Got onto the surgery. They don't syringe ears any more
and won't look at hearing issues until they have been. They revealed a nugget of information that chemists now sell a DIY syringing kit. I never knew that and nor do a good 75% of chemists in Milton Keynes I spent virtually the whole of yesterday morning on a tour of our fair metropolis looking for a chemist that did both know of the product in question and have one in stock. Eventually after visiting about 297 chemists I finally found one
By golly it works
After a session my hearing went from mutt'n'jeff to cor blimy guv. I could hear pins dropping onto carpet at 50 paces and that was as bad, almost...Today things are more or less back to normal. The tinnitus is a good 6dB down on what it was and sounds now more like a hydractive electrovale in soft mode... Quite tolerable and more or less normal for me.
I've rediscovered the joy of music today and been sitting here most of the day on the forum listening (via speakers) to my Ipod... I had a load of posts and PMs to catch up on and it's taken a good few hours
The Activa project has received just a little attention recently. Truth told I've not felt like it and now I do it's raining. Still, in a way that's good as I'm still chasing leaks in the damm thing
My new forum strap-line: CitroJim - Xantia Leak Specialist Water was still coming in at the back and at the front. The back was easier as it turned out to be the wiring to the after-market stop-light in the back window. Actually, thanks to a chat with Richard, I find they were a genuine Citroen accessory but this one had been very poorly wired; the wire being squashed in the tailgate seal. Just the job to collect water and direct it straight into the rear so it could trickle down the C pillar and pool under the rear seats.
The front was worse. I'd fully dried out the septum membrane only to find it sopping wet again next day
The windscreen scuttle seal was not the outright cause being reasonably sealed although it had an open quarter-inch or so right at the end. In an ideal world this would not matter as a lump of blue mastic is cunningly positioned to divert any water safely away from the heater intake that gets in from this source. However, after removing the A post trim I could see a little pool of water on the base of pillar where the screen bonds in. Looks like the screen bonding has failed right in the corner and water dripping off the edge of the screen under the scuttle right in the corner is then running uphill under capillary action and into the cabin. At least I hope this is the diagnosis. If it's not then goodness only knows...I had to remove the scuttle to determine this. All I can say is the technique of using a heat gun (carefully) and a very sharp craft knife
works.
The heater blower did not work and this turned out to be the thermal fuse in the blower resistor pack being open circuit. It has a resistor pack on account of it being non-aircon model. Bypassing the fuse (for test purposes only - it's a safety component for good reason - thanks for that Spider!) proved the blower good and also proved the heater matrix is 99% good too
Finally! On a car with so many problems and issues I've found something that is actually serviceable on it 
This week I'm on leave and the intention was to get the car MOT'd and on the road. The adverse weather and the need to make sure the leaks are properly cured has delayed that aim somewhat as there is no point in putting the interior back in if the leaks are still extant. An MOT with the interior stripped out is not on either although I'd love to see the MOT testers reaction to a Xantia with just a drivers seat fitted being presented
V6 and red Activa continue to perform well
The V6 is back on duty this week although until Thursday Robyn's 206 is here with me and the V6 is resting in the normal 206 parking slot at the other house. Robyn's car is here to make some intense tuition easier for her this week and for me to get rid of a rattly parcel shelf. It drove my over-sensitive ears crazy last night Speaking of rattling, for all the time I've been running my V6 it's had an annoying rattle at the front, a drop-link sort of noise. Speaking again with Richard (DickieG) he suggested I pull the handbrake on gently to see if it was the known problem of rattly brake calipers. You're dead right Richard
That's what it is! I still need to drop the front ride height a tad on the V6 too, as well as do the headlamp relay mod....One day...
