V6 Xantia oh dear it seems to be broken! Help

[Citroenmad]

The v6 Xantia love hath returnath

Excellent news

I was a little worried but I have a feeling that V6 Xantia will outlive most modern cars Its a great car

I really, really do miss the power of it... Couldn't cope with the steering though. I must start the search for an S2 one at some point.. I'm liking the C5 a lot, but it doesn't satisfy my urge to go hilariously fast. I thought that urge had gone, until I got a car that wouldn't go fast..

One of the things I miss about that car is the heavy steering, im not sure why I asumed the heavy steering was a V6 thing but I cant see why it should be. I do know what you mean about the C5 not wanting to go quickly and I had the same problem when I got my first C5. As I've said, the earlier C5s are the most wollowy, the later ones are much better to drive, but still very much a cruiser. In that respect, the Xantias are better.

The only other V6 engined Citroen I have driven is an XM, which felt far too heavy fronted and squealed its tyres on the slightest of bends at normal speeds. Could have been tracking/tyre choice but it wouldn't have suited my driving style should I have bought it.

[Northern_Mike]

One of the things I miss about that car is the heavy steering, im not sure why I asumed the heavy steering was a V6 thing but I cant see why it should be. I do know what you mean about the C5 not wanting to go quickly and I had the same problem when I got my first C5. As I've said, the earlier C5s are the most wollowy, the later ones are much better to drive, but still very much a cruiser. In that respect, the Xantias are better.

The only other V6 engined Citroen I have driven is an XM, which felt far too heavy fronted and squealed its tyres on the slightest of bends at normal speeds. Could have been tracking/tyre choice but it wouldn't have suited my driving style should I have bought it.

I just found the steering too heavy for my shoulders, which is possibly due to my own weird problems! There was a couple of times when I had to turn into our road where I got such pain across my shoulders I had to stop the car which I've never had before or since.

I don't find the C5 as floaty as a non-Hyperactive Xantia, it seems to be almost "just right". Mr. Savoy tells me they ride a whole lot better at the rear end with the sphere holes drilled out slightly. It does go hugely fast, but I do find myself going faster than many others would consider fast quite easily. It's just the V6 would be going so much faster

[Mandrake]

I don't find the steering of my V6 heavy at all, in fact its lighter than the steering on my 2 litre Xantia was... If the steering feels heavy I'd suggest there is something wrong with it...

[Northern_Mike]

I don't find the steering of my V6 heavy at all, in fact its lighter than the steering on my 2 litre Xantia was... If the steering feels heavy I'd suggest there is something wrong with it...

I'm not sure. Some people find it ok and say other S1s are the same, I found it too heavy, and I'm no small weakling.. I can bench press my own lardy 98kg bodyweight and do, quite regularly..

The Berlingo and C5 are fine, as have been all my other Xantias, apart from the S1 TD that had a manky steering UJ..

[Citroenmad]

I just found the steering too heavy for my shoulders, which is possibly due to my own weird problems! There was a couple of times when I had to turn into our road where I got such pain across my shoulders I had to stop the car which I've never had before or since.

I don't find the C5 as floaty as a non-Hyperactive Xantia, it seems to be almost "just right". Mr. Savoy tells me they ride a whole lot better at the rear end with the sphere holes drilled out slightly. It does go hugely fast, but I do find myself going faster than many others would consider fast quite easily. It's just the V6 would be going so much faster

Thats no good at all if it was causing you pain. You'll appreciate the much lighter C5s steering.

I can confirm that. When I got my first C5 it was fitted with comfort spheres (normal spheres with enlarged/drilled damper holes), it was far too underdamped for my liking so I swapped the front ones to normal ones and peened the holes of the rear ones slightly. It still has that set up now and the back does ride very nicely. If I've got the three bikes on the back of the car and 5 people in, its a bit too underdamped still but generally its great. I was worred that when towing the horsebox it wouldnt settle, but far from it.

I also press on while driving and find that all C5s cope well and grip tenaciously, regardless of what the weather is doing.

[Northern_Mike]

I also press on while driving and find that all C5s cope well and grip tenaciously, regardless of what the weather is doing.

Yes, don't they just? I've found that even in the wet, one has to be driving like a complete and utter tool to get the back to come out of line. Even yanking hard on the wheel on a deserted wet roundabout generally doesn't do it! There are easy ways to do it in a Xantia.

[Citroenmad]

Yes, don't they just? I've found that even in the wet, one has to be driving like a complete and utter tool to get the back to come out of line. Even yanking hard on the wheel on a deserted wet roundabout generally doesn't do it! There are easy ways to do it in a Xantia.

Yes, its very hard to get the back to play. My C5 has stability and ESP, which kills any fun. I surprised myself to have it working in the dry the other day, shows I was trying!

Xantias are very easy to corner on the throttle, the Activa is the most controllable that way, the others take a little more persuading.

[dunk]

I've not driven many Xantias, but I'm with Mike the steering on mine is heavy, I quite like it feels attached & secure. Friend of mines old s2 v6 was much lighter, it's the only s1 I've driven so not sure if they are all heavier or quite what. Maybe it's a bit like cx gti turbos all behaving differently, my old one was a monster but I've driven one that was a damp squib by comparison and a couple somewhere in between, or like the difference between Bx 16vs I've had a phase 1 that was an absolute screamer with nicely weighted steering and very well balanced handling & the phase 2 I borrowed that had over light steering, woolly handling, & an engine that lacked sparkle. Citroen never have been good at consistency, think that's why there cars have so much personality! Also it turns in much better with some new matched front rubber

[Citroenmad]

My S1 Activa has much lighter steering than your V6 does, but its not over light. Very much the same as my HDi.

Also it turns in much better with some new matched front rubber

You soon scrubbed through those front Michelins then

[Northern_Mike]

Also it turns in much better with some new matched front rubber

Wow, you munched those Michelins up pretty quickly then!

[Mandrake]

I've not driven many Xantias, but I'm with Mike the steering on mine is heavy, I quite like it feels attached & secure. Friend of mines old s2 v6 was much lighter, it's the only s1 I've driven so not sure if they are all heavier or quite what.

I think there is a difference in the power steering assistance between older and new Xantia's around the S1 to S2 transition, I'm sure I remember reading about it somewhere.

I've driven a 1993 1.9TD (sinker), 1994 2 litre petrol SX and 1997 2 litre petrol VSX, all series one, all had heavier steering than my current 1998 series 2 V6, so I doubt its a case of one car having heavier than usual steering. One of the first things I noticed when I got the V6 was just how much lighter the steering was than any previous Xantia I'd driven.

To be fair the tyres were fairly worn which does tend to make steering lighter, the steering has got a bit heavier now that it has new grippy front tyres, but its still lighter than the series one Xantia's I've driven...

[dunk]

Also it turns in much better with some new matched front rubber

Wow, you munched those Michelins up pretty quickly then!

Could be the 11 roudabouts on the way to work

[CitroJim]

Mike, before you go looking at S2 V6s, come and have a spin in mine just to check you'd be happy in one - but yes, you will find the steering a bit lighter...

[xantia_v6]

Back to the original problem...

Yes this car has had similar problems before, but it was eventually diagnosed and solved.
There were 2 different sets of symptoms caused by a faulty (worn?) selector switch on the transmission (item 1600 on the wiring diagram). The first symptoms (which coincidentally happened in cold damp weather) were that the transmission unlock solenoid did not work, and when driven, the transmission went immediately into limp-home mode (3rd and reverse gears only, and flashing transmission indicator lights). it did this intermittently for a few days, then fixed itself (although I had taken voltage readings to show that the selector switch had leakage between the contacts). Then maybe 6 months later, it started blowing the engine management fuse, about once a week, which was not very nice, as the engine would cut out, and it always seemed to happen when cornering at low speed.

I fitted a second hand selector switch, and neither problem recurred.

I think however that your problem is different, as the transmission unlock solenoid also needs a signal from the brake pedal switch, which may be fed form the same fuse as the tachometer, so I would look there first, or at least check that the brake lights are working (when the fault occurs (and does the transmission go into limp-home mode?).

BTW, I am really pleased that this car has found a caring home, as I still miss it.