Veggie and Activa tales but now rental reviews blog!

[KP]

Well i picked up the HDi on saturday and have driven it a few hundred miles and have noticed a few things about it

Compared to the 1.9td engine there is no rush of boost or anything, its just flat acceleration.(90bhp engine)
The accelerator can be a bit notchy and unsmooth at times.
The engine does pull OK despite not realising it due to lack of noise and the like i've got used to.

The estate boot is very big and im definately getting attached to the size and conmfort of the car, it definately feels a bit more supple in its suspension than my hatch was but that is probably the spheres and skinnier taller tyres...

I have spotted a possible replacement for it already and have been offered it for £250 for a white 1.9td estate MOt till June Next year, 147k on the clock...
May only last another 6 months or so but still very cheap motoring once i get it taxed

Soon for sale will be my HDi if anyone wants it £600 and its your lol

[CitroJim]

I knew you'd like the estate

Sounds like the engine feels more like a 2.1TD in its character.

So, do you prefer the 1.9TD then KP?

[KP]

Yeah i guess so jim, I've just got so used to actually feeling it accelerate, albeit it very slowly, and that there was a decent amount of torque below 2krevs as well..
I guess teh wieght of it doesn't help much being heavier than a hatch and must be rare being an SX 90bhp model as most i've seen on fleabay have been 110's of late.

It's going to be a short ownership as its going on ebay tomorrow night and hopefully il'll break even with it even though its not the best time to be selling it i guess.

[XantiaMan]

1.9 TD's FTW!

Despite my Activa being fairly sprightly the TD does not feel dog slow in comparison, the fuelling tweaks carried out make it very responsive and smooth revving, apart from running veg, thats one of the best things you can do to it! It makes the 90 HDi seem boring and isnt far off a 110HDi.


The 1.9TD's have great character and i would never get rid of mine in favour of a HDi, no need to follow the crowd

[KP]

FTW???

Yeha i know what you mean, i just altered mine for off boost fuelling and te extra pickup was very good!

[reblack68]

For The Win.

[CitroJim]

1.9 TD's FTW!

Nope, sorry, as a member of the 2.1TD Fan Club I have to disagree. 2.1TDs FTW 8)

Richard, thanks for explaining what FTW meant I must confess I thought the F was an initial for another word

[KP]

Well 2.1tds with bosch pumps would win me over but they never came in any Xantias and the XM's wit them in are getting tired now...

Well its on ebay if anyone fancies a punt

[XantiaMan]

1.9 TD's FTW!

Nope, sorry, as a member of the 2.1TD Fan Club I have to disagree. 2.1TDs FTW 8)

Richard, thanks for explaining what FTW meant I must confess I thought the F was an initial for another word

Yes, the F meant fast And my heater is chucking warm air out within half a mile! 8)

[KP]

It's going back on ebay soon unless someone makes me a sensible offer before hand
I'm definately looking for an exclusive to replace her now as i just cant take the lack of accelleration anymore, i can swear the 1.9td feels quicker...

[KP]

Well im still with the HDi, £20 a week isnt bad for 200+miles of travelling to and fro.

The Verso T180 is either going back to toyota or being chopped it.
its had 17(you read it right) warranty claims against it as well as problems with the 5th injector and ECU. annoyingly the alloys have been bubbling, its had 2 replaced so far and would soon need another doing as well..
The turbo is now dying as on cold startup she will not accelerate as she should, the HDi is honestly twice as quick from cold as it and it seems documented to be a turbo and something else causing the issue.
I have contacted the local toyota outfit we got it from and said i want to reject the car back and have them just clear the finance on it, not even a rebate now and that we DO NOT want another toyota to replace it.
If this fails then i'll maybe try and push toyota finance with section 75 of the consumer credit act to get some money out of them as we have spotted a nice Suzuki Swift Sport and Rachel has fallen in love with it so we may have to chop the verso in against it but take a very heavey loss against the outstanding finance.

Im honestly in the camp of pushing them to court if they screw me about anymore and getting compensation from them as well as the money we have paid for it as the last 5th injector issue we had the fuel was leaking and spraying out of it. the underside of the car and the rear panels were all covered in a film of the fuel and where the car parks on the driveway now has 2 very big patches were the fuel has leaked onto it and discoloured the stones.

Toyota Customer service UK agent Sam Betts even went as far as stating that my wife should have a mobile for when the car breaks down!! We bought the car as we dont have mobiles and we shouldn't expect to need them in a car 2.5years old.. i dont have one and i drive a 10yr old citroen with 231k on the clock! lol anyway, i have been most perturbed byt the lack of empathy and support from toyotas uk customer service agents. even when they can see how many claims its had against it i think its only fair that after the last breakdown with fuel vapour spraying around an engine bay we are more than fair to call it quits. The dealer mechanic had the look of disbelief when i told him about it as i had to drive it to them, but then when i popped the bonnet, started the engine and gave it a little rev it was hard to ignore the TURN IT OFF NOW that was shouted to me..... i wonder if thats because even diesel fuel and a hot turbo and exhaust dont often go together, i kid you not when i say the jacket around the battery was sopping with fuel as well as the engine cover and other sundry bits which in the long term may lead to more issues due to fuel ingress where it should not be...

[KP]

Well what can i say!

I bought the car off Gareth many months ago and since then i've had the following done,

1. new strut top fitted,
2. new discs and pads alround
3. rear calipers removed and cleaned and mounting plates cleaned and sealed as well.
4. Tyres swapped for good michelin Energy E3A tyres which are very nice at the back
5. New engine(long story to come later...), new clutch, new radiator, heater matrix pipes repaired, LHM pipe behind radiator repaired, new drivers wishbone, new cambelt, new tenionsers, new water pump, new alternator belt and ecu's cleared
6. new wing mirrors painted and put on car.

So far even despite the big engine repair expense i am loving the car.
I do miss the economy of the diesels i've had, especially the 1.9td that ran on veggie(anyone fancy doing a conversion or even a 2.1td with bosch conversion...
I am missing AC as well, been a long time since i haven't had it in a car and you sure feel it some days with the interior being so dark.
Open the sunroof up though and it helps, even better if you crank a rear window open just a smidge as the air then swirls round the car interior much better.
Also getting more into the habit of saving fuel by using the ARCS, Simply coming off the motorway or upto roundabouts as long as its safe to do so, let off the accelerator and let the engine slow the car down a bit, but still carrying decent speed, then go round aforementioned road section carrying good entry speed and requiring minimum power on the exit to get back upto speed without any undue discomfort to myself. the seat side bolsters also help with this! also currently my rear tyres are at 31psi and the fronts are at 33-34psi at the minute as shoulders are a bit worn so evening it out

Also on tuesday im off to york for work so will be loading the car up with a shed load of new kit that should make the trip a bit softer suspension wise. I do wish the sport button did just lock the suspension hydractive into hard mode instead of just fiddling with the cut in/out levels.

Also got to replace the airbox to inlet plenum rubber pipe soon as mine is shot and leaking unfiltered air badly at the minute

In the future i want to get the bonnet sprayed and the bumper, new foglamps as they are cracked and the matching surroundsas one is missing then i want to attack the alloys as with any car this age they really need stripping and sorting out.
Also the exhaust tailpipe seems to be twisted in such a way that it rests on the bumper just a bit. I think i'll repalce this with a better freer flowing backbox when the time comes. Also for the MOT think i'll need a new windscreen as got a tiny crack in mine and i'm only on TPFT so hoping to go fully comp next time and get it sorted on insurance as they are a pretty penny even just for the chip repair its nearl £100....


OOO nearly forgot that when im in York im going to get some BioEthanol B85 in the tank thanks to the company so i'll report back how the car reacts to it. wish there was a closer supply for it as its 10% cheaper than BP Ultimate/Shell V power

[KP]

Well after my heater matrix pipe issues i greased all the doors and other joints i could find as well as exposed threads, including the roll control bars from the wishbones, the bonnet hinges and catches, the tailgate hinges and catch, the towbar ball and backplate and bolts and the rear HC linkage and spring..

I have come across one thing i haven't seen before on a xantia but it is in the picture below,

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g284/ ... rbo002.jpg

Top left corner near the top mount it looks like a little sauce pot, but on mine is hidden near the heater matrix inlet and outlet joints, anyone recognise it??

Also are the Foglights a bumper off job and are the front indicators the same as mk2 xantia ones at all as one is chipped on my trusty stead

Also noticed the buzz noise people have mentioned on Hydractive xantias that occurs when the doors are opened or closed. I get this from the front but will need to find somewhere quiet so i can hear it at the rear as im going deaf at my old age i think

Oh and also there is a vacum pipe coming from the solex inlet plenum unti that disapears across the top of the rad to the passenger side of the car, anyone know what it is???

[andmcit]

Good work with the heater matrix pipe joint - any piccies or was it a a war
of attrition with no time for that kind of faffing about!?

You need mk 1 foglights and they're the usual spring loaded inboard clip that
pops the outer surround outwards allowing the light to be prised out of the
bumper:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CITROEN-XANTIA-FR ... 0498113764

Andrew

[myglaren]

The little 'sauce-pot' is I think the alarm sounder off-switch, pop the cover and there should be a lock that will accept the ignition key. Use it when changing the battery so the alarm doesn't sound when the battery is reconnected.

There should be one on the Xantia too, was on mine. On the Xant it is let into the bodywork below the screen and under the bonnet.