
Tales of a C3, a Goddess and some BMW's.
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IIRC go the the engine menu then go to the "Information" screen, I'll have a look next time I connect it. I believe the previous ECU had software version "Evolution 1" which I took as the first version especially as the car was built within the first 80 days of Xantia HDi production.Chris570 wrote:stupid question i'm sure but how do you see what the software version is?
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Now that I've had a good chance to assess the car with the new ECU I can confirm that its resolved all of the running issues I mentioned so I'm very pleased and just like yours Richard at 70 its just getting into its strideRichardW wrote:Mine is much later - built around Dec 2000, and it's certainly never suffered any of the running issues you have listed. You could never describe it as 'breathless' above 70 - it's just getting onto boost and into its stride then!

Due to recent events I haven't had many opportunities to get my spanners out but with Dawn working earlies today and with my BMW needing a new MOT within the month I fitted the remaining two suspension arms to the O/S/F. Just like the N/S arms the ball joints were well and truly wedged in the hub, so much so that I removed the hub and employed my new Hydraulic press to push the ball joints out of the hub. One side required 4 tons of pressure, the other 5 tons

All being well I'll pop along to my local MOT station in the morning to get the BMW tested then embark on replacing the additional heater on my HDi which is another job I'm not looking forward to as access to the mounting bolts on the bulkhead is rather poor to say the least!
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Excellent Richard
Pleased the press came to your rescue!!!
Best wishes for the heater replacement. How did you get the bottom bolt out in the end? And how much of the engine did you have to remove to gain access?

Best wishes for the heater replacement. How did you get the bottom bolt out in the end? And how much of the engine did you have to remove to gain access?
Jim
Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
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The press worked a treat, I'm also glad that I never threw away those old bottom pulleys for scrap as they were put to good use as bracing blocks.CitroJim wrote:Excellent RichardPleased the press came to your rescue!!!
Best wishes for the heater replacement. How did you get the bottom bolt out in the end? And how much of the engine did you have to remove to gain access?
The BMW passed its MOT without advisories this morning but due to dog walking, grocery shopping and general household duties I didn't have time to embark on the potentially lengthy task of replacing the additional heater so that job will have to have to wait for another day. I did however manage to give the HDi a Lexia session which I'm pleased to say went well as there were no fault codes recorded on any of the ECU's. On that basis I've again disconnected the EGR valve vacuum pipe so it'll be interesting to see whether this new ECU will flag up fault codes as the original one did when the EGR valve was disconnected.
On the subject of the new ECU, the software version its working on is number 0201 and diagnostic version number 5, so quite some advance from software version no 1!
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The very reason I seem to have a pile of random scrap in the vicinity of my pressDickieG wrote: The press worked a treat, I'm also glad that I never threw away those old bottom pulleys for scrap as they were put to good use as bracing blocks.

Great news on the BMW MOT

Jim
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Not exactly scientific research as yet but an interesting discovery since fitting the new ECU is that fuel consumption appears to have improved with my HDi. On my previous one (1999-V reg) the consumption would always be 50+ mpg pretty much regardless of where or how it was driven whereas my present one (1998-S reg) has always been just below the magical figure of 50 mpg (I always brim to brim fill and calculate mpg out of interest and as a check on how the car is running).
Having this week refuelled the car for the first time since the new ECU was fitted the consumption has improved to a smidgen under 52 mpg so hopefully this higher figure will continue. Not having to think about refuelling until at least 700 miles has been completed is brilliant
Popped over into Essex whilst at work today and saw a roadsign which made me chuckle
Having this week refuelled the car for the first time since the new ECU was fitted the consumption has improved to a smidgen under 52 mpg so hopefully this higher figure will continue. Not having to think about refuelling until at least 700 miles has been completed is brilliant

Popped over into Essex whilst at work today and saw a roadsign which made me chuckle

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last Saturday I replaced the leaking additional heater on my HDi which was a swine of a job as its located tight up against the bulkhead with numerous metal hydraulic pipes running just above its mounting bracket making access to its mounting bolts rather challenging to say the least. I had feared that it may be one of those job's where a start is made but then having to give up due to poor access. As it turned out it was really a case of using a couple of stubby spanners, a bit of ingenuity and a great of patience, thankfully having completed the job the leak has been fixed.
Since fitting the new ECU I disconnected the EGR valve vacuum hose and unlike when I did the same with the original ECU the new one doesn't trigger a fault code to be generated so presumably the later software is more tolerant of such a modification.
On Friday evening I carried out an oil and filter change on the HDi then today spent an hour or so tidying up the bodywork by "T cutting" out a minor bumper scuff to the O/S/F corner which following sensible use of a touch up stick has done a good job of disguising the scuff.
The N/S/F of the chrome bumper strip had a horrible area of blistering so I made good use of a spare section I had from a car I scrapped a few years ago by cutting off a suitable length and disguising the joint under the headlamp washer, all in all the car is looking better by the day
Since fitting the new ECU I disconnected the EGR valve vacuum hose and unlike when I did the same with the original ECU the new one doesn't trigger a fault code to be generated so presumably the later software is more tolerant of such a modification.
On Friday evening I carried out an oil and filter change on the HDi then today spent an hour or so tidying up the bodywork by "T cutting" out a minor bumper scuff to the O/S/F corner which following sensible use of a touch up stick has done a good job of disguising the scuff.
The N/S/F of the chrome bumper strip had a horrible area of blistering so I made good use of a spare section I had from a car I scrapped a few years ago by cutting off a suitable length and disguising the joint under the headlamp washer, all in all the car is looking better by the day

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I've been very quiet on the forum lately due to being rather busy following Dawn and I finally deciding to get married, I did propose to her sixteen years ago (under Eiffel tower) but didn't want to rush my decision
. The reason for being busy is that the date is set for the 7th May so from start to finish is only eight weeks which is keeping us busy pulling all the aspects together, so from a rather long engagement we now have quite a rush on our hands to get everything sorted for the big day.
Car wise the HDi is running very well, no fault codes coming up with the new ECU even though the EGR valve is disconnected, the other thing is that the new ECU with its later software is much more economical that the original version. To recall, my previous HDi (1999) averaged 50 mpg whereas my present (older 1998) one using the original ECU/software struggled to top 48 mpg, however with the new ECU fitted two tankfuls have averaged out at 53.73 and 52.57 mpg so I'm rather pleased with the outcome of fitting the new ECU.
This afternoon was spent polishing the HDi for the first time since I bought it, the paintwork was looking rather dull and needed cleaning with a mild cutting compound before it would give a decent shine with polish but after a lot of huffing and puffing its now starting to look rather good. If the weather isn't too bad tomorrow I'll finish off the job and brighten up the black/rubber trim sections to really make the car look the part.
I've now put my BMW up for sale and within an hour received a text from a timewaster
what is it about offering a car for sale that attracts such idiots? Anyway I think she looks rather good all polished up


Car wise the HDi is running very well, no fault codes coming up with the new ECU even though the EGR valve is disconnected, the other thing is that the new ECU with its later software is much more economical that the original version. To recall, my previous HDi (1999) averaged 50 mpg whereas my present (older 1998) one using the original ECU/software struggled to top 48 mpg, however with the new ECU fitted two tankfuls have averaged out at 53.73 and 52.57 mpg so I'm rather pleased with the outcome of fitting the new ECU.
This afternoon was spent polishing the HDi for the first time since I bought it, the paintwork was looking rather dull and needed cleaning with a mild cutting compound before it would give a decent shine with polish but after a lot of huffing and puffing its now starting to look rather good. If the weather isn't too bad tomorrow I'll finish off the job and brighten up the black/rubber trim sections to really make the car look the part.
I've now put my BMW up for sale and within an hour received a text from a timewaster


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Another busy week, firstly I the BMW sold last Sunday to the first person who viewed it who then collected it the following day. He'd only been gone an hour when I received a phone call from him saying that the car had dumped its coolant leaving him to limp home the last few miles after re-filling it. Feeling rather embarrassed about the situation the next day I popped over to him to sort it out and it transpired that the leak was due to a plastic bolt used to bleed air from the header tank had decided to snap in half. £2 for a new one job done, strange how it should snap off like that but that's the joy of older cars.
For the past few days I've been working longer hours driving what must truly be the best car in the world bar none, the latest Rolls Royce Ghost. What a car, it rides far smoother than any Citroen, corners like an Activa and good heavens is it quick, 0-60 in 4.7 seconds delivered by the smoothest of silky V12 engines (6.6 litre twin turbo producing 563 bhp!) via an eight speed auto gearbox which responds exactly as you'd like and changes gear so smoothly its extremely difficult to notice each change, especially as Rollers don't have that vulgar thing called a rev counter on their car's, oh no they have a "power in reserve" gauge
.
The RR Ghost is the ultimate wolf in sheep clothing, enough room in the back to literally stretch out, deathly quiet, it looks and drives so serenely until you press the accelerator firmly whereupon its acceleration can only be described as brutal, what a car, it has everything.
How about camera's which when driving slowly forwards on narrow roads turn on to show the exact width of gaps, then when reversing, more cameras that look down on the floor at the sides and rear giving an aerial view and in addition the screen shows superimposed lines drawn onto the road to show exactly the path the car/wheels will take according the degree of steering applied. Depending upon specification in addition to the absolutely superb SatNav screen (can be controlled from the rear as well as the front) two further massive screens in the rear where all three screens can view different digital or analogue TV programmes/DVD's, champagne cooler cabinets, night vision screen, head up display, the list goes on and on.
If I had the money this car would be top of my list by a country mile, from photos the styling can look slightly ungainly but when viewed in the flesh its far more elegant and those looks give supreme presence, the Ghost is truly awesome in every department, a fantastic "drivers" car as well as being a serene limousine, unbelievable.
I also drove the other three models on the RR range, the Phantom saloon which is more to be chauffeured around in, the Phantom Coupe' and Phantom Convertible, all very nice car's with a price tag to match but for me the Ghost is my favourite by some distance.
Unfortunately getting back into my HDi from driving these car's made it feel like a right old banger, but then on the other hand for the price of a new Ghost, as an alternative I'd have enough money to buy up every Xantia left on the planet and working on the principle of each one costing £1,000 I could buy over 200,000 Xantia's,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
For the past few days I've been working longer hours driving what must truly be the best car in the world bar none, the latest Rolls Royce Ghost. What a car, it rides far smoother than any Citroen, corners like an Activa and good heavens is it quick, 0-60 in 4.7 seconds delivered by the smoothest of silky V12 engines (6.6 litre twin turbo producing 563 bhp!) via an eight speed auto gearbox which responds exactly as you'd like and changes gear so smoothly its extremely difficult to notice each change, especially as Rollers don't have that vulgar thing called a rev counter on their car's, oh no they have a "power in reserve" gauge

The RR Ghost is the ultimate wolf in sheep clothing, enough room in the back to literally stretch out, deathly quiet, it looks and drives so serenely until you press the accelerator firmly whereupon its acceleration can only be described as brutal, what a car, it has everything.
How about camera's which when driving slowly forwards on narrow roads turn on to show the exact width of gaps, then when reversing, more cameras that look down on the floor at the sides and rear giving an aerial view and in addition the screen shows superimposed lines drawn onto the road to show exactly the path the car/wheels will take according the degree of steering applied. Depending upon specification in addition to the absolutely superb SatNav screen (can be controlled from the rear as well as the front) two further massive screens in the rear where all three screens can view different digital or analogue TV programmes/DVD's, champagne cooler cabinets, night vision screen, head up display, the list goes on and on.
If I had the money this car would be top of my list by a country mile, from photos the styling can look slightly ungainly but when viewed in the flesh its far more elegant and those looks give supreme presence, the Ghost is truly awesome in every department, a fantastic "drivers" car as well as being a serene limousine, unbelievable.
I also drove the other three models on the RR range, the Phantom saloon which is more to be chauffeured around in, the Phantom Coupe' and Phantom Convertible, all very nice car's with a price tag to match but for me the Ghost is my favourite by some distance.
Unfortunately getting back into my HDi from driving these car's made it feel like a right old banger, but then on the other hand for the price of a new Ghost, as an alternative I'd have enough money to buy up every Xantia left on the planet and working on the principle of each one costing £1,000 I could buy over 200,000 Xantia's,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
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72 DS 21 EFi Pallas BVH
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Sounds like a very tasty car Richard
Comparing it's valve to Xantias puts it all into perspective though
£200,000 is a lot for as car in anybody's language
That's more than my house is worth...
It must be lovely driving such a device though... You're a very lucky person!
I'll bet the Xantia has one thing in it's favour.. Does the roller do 55 to the gallon? No, thought not.....



It must be lovely driving such a device though... You're a very lucky person!
I'll bet the Xantia has one thing in it's favour.. Does the roller do 55 to the gallon? No, thought not.....
Jim
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The new generation of Rollers are a class of their own.
Ive always been a fan of these...they are for all intents a smooth limo, but have a sledgehammer under the bonnet
I admire cars that have a wide range of "skills"
Lucky man?.....I think you fall into that catagory
Ive always been a fan of these...they are for all intents a smooth limo, but have a sledgehammer under the bonnet

Lucky man?.....I think you fall into that catagory

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Quite, right time/place etc.CitroJim wrote:It must be lovely driving such a device though... You're a very lucky person!
Interesting point here, the Phantom limousine struggled to exceed 10 mpg in town, whereas the Coupe' and Convertible managed 15 mpg, the Ghost however was just under 20 mpg which for a 563 bhp V12 monster was rather impressiveCitroJim wrote:I'll bet the Xantia has one thing in it's favour.. Does the roller do 55 to the gallon? No, thought not.....

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I've been using up some leave from work for the past couple of weeks but rather then being able to put my feet up life has been rather hectic making preparations for my wedding (just five weeks time now) almost every day its been a case of having a timetable of morning and afternoon appointments visiting/arranging one thing or another.
A real point of concern for me reared its ugly head a week ago when my back slipped out of place with shooting pains down my left leg, last Saturday evening I tried to carry out some back straightening exercises but ended up laying on my side in absolute agony and unable to move as any movement increased the pain dramatically. Bearing in mind my forthcoming wedding I again visited my GP voicing my concerns about my back and the possible consequences with regard to the wedding but this time saw a very good Doctor who has referred me for an MRI scan in case I've slipped a disc, best of all he prescribed four new pain killers for me as the previous ones weren't much help, wow what a difference they've made
mind you the prescription cost me over £28!
Due to my back problems I haven't been able to do anything of note with my own car's but for a couple of days this week I've been working for a BMW dealer who had been doing a promotion on their 'X' drive models (X1, X3 X5) which involved on road demonstration drives and doing some off-road training for their customers. Having driven quite a number of different 4x4 vehicles I've never been a fan of them finding them to be cumbersome with poor chassis dynamics on-road, however the new X3 really surprised me with its smooth ride and pleasant handling (much smoother than an X1 or X5), the whole driving experience was very impressive indeed, its more roomy than a Xantia without being too large externally. Its off road performance on standard road tyres was just as impressive tackling quite steep hills with ease, the X3 definitely isn't a pseudo off roader like say a Rav4 or Q5. Most surprisingly for me I actually want one
I also took the opportunity to take the latest M3 for a quick thrash, quick being the operative word
Tomorrow, more wedding appointments
A real point of concern for me reared its ugly head a week ago when my back slipped out of place with shooting pains down my left leg, last Saturday evening I tried to carry out some back straightening exercises but ended up laying on my side in absolute agony and unable to move as any movement increased the pain dramatically. Bearing in mind my forthcoming wedding I again visited my GP voicing my concerns about my back and the possible consequences with regard to the wedding but this time saw a very good Doctor who has referred me for an MRI scan in case I've slipped a disc, best of all he prescribed four new pain killers for me as the previous ones weren't much help, wow what a difference they've made

Due to my back problems I haven't been able to do anything of note with my own car's but for a couple of days this week I've been working for a BMW dealer who had been doing a promotion on their 'X' drive models (X1, X3 X5) which involved on road demonstration drives and doing some off-road training for their customers. Having driven quite a number of different 4x4 vehicles I've never been a fan of them finding them to be cumbersome with poor chassis dynamics on-road, however the new X3 really surprised me with its smooth ride and pleasant handling (much smoother than an X1 or X5), the whole driving experience was very impressive indeed, its more roomy than a Xantia without being too large externally. Its off road performance on standard road tyres was just as impressive tackling quite steep hills with ease, the X3 definitely isn't a pseudo off roader like say a Rav4 or Q5. Most surprisingly for me I actually want one

I also took the opportunity to take the latest M3 for a quick thrash, quick being the operative word

Tomorrow, more wedding appointments

13 Ram 1500 Hemi
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72 DS 21 EFi Pallas BVH
14 BMW 535D Tourer
19 BMW i3s
06 C3 Desire 1.4
72 DS 21 EFi Pallas BVH