership; tyres get a hiding, full synth oil costs a decent amount (5000 mile changes for me) and general age/mileage related items are undeniable imposts.

To view a car like the Xantia substantially in terms of fuel economy, is missing the point IMO. If that's the deal breaker then you really can't afford to run one.

Unread post by **citroenxm** » 30 Dec 2009, 21:29

Ah but whats the PPL for Petrol is OZ???

Here in the UK, its currently at 1 POUND 10 PENCE a litre, then from tomorrow out VAT goes up so OF COURSE fuel WILL go up another 2p, then oh hang on, what did I read, the price of crude is going up, so by the end of 2010 I think our fuel will be up to 1 POUND 25 PENCE a Litre...

So an Activa at 23 mpg and over 250 miles a week doesn't work in our country unless your a Lawyer or on over paid bollocktishion...

Paul