Veggie and Activa tales but now rental reviews blog!

[KP]

Well Jim....

It's a 2.5
It's an estate
It's a series 2
It's a vsx
It needs work(mainly hydraulic leak and an mot!)
It doesn't have leather but does have ac

And it's at a price that will get me into xm ownership nicely.
Only downside is that to get it I need to drive 3hours with a trailer on the back of the c5 and then bring it back on the c5 should be interesting but need to sell the xantia first

[CitroJim]

That sounds excellent Will, you must come and join the fun on Club-XM

(or are you already there under a very slightly different username by any chance?)

[KP]

I am indeed Jim as my name was already taken but not by me

[KP]

Well I best update this!!

The other week I went and got fatherjacks xantia to.

It needs some good fettling to get into a condition I'm happy to sell it on in, one being the mot!

It's currently off at a body shop having the rear spoiler removed filled and holes and boot lid sprayed over. Drivers rear door jamb rot removed, new section welded in and painted, then the rear upper c pillar rot cut or, new metal out in and treated inside and out and painted as well. Then I'll get her back and get a rear abs sensor on her and some exhaust paste on the back box and get the mot done.

She is going to get a good bit of time spent on her one evening cleaning the inside out and a steam clean on the carpets as well, then the rear height setting while she sits on my dads two drive on ramps as she seems a little high there and the rear corrector seems to be sticking but I do have a spare from the v6 if it's needed.

Paul came over and repaired the leaky hydraulic supply pipe by putting a new section in as well while I was off work for a week he popped over for the day.
Also I have a filter kit for her so she will get a very good service as I got a good few litres of halfords oil when it was on offer for £10 a tub so a cheap service all in.

I'll then try and get some waxoyl type stuff and get it sprayed everywhere but also see if I can get a pressure steam clean on the engine bay to get it looking good as well. There is a rubber hose which is about 8" long and goes from a boost pipe to the injection pump and I'm guessing it's the pipe that adjusts the fuelling to the boost level and as it has a crack in it I'll have to replace it as well but I have some fuel hose which should do the job just fine.

This will then become my daily driver for a bit as I'm hoping the c5 will sell soon. I did it's air and fuel filter within a few minutes this afternoon and will do its oil as well this week after work one day when the engine is nice and hot although having an undertray should make that more fun! Not!
If it's not sold it will go up on eBay as I won't be asking the prices that others ask for them for the simple fact it's not perfect body wise but the engine is a very good hdi unit with low miles and well looked after by my dad.

On Friday I picked up a 2.5td vsx estate! And yes it's an xm! It's a 1997 R plate in green.

No leather and no ac and the aux belt tensioner has gone on it!
So it's with anglesey's best citroen man to do that and a few other jobs and then I'll put it in for its mot. It's got a years tax still on it and being a Bosch should be happy with veg and so on as I've seen a few reports of them running fine on it so I'll give it a whirl and maybe setup some kind of heated fuel filter setup though I'm interested to see if the radiator mess fitted to them can be replaced with that from a 2.1 or other vehicle as the 2.5 is charge cooled and the radiators seem to have a habit of dying!
It's got 193k on its clock and the engine sounds good(I've old heard them in vans before!) and just using clutch control it pulls very well indeed, feels like the hdi almost at idle

Having driven the c5 and xantia back to back I noted a few things about their engines;

The xud is
- a much freer revving engine
- 2/3 times as nosey at ticker
- has worse engine braking
- is more reliant on a plug heat to start from cold

The dw8(HDi90) is
- a much slower but torquier engine
- surprisingly quiet at tickover
- engine brakes very well which helps with mpg
- starts on the button with no warming or anything even when left for 3 days!

The c5 is certainly harder than the xantia but the xantia is very soft at the rear and a little bit less so at the front. More of a floating on air ride where as the c5 feels more directly connected to the road. I'm sure removing the front spheres and widening their openings would help with this.

I'll be sad to see the c5 and the xantia go but I promised myself I would make the traders policy work by keeping savable cars on the road for little to no profit and just enjoy being able to drive so many different cars by doing it.
So far I've stuck to it and had a Saab and a skoda I've sold on for what I bought them for(the Saab in parts though!) and despite the work on the xantia costing more than what I bought it for it will probably end up on eBay in a no reserve auction as it's got 183k on the clock and I can't see anyone wanting to buy it for £800 to cover what I've spent on it but may try the veggie oil forum first as they do love these and it's got a good few years left in it when I've finished it in the next week or two.

Pictures of the cars will follow but I tend to post stuff on Flickr incase anyone watches that I'm on there as username Kingpleb so easy to find

I still have a fair old amount of v6 parts left including semi decent exhaust and as I'll need garage space back pretty soon a lot will end up getting weighed in as even my eBay add is just attracting time wasters
Unless someone moving to oz/nz wants to take the bits with them to help some out there live

[CitroJim]

Congratulations on the XM Will. Nice..

Have a look at Club-XM for the aux. tensioner issues. I believe it's now completely NFP but John (xmexclusive) was looking at alternatives..

[KP]

Yeah I've seen that the xsara one I believe is being made to fit but I've seen them on eBay as I'm guessing the van ones are the same item as well but will see how Paul goes with the repair as he make take it to cxm for a trial run

[KP]

Well quick update, the last tank full of fuel before i picked up the xantia the other week, which was 99% short trips to work, shops and so forth locally and 2 20mile trips on the motorway in traffic have netted 42mpg out of the C5, without hanging about and plenty of use of the AC as it hadn't been gassed and used before i got hold of it for about 2 years i thought it best to leave it on all the time to work the rfc134a and oil around the system and bloody hell it works well!!

Miles covered 555.1
Fuel used 59.98 litres(well filled!)

So i think for so many short trips dotting around that tank has done really well! The next fill up should be this coming week and will include a few more motorway runs and the towing of the trailer to Lincoln and Trailer + Xantia back from lincoln and going over the hills meant a change down to 3rd coming up from the sheffield side of woodhead pass so she did well

In other news the exact XM that i want could be coming up for grabs and at a super good price considering it will need work so my entire chevron fleet will be going up soon.
C5
Xantia
XM 2.5td Estate (VSX Model)
And as is always the case they will be stuck up on here for not too silly price, the veggie oil forum for the xantia and xm and the xm forum as well and then ebay as well.
All but the C5 will have a full MOT and a decent amount of tax left as well, the XM has nearly a year and the C5 cant go with Tax as its in the disabled class at the moment. Delivery nationwide may be possible as long as my costs are covered.

I've not even driven the XM on the road yet but needs must and i'd rather see the vehicles go to good homes than the normal ebay lot and i know i'll take a hit ££ wise on each one but if they last another year on the road i'll be happy and theres no reason why any of them shouldnt give another 2-3years service without major issue other than normal servicing, so if anyone knows of anyone looking for a cheap car, or one that can run on anything or be super economical let me know please as pictures will be posted up as soon as they come back
Here is the C5 after a light clean and claying. Her bodywork responded very well to it after a few years of normal sponge washing by my dad and aunty, not noticable swirl marks and a nice colour in honesty as its easy to spot in a car park from miles away



There is a chink in the rear drivers door/arch where someone has caught it and this isnt with the alloys that are fitted to it now either which are staying very clean and shiney after some demonshine application
Only fancy thing it has is AC but its less to go wrong and the engine is very sweet, and quiet even for a HDi! Engine top cover was broken by the people who first serviced it and although my dad has it in the garage it needs 2 replacement mounts that sit off the engine and the lugs to locate it on but it makes no odds other than making the engine bay more modern and sleek when you open the bonnet.
The window washer bottle cap securely cover the washer bottle filler but doesnt tag onto the bottle neck as normal and has been like this since new. The same goes for the fuel filler cap(not the bodywork cover but the actual screw in cap) Interior is very unworn bar the steering wheel which always seems to wear on the non leather models. Also has benefited from a new gear lever and handbrake gaitors as the old ones just looked manky to me so they were replaced with some nice proper leather ones
Radio and windows work as they should and has had the rear passenger strut replaced recently as part of the MOT and i performed an all filters service this week and oil.
My dad has always serviced it himself since he bought after the first service failure from the garage he bought it from(they broke the engine cover as above) but he hasn't documented it but has been done every 6k or less. Listening to the engine run confirms how well its been looked after!
The only downside is the bodywork isn't great due to the rear drivers door and the power steering pump can be noisy at high revs (3.5k+) but has been like this since my dad bought it and doesnt affect performance and is cheap and easy enough to replace if someone was so inclined.
Has 2 new front tyres and rears still have about 10k left in them and has recently returned its lowest MPG of 42mpg but tends to be in the 50's if not higher depending on the run it gets.
£800 ideally for this little beauty and it has single towing electrics and towbar that before my dad bought it had obviously hardly been used as it took ages to get the cover off the towball that had welded itself on with age and i've only used it for towing of 3 cars so not much use still and all on long trips as well so cruising at a steady 50 not straining the engine much

Fingers crossed it should find a good home and pics of the others will be on ASAP before they go off to find new homes

[KP]

Well this mornings tank full was done covering exactly 655 miles when i decided to fill her up.
using 60.95litres/1.43gallons it works out as doing
48.8MPG!

Not bad considering 210 miles of that was with a trailer, and 105 of that was with a car on the back of it, then loads of shortish runs to work and 1 or two motorway trips to another office about 15miles away.

I serviced it las week when it was about 500miles into this tank so the last bit could have crept up a bit but this tankful will show if the service does make an difference or not. She does feel a little smoother and will get 200mls of 2stroke put in her tank as well as it often helps clean things out and lubricate pumps and such as well.

I can' believe how well its doing economy wise and if i wasn't moving onto a bosch pumped XM then this C5 would be getting a leather upgrade to keep her good for me but needs mean that she needs to find a new home by the end of the month

[KP]

Well the XM failed on the above today

The fluid ones seem to not be leaks but just where the surface is wet so i have washed them down and got a few litres of petrol to wash them down as well.

The exhaust is just the rear centre to back box clamp is loose and leaking so i just need a new clamp for that (any ideas where to get one as i've only ever got them with an exhaust section??)

Then the steering rack gaitor. This is the big one as i have never done one before

I need to order up the parts tomorrow or at least pick them up as the C5 could well be sold this weekend and i need to stay mobile

In other news the Xantia is back and washed and been looked over. The rear height corrector was just gunked up from being sat on its ass for so long but is now free.

The internal fan however could well be the ignition switch I've put in my better more suited battery and it starts on the button, gets upto temp and holds it and the AC works great as well.
heated seats dont work and the radio wants a code

ABS Sensor needs fitting to it and a small exhaust hole needs sealing on the mid section and she should be MOT ready with no rust and a clean bill of health.
Oh and she needs new front wipers fitting but i have spares of those anyway and a dam good clean inside which i started with after the bodywork wash down
Busy few days methinks with the XM being the critical one!

[CitroJim]

Looks worse than it is Will... Take no tote of the actual description son an MOT sheet as they have to be picked from a list and are not very descriptive. My Activa failed on a wishbone balljoint which in reality was a bush but the MOT system had no bushes to choose from!

It's generally understood that Citroen hydraulics are not a fail for being damp. they are a fail when they drip.

The rack gaiter, if anything like a Xantia, is a bit of a devil in some ways. Access is not the best and you have to tease the big end over the rack end and tie it off.. It's like struggling with an eel...

The biggest issue can be to get the track rod end off - cue a hot spanner!

[KP]

Cheers Jim I'm ordering one up thanks to the part number provided by John on club xm but the park brake issue has me confounded

[CitroJim]

Yes, I saw his excellent thread Will..

I hear XM parking brake cables are a bit of a trial. Paul (CitroenXM) knows...

[KP]

If only Paul Lived closer Jim

Worst i fear is needing new brake cables each side and fitting them though im hoping that adjusting them will bring them inline or maybe new pads

[KP]

Well yesterday with a bit of a hangover i set to cleaning the inside of the car and doing some Vince style work in the engine bay..


can you see what i did

The hoovering finished with just the rear of the car being done and the drivers area. I also found that the rubber Citroen mats were to large to be for the Xantia.

So this morning i took the drivers one out and it has now fitted rather nicely in the XM!! Needless to say i will be keeping them and not selling them with the XM!

I also did a quick check on the route of the ABS sensor and may be able to get it through the correct route but i will have to cut the sensor off, tape the plug onto the cable end and pull it through gently but fingers crossed!

Then i need to get the oil and filters done and book her in for an MOT and hope she doesn't need much else doing! and she can go up for sale
Engine will need a good spray with some degrease and a squeel on first start of the day sorting which im guessing is the aux belt tensioner showing it would like a holiday soon

Being the XUD and not having much real electronics in the engine bay i know she will be fine with a very strong covering of degreasing and a hose down while the engine is running. This has the effect of while she is cold not steaming off the degreaser but also as she warms up will help dry the water off her as well before she is shut down

Fingers crossed! Also needs the battery clamp refitting and the rest of the body compounding and then polishing and blow me its dam hard doing it by hand! so far i am working on panels and yesterday did the passenger rear lower door half and trim. I'll do the top half tonight if the weather holds out. Also got 10 door interior trim panel clip things so will give that a whirl as well and see if i can get that sorted for the drivers door and have a look at the passenger door for the xm as well as its loose on a corner so im guessing a clip has gone

[KP]

Well today i went out and tackled the first two door issues.

I took the drivers door card off and 2 of the plastic locator lugs were bust and one of the screws that is around the speaker hole was missing, This wasn't helping the issue of the card not fitting right.
So off come all the silly hex bolts holding it on and then pop the plastic lugs allround the sides. Then i dropped the door card down a little so i could pop the locking button out. With this done i then set to removing the window switch and mirror control panel. This then sprang into a load of bits as i popped the connectors off With all the springy bits inside i have no hope of returning it to use so another thing i have to find if i still have in the garage or from my local friendly citroen parts collector

I then removed the speaker as well and checked other things over and job done once refitted with the above snag added to the one that the plastic popin clip for the locking button has gone soft and thus doesnt grip onto the locking rod so that needs some glue to resolve that issue.

Next i looked at the drivers rear that wasnt locking. This was suffering the reverse of the drivers door. the locking button was stuck in place and not allowing the rod to be pulled down. Thus popping it back up and unlocking the rest of the car. So popped that off and thats gone soft as well so that needs some glue as well. Also because the car thought it was always open it was always in a part state of being awake so had drained the battery over the last week. Still some juice but it barely turned and the XUD needs grunt to get it turned over initially. Especially running on a high % veg mix. A bit lumpy for the first few seconds but left it to run again while i set about work and get upto temp.

Tomorrow morning im hoping to be up at a semi decent time(1300hrs i surfaced today!) so i can hoover the passenger side and then set to a quick leather and interior wash down to get rid of the dust thats built up inside.

Passenger rear door locking electric needs checking, boot hoovering out and tidy up, new rear boot shelf fitted and the rear end and interior will be tidy.

I need to get my ass in gear and get it off the ramps at the rear and up the ramps at the front so i can drain the oil while i work on the rear ABS sensor at the rear. Then when i come back from my hols she can be booked in for her MOT as i will have been paid by then

Tomorrow has already taken a time hit as i got a call from my dad to say he has a virus on his PC that needs looking at Knowing that i spent 2 very long days earlier this week thanks to a trojan spreading round a network and trying its upmost to encrypt any file it comes across im not looking forward to it