Dean's Activa/XM/V6 and now Talbot blog

[Stickyfinger]

I have at present 4 good batteries I have no good use for but have to keep charging them to maintain them......passing anytime soon ?

[elma]

I could bring one as far as Romsey when I visit Alasdair if it helps. IOW is too much of a swim though you'll have to do that bit yourself.

[Deanxm]

That's a lovely offer gents but after leaving it for a bit i went out to check and the battery is sitting at 12.56v which is respectable, at idle it is charging at 13.89v which also seems ok.
So, why no starty until i jumped it earlier................... it was just cranking very slowly and stopping on the compression stroke, running the fan and then turning the lights on would slow the fan which it doesn't now so i would guess the battery was flat, all the battery leads are new with new terminals, clamps etc so it won't be them.

May just keep my jump leads and multimeter with me and wait it out, if it does it again i can check then and see what's going on.

D

[elma]

Bad connection at the battery? Grumpy Citroen? I try not to spoil mine to much, they always spit their dummy out after massive attention.

[xantia_v6]

It could be a bad weld in a connection between the cells inside the battery, they tend to intermittently heal themselves and then fail again.

[Deanxm]

It was an attempted hot restart so that could have something to do with it, the heat causing that little bit of expansion in the plates maybe? i hate intermittent faults!
I will just have to wait for it to happen again, although i never had any issues with that battery and the 2.0 engine it has been completely pancaked twice so it's not had a good life.

D

[CitroJim]

That's good Dean

[Hell Razor5543]

I will just have to wait for it to happen again, although i never had any issues with that battery and the 2.0 engine it has been completely pancaked twice so it's not had a good life.

D

What size frying pan do you use to flip a battery?

[Zelandeth]

Sounds like the battery is just on its way out. Have had a couple go like that, they still look fine off charge etc, but drop like a stone as soon as you try to pull any serious current from them.

[CitroJim]

Sounds like the battery is just on its way out. Have had a couple go like that, they still look fine off charge etc, but drop like a stone as soon as you try to pull any serious current from them.

Yes, good point... That's how Gabriel's went...

[white exec]

Yuasa are good. YBX3000, 096 size in the 2.5. €90 here. Diesel spec, should spin a V6 with no trouble.

[Deanxm]

I forgot i didn't update this!
The issue was the magnets in the motor case of the starter delaminated, each crashed into the other and ended up locking the starter up so i used a spare motor case from a 2.0 engine and put the stator and gearbox from the V6 one with it to make a good starter, no issues since.

I have been dealing with the official bits and bobs today, V5, insurance etc. I was not overjoyed at doing this but it turned out to be painless in the extreem.

First off the insurance, gave them a call and talked through what i had done, where the engine came from and what it was, emailed a couple of photo's over for agreed valuation purposes and left it with them, they called back after half an hour to say there was no change in the premium so it would remain at £55/annum + the £30 agreed valuation fee (£85 fully comp per year) but i would need to pay a one off £25 admin fee to change the policy mid term. Winner!

Called the DVLA and they told me i needed to fill out the V5 with the exact CC of the engine, the new engine number with the V5 signed and dated to the address in section 8, since i have no receipt for purchasing the engine from a reputable source i must have the engineers report on headed paper from a garage or the manufacturer. My local cit dealer had already priced to do that for me for a few ££ but they have been dragging their feet a little as the guy there has never done one before and wasn't sure what the DVLA actually want them to report on but after a call today we have booked that for the 1st september and he is going to speak to the DVLA directly to find out.

So, all in all very painless, The car will be shown on the V5 as a Citroen XM 2975cc Prestige with no funny markers and my insurers have said once the V5 and DVLA database is updated the vehicle will just show as if it was a standard unmollested car in future so no need to continually declare it as modified.

The long road is nearly at an end, i do still have an issue with the hydraulic belt catching fire or melting as it slips on the pump, i have rebuilt the FDV and Regulator, re-set the regulator to factory spec pressure, checked all lines are clear and tried many different belts but as yet have not fully cured the problem, i also have some issues with the TPS signals but thats something i can get round to over the winter layup.

D

[CitroJim]

Excellent Dean That's very reasonable insurance and most interesting to read of the relatively painless formalities you have to go through...

[Deanxm]

Classic policy Jim, it makes using it very cost effective, i must keep it in the garage and is social domestic and pleasure only with a 3k mile cap but upping the mileage does not add much so long as you keep it below 6k ish, comp excess is £500 but agreed valuation of 4k, i was shocked there was no increase having transplanted a V6 into it, truely shocked actually, bear in mind i have modified wheels and headlamps too. One of the few pro's of being an old git now i suppose.

Whats happened to the Activa Jim? i thought i saw it was up for sale!

D

[Hell Razor5543]

Erm, the Activa sale caused a very nasty experience for Jim.