Life span of various HDI parts

[charentejohn]

Some of the questions people have helped me with recently made me think about how long various parts should last.
This is prompted by my own philosophy which is not 'if it ain't broke then don't try to fix it', more 'if it might cause a problem then try to get ahead of it'.

Any thoughts, from the manuals and personal experience of how long the various ancillary parts on these cars actually last. I know this depends on how they are treated but what are the best / worst case scenarios. For example I believe the engines will do 300k miles if looked after, if abused and badly maintained.........
Once there is some agreement maybe the results can be put somewhere.
This would help to be able to think that the injectors may need replacing, to check and see if the mileage means that could be true. I like the idea of checking after every 5- 10k miles to see if anything might be going wrong at this point. There are details of servicing but how long will these bits normally last ?

Alternator
Starter Motor
Injectors
Main diesel pump
A/c pump
Clutch

Driveshafts
Steering joints
LHM pump
Anti sink units
Spheres
Wheel bearings
Brake discs

Just a starter for 10.
Like they say, expect the best but plan for the worst.

[c.morewood]

At 240k miles mainly motorway for the 1st 170k/5yrs then 30 miles roughly per day plus a bit of running around. here are my results:

Alternator Original no probs
Starter Motor "
Injectors "
Main diesel pump "
A/c pump Original A/C doesn't work anymore but I don't really need it
Clutch Original no probs

Driveshafts Original no probs
Steering joints Joint got stiff at 100k replaced no probs since
LHM pump Original no probs
Anti sink units Originals just greased
Spheres On my 3rd or 4 th set replaced when they need doing
Wheel bearings On my 2nd set of front and rear bearings about 30k miles ago
Brake discs on my 3rd set for the front.. can't remember if the backs have had more that one

here's a few more
low pressure pump 230k
speedo replaced at 79k due to the stepper motor partial failure, had it again from 190k to235k seems to have fixed itsself
Negative Batt terminal replaced at 235k symtoms poor starting when outside temp is low (just like a bad batt cell) -ve lead was very hot. had that from about 60k and replaced battery twice!!
Trackrod ends Approx every 80k miles
I forgot the pulley at 150K and the rear wiper motor at about the same mileage




I can't help thinking that I may have been lucky with some things.. but she was my company car for the 1st 3-4 years and was doubly serviced every 6k miles as the company required it
I hope this helps John.

a bientot
Chris

[rory_perrett]

Current Xantia HDi is at 254k miles

Front disks last 50 - 60k (But i am quite hard on brakes) rear around 100k
Spheres 3 - 4 years or 75k miles

So far 2 track rods at 240k miles (inner joint play) and I did the track rod ends at the same time
Rear wheel bearing at 175k BUT the arm had been on another car so it had done 275k
2 front wishbone bush (rear)

All other major components are original.

[CitroJim]

HDi Xantias last well They're made for the long-haul... There'll still be HDi Xantias quite happily running around ten years from now.

Mine, as far as I can tell is mostly original and still going strong at 202K and has only needed mainly service parts. I can see nothing major that's been replaced over the years...

[rory_perrett]

Jim

I do hope you are right and that one of them is mine. It would be pushing 500k by then but right now I can't think of anything I would want in its place (not that I can offord to replace at the moment).

Rory

[CitroJim]

right now I can't think of anything I would want in its place

I have precisely the same feeling Rory Xantias are currently irreplaceable...

[c.morewood]

Agreed Rory, There's nothing I can think of that I'd want to replace mine. C5's sound a bit more complicated a C6 would be nice but not enough mpg for me.


Chris

[Estately]

Hi John,

Here are some notes on our Dec 2000 2.0L 9HDi Estate

60k New rear wiper motor.
137k New bottom arm bushes.
144k New catalytic converter.
148k New LP pump.
175k Replaced rear hatch wiring loom.
182k Adjusted and oiled rear wiper motor.
182k Second bottom crank pulley (First 100k I think).
198k Power steering rubber to metal pipe repaired (Thanks to Pleiades Sawtry) .
208k New HP pump - cam belt worn down to half width - pump bearing worn.
209k New heater blower motor and control pack
214k Wiring loom from ECU to pump/injectors (3wks+ to sort).

Uses no engine oil, occasional false low water level warning. Have had to resolder the micro switches on SWIMBO's key a couple of times - now araldited in position. Other key needs reprogramming - don't ask!
Clutch pedal needs to be down to the floor to change gear, water pump changed at each cam belt change.

Used mostly on M6 car park between Stafford and Hall Green Birmingham and several trips down to SE Spain.

Hope that's some help.

Andy.

[charentejohn]

Gives me a happy feeling at the moment considering the mileages with most parts staying in one piece.
My car is a youthful 115k miles, and that in France / Portugal so long distances in 4th/5th so less general wear and tear perhaps.

No idea of mileages due to no service record, just bills from the last 3 years for, in date order -
Rear silencer / 5x spheres and timing belt-water pump (service parts) / anti sink unit / ABS control unit.

Based on this next in line is just the lower pulley, discs need doing too (not terrible but well worn but these are just service parts really).

[citroenxm]

unforunally i cannot agree that low milage will bring good fortune...

i bought my hdi xantia on 159k and i was sketchy.. how ever 14 months later and 40k later ive only needed to do a pair of track rod ends. and rear wheel bearings and tyres.. after a cam belt and water pump swap the water never moves nor does the oil except around the inside of the engine as it should.

my point about low milage comes with mums car.. she bought a 2001 Y reg hdi 110.. with 112k on it.. and its been awfull.. ive needed to change n/s rear bearing, both track rods, drop links, aircon compressor, hp pump cause of a body leak, crank pully too. which prooving low milage can be just as bad as high..

just to add ive a customer with a hdi 110.. xantia.. and its currently up to 273k.. just had an altinator but otherwise the engine its self is all the milage... oh and it suffered a broken cam belt about 15k ago.. and is still running well.

[DickieG]

unforunally i cannot agree that low milage will bring good fortune...

my point about low milage comes with mums car.. she bought a 2001 Y reg hdi 110.. with 112k on it.. and its been awfull.. ive needed to change n/s rear bearing, both track rods, drop links, aircon compressor, hp pump cause of a body leak, crank pully too. which prooving low milage can be just as bad as high..

How can 112k be considered as low mileage? In my books low mileage on a Xantia is 50 or maybe 70k

Of the faults you list on a car done 100k+ I'd expect to replace wheel bearings, drop links, track rods and the crank bottom pulley (insurance against it breaking up) as normal wear and tear, the HP pump and A/C compressor could happen to any car at any mileage beyond 100k. I can't see anything unusual in what you've listed there Paul

[citroenxm]

my point in my post.. I've not done anything to mine at nearly 200k.. was what i was trying to get at...

[charentejohn]

I know the finger of Fate can point to any car part and say, 'your turn to go bang now'. But still nice to know that if looked after these cars should last a long time, including peripheral bits.

I don't blame a car for having accessories fail randomly, annoying but there is no predicting it. Just worth knowin of any weak spots, seems not many really so no point amassing parts just in case.
Any car, new or used can have failures. My wife's father preferred to buy 6-9 month old cars based on price drop and that it there were any annoying problems they should have shown up and been fixed by then.

I could have paid £6-700 more for a similar car, there were some around but a long way off, which may or may not have been better than this one. What I do is price in problems so am willing to use the money for reasonable repairs, brakes, alternator, minor problems etc.
With this one I priced engine mounts, new discs, suspension bushes and some others and it was below £300 so I figured I would just do these when I could based on them being, if not worn out, then at least worn. So replacing them should give a good life span to the car. I will do other bits as and when.

[Chris570]

for me it seems to make more sense to listen to the car, she'll tell you when she need attention

but the biggest thing isnt the miles a car has done, its the type of miles, i've done a few k of heavy towing with the HDi and as such my clutch is well on its way (195k) the crank pulley really should be done with the cambelt etc