Citrojim's AX, Pixo, C3, Running and Cycling Tales

[Northern_Mike]

I have seen the pictures. It's put me off D ownership for life.

Why?

I'd like a car I could use every day, I don't think a D would stand up to that really, not without a lot of care and attention. It'd drive me potty. Some of that pipework I saw on the pictures, and the unions looks very, very hard work. Not the work of a couple of hours on a Sunday morning.

I'm not a huge fan of the D as should be well known, I'd much rather have a CX or BX. I'd love to have a go in a well sorted D, if only as a passenger. If money truly were no object, I'd have one in my large garage in my dream house, but otherwise, no.

[CitroJim]

That makes good sense Mike... Same really applies to an XM in my opinion...

[citronut]

I have seen the pictures. It's put me off D ownership for life.

Why?

I'd like a car I could use every day, I don't think a D would stand up to that really, not without a lot of care and attention. It'd drive me potty. Some of that pipework I saw on the pictures, and the unions looks very, very hard work. Not the work of a couple of hours on a Sunday morning.

I'm not a huge fan of the D as should be well known, I'd much rather have a CX or BX. I'd love to have a go in a well sorted D, if only as a passenger. If money truly were no object, I'd have one in my large garage in my dream house, but otherwise, no.

but at least all the front to rear pipes run/lay just beneath the door step/sill ledge, and have the easiest access of all the hydraulic citroens

[CitroJim]

Not much has been happening recently on the car front. Been busy at work. health is remaining good but it took a bit of a dive last week with a dose of man-flu. First lot for three years and I see it as a very positive step that my immune system is getting back to some sort of normality...

Team WFA are now the proud owners of a 2.5 XM Estate. Chris, his dog and I went on a Top Gearesque road trip in my XM to Worcester on Wednesday to collect it. We found it looking very forlorn in a garage compound amongst some scrappers sunk to its belly and all misted up.

Faults, inter-alia, included a stuck-on parking brake, a non-openable tailgate, smoky engine and rock-hard suspension. So hard in fact that Chris remarked that a war must have taken place on Wednesday with extensive bombing of the A422. He deduced this fact on the basis that the road was full of craters

Chris reported it went OK but it pulled a bit to the left. No surprise really when you consider the right front tyre is a 65 profile and the left is a 60 profile

The parking brake problem was a broken release cable. Chris solved that with a pair of mole-grips. That's temporary until we can do a proper job..

Today we had a chance to have a good look at the car and to do some urgent work on it. Cosmetically it's a bit scruffy in places but it's as solid as a rock underneath and straight. The engine purrs and the smoking habit seems to have been fixed by reattaching a vacuum pipe to the EGR valve...

All the important bits seem good.

The suspension turned out to have nil movement. A bit of work revealed all three rear spheres were ruptured and the two front corners were likewise. All duff ones were replaced and the suspension was then lovely and soft.

A look at the Hydractive ECU showed that the bodgers had been at work and the electrovalve supply wires had been neatly snipped and wired to a switched live supply; the effect of this 'mod' was to hold the car in permanent soft mode. Here is the evidence m'lud...



We drove it briefly with the bodge in place and it confirmed that it makes the car awful. Far too soft and wollowy in the corners. It makes it roll like a barge all at sea.

A bit of work with a soldering iron and a couple of diodes saw the bodge corrected and after clearing the faults we once again had a working Hydractive system and decent ride and handling...

The tailgate problem was a duff central locking motor holding it closed. The tailgate was opened from within by removing the latch...

The 2.5 is very impressive to drive. It goes very well indeed and is a torque monster. Very impressed...

A good buy for the silly money paid for it... A bit more work and it'll be excellent

[Hell Razor5543]

I hate 'specialists' who make such a bodge of things they ruin an otherwise lovely car. These people should be named and shamed.

However, Team WFA are to be congratulated on rescuing a forlorn XM from death. Well done, all.

[bxzx16v]

It sounds like there's potential Jim, I look forward to more updates and pics.

Mark

[Citroenmad]

Does sound like a good buy and well done for saving it. The XM estate is vast and is sure to come in handy

[CitroJim]

The XM estate is vast and is sure to come in handy

Vast? You could live in it In fact I wonder if a motorhome conversion could be done - a bit like the C15 Romahome?

I'm sure the XM is going to be on the WFA fleet for a good few years. We all have a great fondness for it. And a great fondness for the engine!

[Northern_Mike]

The XM estate is vast and is sure to come in handy

Vast? You could live in it

I lived in mine for a couple of days, I slept in it for 3 nights in February 2006 due to getting the date I was moving into my house in Flackwell Heath mixed up.

I've slept in worse places, that's for sure.

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[CitroJim]

A good weekend so far. The first one I've spent doing very little.. No runs to Somerset, no work and no XM Estate to fettle. A most unusual situation

I washed my V6 Xantia and XM yesterday as they were both covered in grime and salt. Of course that made it rain today but not before I'd tested an engine ECU in the XM - one sent for me to test.

I'm happy to report it tests absolutely perfectly...

I'm active again on FaceBook. Anyone who wants to be my friend don't look for CitroJim but look for my real name. My domain name gives a clue as to what that is...

[addo]

Go easy on Crackbook. Long spells away from it are often useful to keep perspective.

[CitroJim]

Go easy on Crackbook. Long spells away from it are often useful to keep perspective.

I quite agree Adam. I shall regulate myself...

[myglaren]

It is odd, I don't use it, or Twitty, at all. Won't go anywhere near them.

My daughter is a senior University librarian and is exasperated at some of the students who appear to be completely clueless as to how to source information related to their courses. They spend all day farting around on their phones and accessing F-book and (-expletive removed-) but have no idea that a lot of the information they seek is published on both of the social networking services.

I'm surprised they can tie their own shoelaces sometimes - or perhaps they don't.
I appreciate that this is not blanket stupidity. Most of the students I came into contact with were very capable and resourceful people but some of them - god help us. Future politicians no doubt.

[Xaccers]

We use facebook to see how the other half live, it's a bit like why Danielle watches Jeremy Kyle. Although, FB does come in useful when having to update lots of people, such as when my sister died last year, it's a lot easier to just post the information rather than have to call everyone, especially as I don't have most of their phone numbers.

Google+ is much better as it has communities which are more high brow, so if you're interested in science, Raspberry Pi's, Dr Who, art, philosophy or cooking, there's other like minded people you can share information with, and it's easier to restrict who you share information with too.

[Northern_Mike]

We use facebook to see how the other half live, it's a bit like why Danielle watches Jeremy Kyle. Although, FB does come in useful when having to update lots of people,

Yes exactly. Got family absolutely all over the place and 4 year old who they want pictures of all the time amongst other things. Security and lists mean I can set up exactly who can see what..

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