Xsara Picasso obs

[RichardW]

I had to change the front pads on the Picasso today. Wife comes back from the airport yesterday "Brakes grinding. A lot". On strip down there is no facility for brake pad wear light, and hence one of the pads was totally shot. Suppose I should have looked sooner, but this has only done 7k since we bought it. Also discovered that the N/S CV joint gaiter outer clip was broken and there was plenty of grease floating about. Fitted cable clips to seal it up - then surprised to find that the OS had alread been done and was secured with a cable tie also. Never seen one of these clips broken, let alone both - perhaps a slightly dodgy batch of shafts, or maybe the previous owner liked parking it on full lock?

Observations:

With no pad wear light, front wheels need to come off to check status of pads, especially on new purchases

There are 3 types of pads on these - check what they look like before you go to the factors for new ones!

The last time I fitted front pads without having to wind the piston back in must have been 15 years ago on a Visa. Much easier just squeezing it in with a G cramp - must make a wind back tool next time for the Xantia.

After the brake work decided I would wash the cars (this is a rare occurence - this was the Xantia's second wash in 33k miles, and the Picasso's first sinc August last year!) - discovered that there are marks on the Picasso windscreen for aligning the windscreen wipers in the parked position. Nice touch.

Looking under the bonnet I found that the engine cover was rubbing on the vac pipe from the pump, and has worn through the pipe and is on its way through the nipple. Fixed it by putting a piece of foam on the pipe and cutting a bit of the cover off. Worth anyone with a HDi 90 having a look and seeing if theirs is the same.

That's 3 out of 4 axles I've looked at the brakes on in the last few weeks. I guess I should get the drums off the Picasso for the full set. Haynes makes changing these linings sound a bit of a 'mare with the bolt on drums. Presumably these are similar to the ones fitted to the ZX / Xsara estate - anyone got any tips for getting them back together?

[DickieG]

discovered that there are marks on the Picasso windscreen for aligning the windscreen wipers in the parked position. Nice touch.[/quote]You'll find one on an original Xantia screen on the N/S corner near to where the Tax disc normally resides.

Haynes makes changing these linings sound a bit of a 'mare with the bolt on drums. Presumably these are similar to the ones fitted to the ZX / Xsara estate - anyone got any tips for getting them back together?

I had the drums of of SWMBO's old Picasso a few times, not really a problem, as you mention similar to a ZX.

[citronut]

some cars dont have a low pad warnig light, like HO**A have an audible warnig, which is a stainless steel blade which when the pad have worn donw below a certain amount, the blad touches the edge of the disc

i quite often have car's fail the MOT with grease seaping out around the large end of a CV boot when held on by cable ties, the fix is use LIGAREX strapping which is what citroen use


in KENT and SUSSEX at the mow some fire stations are washing cars for charity, we used the service at HASTING fire station a good few years ago,

my daghter took her purple and lilac met dersh followed by me in my 2.5 TRI CX saffari, it was great fun as on entering the station car park your car is doused with water from a great hight, with there simon snorckle?? extendding hydraulic arm, then you move your car to the next stage were a crew of fire fitters shampoo it down and hose it off, we took some picys i will try and find and up load them

regards malcolm