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

[CitroJim]

Well, I must retract my words about the designer of the S2 XM dash being a bit of a plonker. He was actually a brilliant genius and so brilliant he even kept his brilliance from the team who wrote the BoL...

Thanks to advice from our very own Robert Smart it turns out the two studs that hold the top of the instrument pod actually terminate in balls and a hearty tug will release them from their ballcups and thus no need to fight two small and inaccessible nuts...

I had the opportunity a couple of days later to test that on another XM with a dead gear indicator bulb. Being someone else’s car I tried a gentle tug on the top of the pod but it wouldn't move easily so I removed the two nuts.

I could then see the studs were ball-ended and sat in clips. I replaced the nuts and tugged the studs with a pair of pliers and out they came and because the back of my hand was so near the top of the dash cutout I also lost a load of skin too

Putting the pod back in was a breeze. Replace the studs and nuts before refitting and click and it's done

The owner of the XM is 50p richer now. 50p and a big needle he uses to adjust washer jets was retrieved from behind his instruments.

I'd wondered what I could hear sliding around my dash for some time and when I did my bulb I found a coin there too but not so valuable as that. It was an European 10 cent coin.

I also advised how to do the starter relay mod on another V6 XM today, the one belonging to Chris570. His was getting harder and harder to start and sometimes could take up to 20 turns of the key before the starter motor would play... He stood this for months. How I don't know, mine only did it occasionally but even then it bugged me to the point I just had to do the mod.

A V6 Xantia also visited with an intermittent starting problem but that was found to be caused by the gear position switch on the gearbox that permits the starter to operate in P and N only. They do fail occasionally.

Before fitting a spare I had a go at fixing the old one. they're riveted together and easy to disassemble but that's as far as it goes. Inside they have a set of naked microswitches and the innards are made of cheese; any attempt to try to disassemble further for contact cleaning breaks a bit of critical cheese off and ruins the switch. So, if they fail then replacement is needed. Only problem is they cost getting on for £110

[CitroJim]

My V6 refuses to start most times, in fact i often switch to the TD midstream rather than face the embarassment of a clunking starter solenoid. Got to get rid soon ...

Mike, it's not a difficult mod at all.. Mandrake has done it and he's closer to you I guess...

However, here's the diagram showing the fitting of the helper relay...

That's for the S1. the S2 is very similar...

EDIT: And the original circuit before modification...

[Chris570]

i'll second that, I wish I'd done mine sooner, it seriously only took about 10 minutes and that involves larking about as well.

It starts on the button now, everytime. In a way it's sad because that used to be my XM's favourite game, wait until I fill it up and then when I go to start it.... *clunk*. Usually with a healthy queue behind me as well!

[CitroJim]

Is it worth swapping the starter motor?

No it's not Mike as that is unlikely to resolve the problem. best to do the modification as it works in just about every instance...

Seems a shame you cannot use and enjoy the car because of this. Can't you find anyone nearby to help with the electrical aspects of this?

Just recovered from an evening of karting at Daytona Milton Keynes. It was laid on as a corporate team-building exercise. Absolutely massive fun and we enjoyed four races - three heats and a Grand Prix final...

The track was soaking wet and the karts wore slicks - cue lots of spins and epic slides!

It just about did for me. I could barely get out of the kart and walk at the end of it and got home to find a blocked drain I had to rod it there and then.

I've only just about regained consciousness...

[CitroJim]

Lovely day here today so I finally got round to replacing the half good ABS sensor on the Xantia V6 with one that should be fully good...

There's a couple of jobs I need to do on the Xantia at some time, new flexi hoses and I note the hydraulic pump has a bit of a weep. So has the one in the XM so there's two pumps that need to come out and be re-sealed. No rush for either as they're not massive and not yet dripping.

Then I put the V6 away and brought the Activa back out of storage. Hopefully summer is now here for the duration and I'll be able to enjoy the Activa...

I do love driving her...

Next major job I plan is a new cambelt on the XM.

[CitroJim]

So much for no rush on stopping the weep on the hydraulic pump on the XM. I got to it and did it this afternoon. It only needed the O ring replacing on the delivery port. It's easy in the XM as there's a convenient cut-out in the slam panel that allows a 19mm socket on a long extension to get down there to undo the port.

I also had an attack at mission impossible today - the replacement of the duff oxygen sensor.

It's not absolutely impossible. It's not easy but not as bad as it first looks. You can't see the sensor from underneath but you can feel it - just. However, if you remove the Hydractive centre sphere that gives both some access to it and fair visibility of it. Then with a long 22mm spanner you can just about undo it.

Mine was tight and I really gave the spanner a big tug to free it and crushed my thumb between spanner and subframe and ouch!

It bit me but I don't mind as I can now see the new sensor giving the right signals on the ELIT.

I have to say both jobs I've done in the past on a Xantia V6 and in both cases they were actually easier on the XM - now there's something to be amazed about

I am happy. The list of jobs on my XM is slowly going down

[CitroJim]

Had a visit from a poorly V6 Xantia today. Owner complained of poor performance, misfiring and popping in the exhaust...

A test drive confirmed all was true... Owner came equipped with new plugs and a new manifold gasket...

The car had starting difficulties too..

The starting difficulties were traced to the 12v ignition switched supply to the coil of the start inhibit relay. It was found to be only 0.5v. A loom trace showed there was a splice in this wire in the loom that runs under the rad and this is the most likely cause of the issue. A 'workaround' has been performed for now...

On the engine issues, the owner removed the coil and inlet manifold and found one of the front bank plugs had taken up diving - the plug well was as full of oil as it could possibly be. All three rear bank plugs were keen swimmers due to a slight oil leak ovr a period of time on the exhaust cambox and we also noted the rear bank plugs were older and of a different type to the front bank ones. The conclusion was that some lazy previous owner had swapped the fronts but not the rears. Finally, the manifold gasket had been home-made from something like a cornflake packet.

We were concerned about some large cracks in the (pattern) ignition coil but in the event it seems OK. ELIT showed equal and good charge times and owner now reports the car runs much better following the work. If the problem reassert themselves then the coil is suspect.

Last job was to check the front spheres. The corners were a bit down but the centre was good. Owner made an error in refitting the centre, the seal slipped as he was screwing it home, and that resulted in a very large puddle of LHM on my driveway

Finally, a persistent water leak was pinned down to a bodged joint in a hose that goes off to the gearbox cooler. The original must have gone at some time and someone then faked up something that is basically OK bar the joint in it. At some time in the future the owner will replace the joint...

A good day. I did nothing, just sat, watched, handed tools as needed, cleaned up, made tea and gave advice as an when

[myglaren]

A good day. I did nothing, just sat, watched, handed tools as needed, cleaned up, made tea and gave advice as an when

Training for a senior management post Jim?

[CitroJim]

A good day. I did nothing, just sat, watched, handed tools as needed, cleaned up, made tea and gave advice as an when

Training for a senior management post Jim?

No, and don't swear at me Steve Anyway, No. I'm not qualified to be a senior manager.

I mean, when have you seen senior manager make tea, clean up, offer useful advice and generally be useful? That disbars me from such a role...

I rest my case m'lud

[Hell Razor5543]

Nope, I would say he was training to become a GOOD foreman.

[CitroJim]

Nope, I would say he was training to become a GOOD foreman.

I'm disqualified from that Role too James. I don't have a flat cap and a clipboard...

[Ben82]

Had a visit from a poorly V6 Xantia today. Owner complained of poor performance, misfiring and popping in the exhaust...

Simon? I'm sure he's had all those symptoms

[CitroJim]

Had a visit from a poorly V6 Xantia today. Owner complained of poor performance, misfiring and popping in the exhaust...

Simon? I'm sure he's had all those symptoms

No, not Simon unless he's taken up residence in Milton Keynes and changed his name to Liam...

If so, he's done a good job of loosing his Kiwi accent

[Hell Razor5543]

No, Jim, you mis-read my comment. A GOOD foreman does things the way you said you did, praises a job well done, helps out when he sees somebody struggling, offers constructive criticism, and is a good part of the team. A BAD foremen, however, is a waste of space, gets in the way, criticises EVERYTHING even if it was done properly ("Call that done? My dear old Mother could do a better job in her sleep, and she's been dead these last five years"), and, in short, irritates everybody that has the misfortune to be bossed about by him.

[addo]

A bad foreman gets narked by what's scratched on the back of the loo doors, about him.

A good foreman laughs and repaints them himself right away...

Owner complained of poor performance, misfiring and popping in the exhaust...

Simon? I'm sure he's had all those symptoms

That's a bit personal.