xantia workshop manuals

meeper · Unread post by **meeper** » 13 Sep 2005, 19:33

Hi all,
I've been reading through the andyspares cit forum for a few days now to try and convice myself to fix rather than scrap my 1993 xantia (that 's' word really makes me shiver, this is my first car and I've always had a thing about citroens).
The more I read here, the more I think I might be able to fix it! I need to do: electric window fix (held up using bit of wood currently), spheres, cam belt, hope to avoid heater matrix using another round of forte, think the rear suspension arms are ok (not /--\) even though there is the odd squeak.
I'm no mechanic however, all I've ever done is the HT leads and idle stepper motor, is a hydraulic citroen really what I should be cutting my teeth on?
Do any of you still have the xantia workshop manuals on CD (noz maybe[:I])? I have a well thumbed haynes manual but would really like to look at as many diagrams as I can before I start to help me make more sense of the posts I have read here. I'm happy to pay costs especially as I know some of you have spent many hours slaving over a hot scanner!
Many thanks for all the help this forum has already given me just by reading through the archives, there is loads of great stuff here without which another citroen may have been heading off the road [:(]
Cheers,
mark.
xantia 1.8 8v lx 134k miles

handyman · Unread post by **handyman** » 13 Sep 2005, 22:12

Hi Meeper, if you are intent on doing your own repairs, you will need a good tool kit, with many of the qwerky items peculiar to Citroens. I would suggest that you could tackle the smaller jobs if you are handy with the spanners but would recommend guidance with the spheres and the cambelt, as the spheres are a safety issue and a badly fitted cambelt will certainly render the car scrap!
Ask the forum when you need advice, as there is a lot of it here. Use Haynes as a guide, not a Bible. I am never sure that the authors have actually undertaken the tasks described in their books, allegedly.
Good luck.

kafkaian · Unread post by **kafkaian** » 14 Sep 2005, 04:18

...and it'll be a good way to "cut your teeth". I always think learning on the job in conjunction with an academic approach in isolation is a good way to learn. I like to do both and if the car is near scrap, why not spend a couple of hundred and experience the issues involved first hand?
And like Handyman says, a good tool kit will help you reap rewards later on anyway as a good investment - as long as Gordon and Alistair don't contrive to abolish the car in the near future

broomie · Unread post by **broomie** » 14 Sep 2005, 19:59

Don't forget the Peter Russek manuals as I believe these are superior in every way.
I've sued them for my old BX and now my Xantia
www.russek-manuals.co.uk

meeper · Unread post by **meeper** » 14 Sep 2005, 21:28

Thanks for the advice. I certainly agree with having the right tools for the job. I already have spanners, screwdrivers, multimeter, and a digital camera to help me remember how things go together/seeing into odd places; I have started a shopping list which so far has: socket set, axel stands / ramps, sphere removing thingumy for when I get that far. Any things I should add for general car maintenance?
The peter russek manuals look good but don't cover the petrol xantia. Is it worth getting one for the non engine bits?
I'll start with the easy job first, electric front window. I'm armed with print outs of posts from here on how it all works so what could possibly go wrong?
Cheers,
M.

handyman · Unread post by **handyman** » 14 Sep 2005, 23:41

Meeper, buy yourself a set of TorX keys or socket drivers as the car is riddled with them!