Xantia Handbrake

blueboy2001 · Post by **blueboy2001** » 21 Apr 2003, 04:21

Went out this evening to find the Xantia had run into the back of my new C5. Not very happy as you can imagine, it has marked the rear valance but doesn't seem to have broken the paint so I'm hoping it won't cost a fortune to fix. The Xantia requires a new wheel trim as the other one cracked when I booted it in disgust. It has been exciled to being parked on the road for misbehaving.
The handbrake seems to work, but takes 6 notches until it holds the car. Is this excessive? The handbrake seems quite high when fully applied. I should, and usually do park in gear on the drive as its steep, but I rushed back this afternoon and didn't. Lesson learned I suppose.
I was going to keep the Xantia for serveral reasons, but right now I feel like giving it a slow, painful death.

nick · Post by **nick** » 21 Apr 2003, 04:57

Have you tried starting the engine, pressing the brake pedal down and keeping it pressed down whilst pulling the handbrake on hard and releasing it a few times ? It helps the auto adjuster on the callipers adjust for pad wear, so it should then operate after fewer notches.
I occasionally do this on my Xantia, and it used to work too on the BX's I owned previously. If it makes no difference it tends to indicate serious brake pad wear, or sticking callipers.
Nick

Dave Burns · Post by **Dave Burns** » 21 Apr 2003, 06:16

Yes six notches is excessive, it should be doing the biz at one notch especialy when you consider that the first eight notches of the ratchet were removed to prevent this happening, Xantia's were famous for it when they first arrived on the scene.
So the first notch on the new ratchet is equivelant to the nineth notch of the old one.
On the old ratchet you'd be on the fifteenth notch now.
Dave

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 21 Apr 2003, 15:33

Xantias and BX suffer from the mysterious handbrake releasing problem. I have actually been sitting in my BX minding my own business when suddenly it lurched forward in the direction of a large earth bank. Much to my surprise I was able to stop it and no damage was done.
The explanation is that the discs contract as they cool and leave the brake pads where they were, thereby releasing the handbrake! Somehow after some bad publicity Citroen thought that removing the first 8 notches from the ratchet would help but from my recollection only did this in 1998 after some people had been killed in a runaway car. The problem is made worse by the handbrake operating on the front wheels and I understand that some Saabs suffer similarily.
What Dave says about adjustment is correct but I never trust the thing and always leave it in gear. Its surprising how often there is tension when I go to slip it out of gear before starting suggesting that something has moved but I do wonder if the compression of the TD engine causes it to turn a bit on its own sometimes after it has been standing for a while.
Jeremy

wheeler · Post by **wheeler** » 22 Apr 2003, 04:56

it might be a good idea to check if your C5 has had the handbrake lever recall done (incase it tries to get it's own back on the xantia [:D][:D] ). being an 03 plate it probably wont but it could be older than you think and have been sitting around a compound in France for months.

blueboy2001 · Post by **blueboy2001** » 22 Apr 2003, 06:33

The C5 doesn't feel like it has a ratchet really, so its probably locking on the first peg.
Had a look at the Xantia this morning - discs and pads have absolutely had it. They were ok when I got it in January but in 7k there on the rivets more or less.

surfer · Post by **surfer** » 22 Apr 2003, 18:46

Hi
There was a product recall in '94 because of the 'rollaway' issue.
Citroen also wrote to all Xantia owners (apparently) explaining that the handbrake had to be applied over a certain number of notches.
Perhaps your Car, being an early model, escaped the recall.
But of couse, having dead pads and discs doesn't help.
My handbrake is fully on after one notch.
Always leave it in gear though because I don't fully trust it...
Simon.

blueboy2001 · Post by **blueboy2001** » 23 Apr 2003, 07:05

The car has a full Citroen history up to 1998, so I would think its had it done. I was planning to adjust the handbrake but I've decided to do it after I've done the brakes as looking at the state of the current disc and pad wear replacing these should pull it back a few notches and I'll adjust from there.