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

[CitroJim]

They sound delicious Jim!!

They might sound delicious Dean

You might say they have a bit of a kick to them and they pack a bit of a punch....

[Deanxm]

They sound delicious Jim!!

They might sound delicious Dean

You might say they have a bit of a kick to them and they pack a bit of a punch....

Had a day with mitsubishi's version of your new toy today Jim, very nice it was too, pretty quick sounds nice for what it is and 52mpg average, best of all it had an econometer!!!! #80'sretro

D

[CitroJim]

, best of all it had an econometer!!!! #80'sretro

Wow! That is retro Dean

[CitroJim]

I fitted my birthday present to the Activa this morning

I'm very pleased

Certainly gives the engine a nice performance boost (no pun intended) and makes the whole thing a bit edgier in a very nice way

Thanks Chris

I've also serviced the Activa today.

I'm dogsitting for the next few days. I have a 9 year old Springer here called Kyra. She's my ex's dog...

It could be interesting. If it all goes well I might do something I’ve been threatening to do for a while now and get my own Spaniel...

Back to working on a Mazda RX-8 gearbox now... More news on that later..

[xantos]

Nice bday present! Especially as it put a jolly nice smile on your face

I'm also planing to put a Manual Boost Controller to my activa... Did your come with a gauge? How difficult it is to install it (any annoying fiddling)? How high is your max. boost pressure?

[CitroJim]

It's very easy to fit Xantos Pop off the wastegate and throttle body pipes from the old boost electrovalve (but leave it in place and connected) and then connect the new boost controller to the pipes just disconnected.

I cable-tied the new valve to the side of the old electrovalve.

No boost gauge yet but it would be nice... It's planned..

Maximum boost that can be run is 1 bar. Above this and the ECU records an overboost fault. best to set the boots controller a bit below this.

They are fun and changes the normal genie power delivery to something a little more urgent. This is how I'd describe it:

A standard TCT is quite flat but very torquey across its rev range which is great for an autobox in an XM. Planting your foot produces no drama, just a steady increase in torque.

Pop a manual boost controller on and nothing much changes until about 3,500 rpm and then it takes off and flies as the boost comes on. It then goes like a rocket right up to the rev limiter

[CitroJim]

Springer Spaniels are big tarts

Kyra has been as good as gold with me but is terrified of my two grandfather clocks. Last evening we sat down to watch a bit of TV and she curled up under my footstool. One of the clocks struck 8 and she flew up, banged her head on the stool, ran to the clock, looked at it menacingly and barked. Then the other clock struck. One very confused and bewildered dog.

This was repeated at 9PM.

Earlier we visited Val and she has a decoy cat screwed to the side of her garden shed. Kyra spotted it, thought it was real and spent a good few minutes wildly jumping at it in a desperate attempt to catch it

She either loves or hates cats as none are safe from her. She spots a cat and the chase is on!

She's always been trained not to come upstairs and is good at obeying the rule but no way was she going to sleep with those damm clocks last night so she crept upstairs and slept with me. All very quietly and apologetically... She was good despite she snores and has dog's breath!

I'm happy too as unlike cats I find I have no allergy to dogs although she has just been clipped and is distinctly short in the coat department. If a dog can sleep with me I see that as a good test.

She's been out in the Activa today and approves. The boost has been tweaked just a tad higher again

Spaniels.. You just have to love 'em

I'm going to miss her when she goes back to her rightful owners tomorrow. Never thought I'd say that about a dog...

[KP]

Watch that boost addiction Jim! You'll be on about aquamist or hybrids next...

[CitroJim]

Watch that boost addiction Jim! You'll be on about aquamist or hybrids next...

It's OK Will, I've hidden the 17mm spanner an Allen key I need to adjust it

[Hell Razor5543]

Yep, hidden them in the glove box!

I like spaniels. They are a bit scatty, but always cheerful little people. I would say they smile with their whole body.

[CitroJim]

I like spaniels. They are a bit scatty, but always cheerful little people. I would say they smile with their whole body.

Very right James. Kyra has gone home now and I'm missing her

Team WFA did a heck of a job yesterday. Firstly we replaced the duff bits of my garden fence and then we set about replacing the broken heater flaps in Liam's 407.

It's a common fault. The axles break on the flaps and they become stuck. The plastic is a bit rubbish. Pug now do an updated and improved set of flaps and they're not expensive but to swap the it's necessary to remove the dash complete and then get to the heater box.

For those that know the full horror of Xantia dash removal we're pleased to report that 407 dash removal, despite all the air bags and screens and other hi-tech bits is marginally easier

Getting the heater box out isn't but luckily there is a short-cut - literally - that allows the offending flaps to be replaced with partial disassembly of the heater box in-situ and then making four careful cuts with a junior hacksaw and then gluing it back together with Araldite.

If a heater matrix ever goes in a 407 we now know it's a heater box right out job and that's a bit of a pain.

We now see why a Pug dealer will quote over a grand to do heater flaps.

It took us all day as we had to learn how to get certain bits of the dash and centre console apart without resorting to angle grinders, axes and dynamite. In some places Pug have been very silly and it looks like the XM design team have been at work again. In other places a far better effort has been made to make things more logical and sensible.

We reckon now that we could just about knock the job out in six hours...

[KP]

It's the same on C5's Jim but from what I read of 407's the new flaps can still go as well so it's best to strengthen them with thin metal rods, fishing wire and araldite I believe. One guy I've seen has made some turbo versions completely replacing te shaft with a metal dowel and the nutting the required shape into the end of it.

I'm going for the side entry method when i get round to doing my dads new C5

[CitroJim]

Interesting to know the same applies to a C5 Will

Once again PSA have chosen a foot, taken careful aim and pulled the trigger

What cost a decent bit of well engineered plastic against the reputation of the car and massive repair bills for an owner who does not fancy popping out the dash and attacking the heater box with a hacksaw?

It makes me want to cry... PSA just cannot get all their ducks in a row however hard they try

[KP]

Well I've seen the new flaps and the longer splines on the newer motors and can't see how it resolves the underlying issue that the joints dry and cause twisting to occur.

Just like killing off hydro later this year. A pointless waste of good kit and engineering

[Mandrake]

Surely consumer guarantees act or something similar comes into effect, as the construction is not fit for purpose ?

You have a clear design flaw which has been there for years where you have an obviously inadequate piece of cheap plastic within the bowels of the dashboard and heater system that requires many hundreds of pounds labour to replace. And the fact that the replacement part is upgraded (but not enough) is a tacit admission of the shortcoming of the design.

No wonder PSA don't sell cars to the class action lawsuit crazy USA market - they'd be sued out of existence for crap like this....(and Xantia strut tops...)