CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

Unread post by **myglaren** » 01 Oct 2009, 18:44

I'd completely forgotten about that by this evening Jim. Couldn't log in this morning.

Have a good rest and hope the knots have come out by morning

ACTIVE8 · Unread post by **ACTIVE8** » 03 Oct 2009, 00:15

Xac wrote:
red_dwarfers wrote:

Im waiting for someone to say "Erm...What are you both doing on Thursday?"
Taking Juliet's dashboard out again

Sid_the_Squid wrote:Wow, kudos guys

Wish I could have been there, it looks like a lot of fun*.

Why the sudden hatred of leather seats Xac, related to the electric only movement?

*Is it wrong to be excited about such things
The front of the car is jacked up so it's tilting, you need to work at the front of the cabin, the seats being horrible leather are so slippery you have to fight against gravity all the time as well as fighting the dashboard.
I don't like sliding around inside a car when I'm driving so leather seats are no good for me.

As it's such a long job anyway, I would be tempted to take the seats out, and then sit on something else lower, and wedge shaped to make it more comfortable, and also then the seats can't get dirty or damaged.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 04 Oct 2009, 11:34

Just fit normal seats, it makes life so much easier

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 04 Oct 2009, 13:11

Xac wrote:Just fit normal seats, it makes life so much easier

"As far as I'm concerned, leather seats are normal"

Said a spokesman for the leather appreciation society..

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 04 Oct 2009, 15:23

After our epic heater matrix adventures I'm just about recovered to the extent that I'm nearly ready to talk about them again..

Speaking of epics, I've just heard that a duff EPIC injection pump is soon coming my way. It'll be a winter project to strip it, understand it and hopefully find out how easy they are to repair.. Looking forward to that

Yesterday I went on my now normal twice-monthly run to Somerset and back. This time I went in the Activa. What a lovely drive, I enjoyed every moment of it and reaffirmed (as if I'd ever lost it) my love of Activas. In fact, I did both legs of the journey in record time

I don't think it's because the Activa is intrinsically faster than the V6 but it does inspire a perhaps a more sporting sort of drive. Zero queues anywhere on the A303 helped too...

I did a small job on the V6 this morning, more as a preventative than anything else. Off-times there would be a very short delay in turning the ignition key to start before the starter motor ran, especially first-thing in the morning. This is apparently a well-known problem on the V6 and is caused by the starter solenoid voltage being a tad low due to voltage drops in various parts of the circuit; it can damage the solenoid in the end as it does not cleanly pull in and causes the solenoid contacts to arc and burn.

The answer is to fit a helper relay between the ignition switch and start inhibit relay so the ignition switch only has the job of operating a relay and not handling the full starter solenoid current.

A look at the circuit showed that the cruise control uses the inhibit relay to look for an earth via the starter solenoid to ensure the car is not in P or N when the cruise control is in use so this means the helper relay must go into the circuit before the inhibit relay.

On my V6, being a "poverty spec" without headlamp washers, there was, fortuitously, a spare relay socket next to the start inhibit relay. From this socket I was able to "borrow" and earth and 30A live supply for the new helper relay. I carefully dismantled the bases of both this and the inhibit relay and moved the necessary wires to a new relay base for the helper relay. I needed to cut no wires and make up just one new wire to complete the modification and if I ever need to return to standard, I can without there ever having been any trace of a helper relay ever being fitted

It also looks just as if the helper relay was fitted as standard.

So far, no more starter hesitation. If it saves the cost of a new starter motor (and they're silly expensive for a V6) then it will have been an hour well spent.

Last two jobs on the V6 will be new rear arm bearings and a new exhaust. neither are pressingly urgent but spares are already on hand to do the job. Like Xac, I was delighted with the performance of the local exhaust place we found, especially as my new back box has chrome tailpipes!!!

Back to heater matrixes, Xac took these wonderful photos of the bottoms of our respective heater boxes to show what a duff matrix leaves behind. No wonder they stink and make a wet mess of the carpet. Xac is to be heavily congratulated on getting these rare pictures as it is far from easy to get a camera a light in there at the same time, not to mention the access difficulties!

Firstly, this was my V6, all crystalline and dry as the matrix had been disconnected for a long while... Looks like it's full of sugar!

And this was Xac's Activa. Leaking well and steaming up the windscreen just before we extracted the old matrix...

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 04 Oct 2009, 15:24

I could manage without leather but not the electric adjustment that leather generally comes with, I'd like to try a set of cloth seats with electric adjustment, they are a rare beast.

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 04 Oct 2009, 15:32

Jim just in case you weren't aware the headlight washer relay on S1's is located alongside the cruise control relay just behind the O/S/F wheel in a large box. I replaced the headlight wash relay on your relay,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, once I managed to find it, an obvious place to look, err no!!

The tailpipes on a V6 were chromed from new so presumably the box on yours may be a replacement.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 04 Oct 2009, 17:21

DickieG wrote:I could manage without leather but not the electric adjustment that leather generally comes with, I'd like to try a set of cloth seats with electric adjustment, they are a rare beast.

Juliet has them thankfully

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 04 Oct 2009, 18:04

Xac wrote:
DickieG wrote:I could manage without leather but not the electric adjustment that leather generally comes with, I'd like to try a set of cloth seats with electric adjustment, they are a rare beast.
Juliet has them thankfully

Are we talking about the same seats? I'm not talking of the semi electric ones fitted to S2 Activa's, I mean the ones with full electric adjustment just like Jim's Exclusive, i.e. All these adjustments electric powered; recline, fore and aft movement, lumber airbag's, tilt at the front and rear of the seat base.

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 04 Oct 2009, 21:04

My 2.1TD 406 executive had those in leather...memory function too....it was pretty pimp

I am a fan of leather seats and yours Richard are like sitting on fluffy clouds wrapped in leather

I cant see how cloth / velour would be any better.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 04 Oct 2009, 21:38

vince wrote: are like sitting on fluffy clouds wrapped in leather

Great description Vince. I like!

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 13 Oct 2009, 22:24

At last

A few moments free to update my blog!

It's been great and a godsend having a working heater in my V6 this past week

It works well too, nice warm air after just a few minutes. The only problem is when the temperature dips low the fan in the cabin air temperature sensor squeals for a minute or so. This despite giving it some TLC when the dash was out

Will have to do that again

I also "lost" some previously working instrument panel bulbs too.

On Saturday I went to see Richard (DickieG) to pick up the dead EPIC diesel pump that Mark21td had given me for a spot of forensics and to learn how to strip them. As soon as I have some time (in 2011 at current work rates

) I'll get to it!

Whilst at Richard's I met Paulworr and his very tidy Xantia Exclusive. He'd come for a Lexia session.

Whilst at Richard's, we set about a couple of jobs on my V6 "To Do" list. First up were the rear arm bearings which I was convinced were worn. After dismantling the Offside we found them to be perfect, ditto the other side! Not entirely a waste of time though as I learned how to do them and we made a happy discovery that someone before me had stripped the rear calipers and coppaslipped their mating faces so they came apart beautifully

Rear arm bearings are not a bad job providing the rear suspension cylinder clips come free. The worst part of all is pulling the leakage return pipes off the rear cylinder and reconnecting them

One issue was that having the suspension apart and disturbing the anti-roll bar upset the ride height at the rear. We soon tweaked it.

We then set about replacing my exhaust which was leaking on the cat to mid-section joint. The back box was a bit sad so I'd bought a complete new system. In the event we found the mid-section itself to be in good condition and the cause of the leak was something far worse; the tail of the cat had corroded badly. Here the balljoint ring is actually on a piece of tube that slides onto the end of the cat and forms a double-skinned pipe. The top skin had rusted nearly away but left the bottom skin in
perfect nick.

Strictly a new cat is needed but they're expensive so until the fateful day comes, we have effected a repair in the meantime using exhaust paste and jubilee clips. So far it's gas-tight and holding well. We did determine that even if it gives out, the mid-section cannot drop off as it slides into the bottom (good) tube on the cat tail. We did replace the back-box though even though it was not actually leaking despite looking very rough.

Replacing a V6 exhaust is a definite two-handed job to get it all in good alignment and making sure the cat (which is huge) is nicely tucked up high in the tunnel.

The day was nicely rounded off with a ride in Richard's DS, always a magical occasion, especially in the dark with those "follow me" lights in yellow

Thanks for all Richard, very appreciated!

Sunday morning saw me on the phone to Richard helping him install XP on his new PC. How's it working now Richard?

Sunday afternoon and it was off to Luton to help Xac remove the engine from the LX he is breaking. Gosh did it put up a fight, firstly one of the lower swivel joint threads was damaged and as reported in Xac's blog, the RH driveshaft intermediate bearing had failed and damaged its' housing. We had fun extracting that one!.

Xac also needed to carefully remove the A/C compressor and the only easy way to get at it's top mounting bolts is to remove the alternator, HP pump and the cradle they are mounted on. More time.

Had it not been for these setbacks, the engine would have been out on Sunday evening but time ran out. Still, it is only hanging on it's mounts so another hour will see it out

I've been making more use of my Activa these past few weeks since selling the 2.1TD and mainly for the "Dad's Taxi" work in the evenings. I realy enjoy it after the V6 and then really enjoy the V6 after the Activa. I'm convinced the Activa is better kept in regular use rather than just being used occasionally.

Off to Somerset again on Saturday. Going in the V6 this time. It's had a good shake-down since the last bouts of work and the replacement ignition coil so I'm content it'll do the trip OK.

Life in general continues busy and unlikely to change any time soon. It's impacting on my forum migration project a bit but I soon hope to be in a position to go for the migration in a couple of weeks.

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 13 Oct 2009, 23:06

Seems your two really compliment each other Jim

Is it the tiny little fan which sensors the interior temperature that is making a noise?

The one in the red Xm does too, ive had it out (its in the roof) and cleaned it, sprayed WD40 at it, which after a few goes it did stop the noise. However a few days after it returned, though it seems to be quiet sometimes but sometimes noisey.

It works fine and the cabin is always at the set temperature but when its noisey its annoying. Need to get it sorted, so if you find the cure for yours do please let me know

I wonder if they can still be bought new?

Chris.

John Plum · Unread post by **John Plum** » 14 Oct 2009, 08:40

It's been great and a godsend having a working heater in my V6 this past week It works well too, nice warm air after just a few minutes.

Makes it all worthwhile!

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 14 Oct 2009, 12:31

John Plum wrote:Makes it all worthwhile!

It does indeed John

I must be getting soft in my old age but I rate a heater as essential in any car now!

Chris, yes, that's the blighter, the cabin temperature sensor. I dusted and lubed mine whilst it was out (it's mounted in the dash on the Xantia) and thought I'd cracked it. Yours is doing precisely what mine is doing and it's so annoying.

I'll have to have it out again, not an easy job, and dismantle it. I'll report back on the success of that.

I'm sure they are availabe new but I'll expect them to cost a small fortune. All they are basically is a small fan with a thermistor behind it...

Sounds like the XM variety is more accessible!