Vince's XM...213k and slowing....

[Chris570]

It sounds like a step in the right direction. I wish i was only a few mins from work, would free up some time!! well done for getting the position and good luck with it. I wish you a very happy Christmas and new year.

(i keep on forgetting to contact you about the XM...)

[vince]

Thanks for the good wishes guys

Being closer to home is going to seem alien to me as ive always worked a while away from home. What makes being a branch manager harder than usual at GSF is every branch runs a skeleton staff level. Its a head office directive. This means the branch manager, manages the business side of the branch, alongside being an accountant, a man manager, a van fleet controller, a delivery drop controller, a parts and technical advice backup person to your team, a sales rep, and also you answer phone calls and serve people in the shop, and look after your customer base.

At Andrew Page and most other places, the branch manager just manages the branch. Its a bit more involved than that of course, but i'll be doing just one job and not several all at once, which is what im looking forward to.

I experienced burn-out a few years ago and lost my short term memory for about a year! Its never been the same since and no job or salary is worth destroying your health for in my opinion. Another branch manager i know called me on my last day to wish me well and confessed he was in a bad way somewhat but didnt think he had the strength to try something new. They are also very good at sapping your self confidence as a manager.

Luckily for me i received a lot of well wishers and kind messages from people inside the company up to director level who reaffirmed my confidence in what i do and how i do things. One of my past employees even called into the branch to wish me well....plus my guys had a whip round and raised £75 for me as a going away gift

I guess im a good guy to work for then There is nothing worse than having a crap boss !

[addo]

Sounds like the right time for a move.

I hope once you're settled, you can talk them into having a killer e-commerce website that doesn't want £50 carriage to Australia for a crank sensor in a jiffy bag.

[red_dwarfers]

All the best with the new job Vince, looks like you will be missed. Sounds like you made the right decision though!

[myglaren]

Best of luck with the new year and the new job Vince. The right move at the right time by the looks of things.

[vince]

Well christmas day has been great although no driving has been had.....indeed i havent even been near the car since yesterday. Oh to have a garage....i could be in there right now messing about with it

I have noticed my power steering rack has felt a littly grainy on occassion recently. The LHM seems clean as it slowly changed itself over a period whilst trhe FDV was leaking quite badly. I am thinking though of hydraflushing the system soon and also a coolant change....god forbid i might do an engine oil change myself but the coolant change will be entrusted to another. If i had a fluid extractor (i suppose i could pick one up) then the hydraflush job would be a doddle...thats might have to be a plan i see through myself i think.

If that doesnt cure it then ill need to see how it goes....it might be me being overly sensitive?.....the car is otherwise performing perfectly so perhaps its just me?

One thing is for sure, it needs a fresh coat of wax on it...the rain has been pounding for what seems like weeks now. Before the cold sets back in i want to whack a couple of coats on it to protect it. Im thinking of a thin coating of vaseline too for the sunroof surround, If nothing else it will help stave off some of the small amount of water ingress it suffers from.

Im quite enjoying this time off....nothing to think about much other than to have a good year ahead....what a novel feeling....i like it

[lexi]

Im thinking of a thin coating of vaseline too for the sunroof surround

Silicone grease maybe Vince. Marley do stuff for lubing rubber seals in drainage etc.
Nice blog Vince ,and a very nice car with some character and not guzzling fuel either.

[vince]

Thanks Lexi....i love your signature......Xantia v6 - The epitome of the species

Well....so much can happen in such a small amount of time.......

Yesterday i finaly sent over a write up on the xm and its history to Robert who wants to do a piece in the Citroenian on it.....it should be in the april or june edition so id best re join up soon

Yesterday afternoon we took a quick trip to Tesco with Linda and Jack and the acclerator cable snapped at the pedal end, naturally just at the point where the entrance road is at its narrowest and busiest......Linda says "what we are going to do everyone is waiting"....my reply was "well its broke so they are just going to have to wait arent they"

After a couple of seconds thinking time i decided to drive it home on tick over revs using all the gears it allowed me without wanting to stall....so first second and third then I got it home and then the panick set in....how do i fix this thing....my mechanic is about 10 miles away and not working because its christmas break. So it looks like im going to have to get my hands dirty and fix it myself

Let me start by saying, i hate doing mechanical work...its so frustrating, but then once im on with it i tend to get over myself a bit and then enjoy getting everything just right when its going back together

So i got a cable delivered to my house today from GSF (i know the branch so they did me a favour) and got it fixed. It was then taken out for a good run to Manchester city centre and to Ikea to pick somehting up for Linda, so i know its all working right again

I posted a self help file on the xm forum just before as i wished i had one this morning when i was racking my brain to figure out the easiest way to fix it. Paul was a great help as usual after i texted him as no-one was on line....

Oh well...these things are sent to test us and if nothing else, i now know how to change a throttle cable on an xm

Ive also managed to get a second hand manual window regulator for the drivers side rear as its been broken since i bought the car. Im not in a rush to fit it though so its gone straight into the shed still packaged up Told you i hated mechanical work....

[KP]

Good work there vince

Im sure it would have coped with higher gears though as the 2.1 is a strong little unit
Why is it that anything cable related always snaps at the end closest to you as if to taunt you that you cant reach it...

Your Shed sounds like my garage!
I have now got a spare air filter, 2 rear light clusters and a passenger side wing mirror. My idea is to just stockpile spares until i have the money to upgrade to a TDV8 so i can make the car mint for selling on

Is it Wednesday your start at pages?

[vince]

Yes Will its wednesday....im a tad nervous though. Only natural i guess, fear of the unknown.

[KP]

Vince I reckon you'll slide straight into it Specially if I have a list for you ha ha

[CitroJim]

Vince, I understand totally what you mean but you'll be perfect. It's your calling...

I just wish you were in charge of a factor near me...

Oh, and well done on doing the XM throttle cable I know it's not the easiest job.

As if there's any easy jobs on an XM

[vince]

Thanks guys, its just not good for me having time off work.....im the kind of person who cant stand having nothing to do. I just looked up cabin fever on wikipedia and i am utterly convinced that i suffer with it. With it raining so much over the christmas period i have been nervous, irritable, not sleeping normally and generally jittery. Im sure i will do ok and tbh im ready to get back to work...anything is better than counting the hours watching the rain outside...

I need to go out for a bit i think

Time off is like living with women...when youve got it you dont want it, and when you havent its all you want

Ive got a mirror to put up but its the only job ive got for two days so im putting it off, dragging it out

[CitroJim]

im the kind of person who cant stand having nothing to do. I just looked up cabin fever on wikipedia and i am utterly convinced that i suffer with it.

Vince, I know the feeling so well I was always like that and I still have a very low boredom threshold but these past few months I've HAD to learn to rest, switch right off and take it easy for the sake of my health. It's been about the most difficult thing I have ever had to do and I'm still not very good at it now

It's something I have to practice....

[vince]

Wow Jim, seriously that does sound like a tough transformation

This year i am planning on having a healthy life balance, i must say though that it does seem a little perplexing...how can i learn to love relaxing when for the past 39 years ive enjoyed precisely the opposite

Im not sure about you, but what fuels this restlessness for me isnt my body, its my mind! My body is happy to relax....its my mind that wants to get on with something else.

I read up on Gene Wilder and Chevy Chase this morning on WIkipedia....kind of something to do. Ive got to watch UP with Jack in a few minutes.....ill spend it planning for work tomorrow though i think Ive rested enough over these last few days