My Xantia needs knowledgable help!

[Hell Razor5543]

This will seem like a stupid question, but as I don't know the answer, it ain't!

Where are the turrets on a Xantia? I have heard of them, but I have yet to find them. At a guess, I would think that there is one per wheel strut, linked in some way so as to adjust for weight distribution, road bumps, etc. I did a Google search, but I don't know what the Citroen name is for them, so I did not get any answers that made sense.

[Xaccers]

With the car on high and safely supported, look at the centre line of the underneath and you'll see the manual control rods heading forward and back, these go to the turrets.
The turrets are clamped to the anti roll bars for the automatic adjustment.
The easiest one to spot is the rear, up behind the spare wheel cradle. There's the height corrector with is like a barrel with a rubber cap on the end, and the other end connects to the turrets.
Vertical linkage is for the manual control, horizontal is for the automatic control.
The front one is tucked away behind the front subframe.

[Hell Razor5543]

Thanks for that, Xac.

PS, I have made and used the sphere removal tool, and it made the job go a lot better than the last time I did it, on my previous Xantia.

[Xaccers]

Thanks for that, Xac.

PS, I have made and used the sphere removal tool, and it made the job go a lot better than the last time I did it, on my previous Xantia.

Fantastic
It's amazing how easy sphere changing can be when you've got the tool.

Just had a thought actually, Jim's old Activa killed my tool with a particularly tight rear Activa sphere, which resulted in bending the shaft of the tool. We could have inserted flat steel rods inside to strengthen it.

[Hell Razor5543]

When I made mine, I had an advantage. Next to where my Mother works is a metalworks. They let her (me) have a length of box section that is so MEATY that I seriously doubt if I could bend it even with an extension bar. However, this is not a challenge I want anybody to try, thanks very much! It's only about a half meter, but this means I can get it into places a longer bar won't fit.

[lurchy666]

i had my 99 t reg hdi estate on a lexia yesterday (well cheap chineese version) and i can definattly say that on her the boot and bonnet switches work and there is a menu in the antitheft menu which allows you to open doors etc and see if they are working, but to get into that menu i think u need your alarm code something like 5rfr (something like that anyway as im not going to put mine on an open forum) should be provoided with the owners manua (if not search for a forum member called birdman and ask him, thats where i got my code from), but yeah lexia will tell (should) whats wrong with the central locking and the passenger side airbag so if you look through the superstickys there is a list of lexia owners who might be willing to help,

[Hell Razor5543]

I've got the card so that isn't an issue. Thanks to citroenxm the boot is now letting Gracie know when it is closed (thanks again, Paul). Her alarm is intermittant (damnit!), so she can have several times (and go for days) without any problems, and then she has a panic attack where she shouts for help several times in an hour! hence why I won't lock her from the fob overnight; I don't want to wake next doors' children. I intend to pop the door cards off and spray proper contact cleaner on the ultrasonics connectors to see if that helps. I know that they may need replacing, but as a couple of other faults appear to have been resolved using contact cleaner it's worth giving it a go.

I will have to ask the nearby Lexia owners if I can arrange a session. At some time in the future (well into the New Year) I intend to get hold of one myself, probably the new one the knowledgeable members are raving about. I would like to know why the side airbags are playing up.

[Mandrake]

i had my 99 t reg hdi estate on a lexia yesterday (well cheap chineese version) and i can definattly say that on her the boot and bonnet switches work and there is a menu in the antitheft menu which allows you to open doors etc and see if they are working, but to get into that menu i think u need your alarm code something like 5rfr (something like that anyway as im not going to put mine on an open forum) should be provoided with the owners manua (if not search for a forum member called birdman and ask him, thats where i got my code from)

You don't actually need the 4 character CPH security code to test the door switches/alarm etc, just go straight into diagnostics. You only need that code to reprogram the keys, remote fobs, or change the alarm configuration. (Disable arming the alarm with the remote fob etc)

I can confirm that the birdman is able to supply this code if necessary, the codes for my Xantia were missing when I got the car and when I got the radio code he also supplied the security code which I have successfully tested on the Lexia when reprogramming the keys...

[Hell Razor5543]

I have a new problem with Gracie (well, an old problem, but I knew about it, and thought I could solve it). Her NSF windows won't open from the OSF switch (which isn't lighting up). I have tested the switch (it works), and sprayed proper contact cleaner onto the switch and connector, but no joy. The window does open from the NSF switch, so it isn't the motor (unless somebody know better; they probably do). The wiring looks heavy, so I doubt there is a relay in the loop somewhere (again, unless anybody knows different).

It isn't really important I get this working, but it is a niggle I would like to clear up. Any advise would be appreciated.

[lurchy666]

if its not lighting up, there is a broken wire somewhere , had the same with oneof my rear ones, my break was in the rubber boot between door and bodywork

[Hell Razor5543]

I really hoped that nobody would suggest this, as there is VERY little room between the front door and the wing to allow me to fix the problem.

[Hell Razor5543]

Well, Gracie has decided to throw me a curve ball. On Thursday the clutch pedal decided it didn't like being next to the brake pedal, so it went and had a lie down. Having read about this problem on the forum, I got a new clutch cable clip and spring clip from Citroen (£5.53 inc. VAT, which I thought was very reasonable). All going well, I thought that I could get the job done this Saturday, and it would only take a few hours. Gracie had different ideas.

I started today by removing the filter box. I found that I can rotate the clutch wheel easily with just one finger (which, I think, means it isn't heavy). I then got to work in the footwell. I removed the carpeting, and shone a torch into the area. I was delighted to see the bolt was going from left to right (after reading about how much of a bind this can be). I then operated the pedal to see how bad the clip was, which is when Gracie sprang her surprise on me; the clutch cable clip and spring clip are intact, and there is a cable heading down to the sleeving. I can only conclude that the cable has had a nervous breakdown, and snapped. I wish I had thought to look there earlier this week! (as I could have ordered the cable sooner).

This might make my job easier. As the clip is intact, I mightn't have to replace it (or remove that pedal). If the Haynes BOL is correct, I will have to remove the instrument panel to access the point where the cable passes through the bulkhead, but I have done this before to replace the bulbs, so that doesn't worry me. I am not certain how the cable is routed on the inside, and this would be useful to find out. I have ordered the cable from GSF (£20.35, inc VAT), and I should have that on Monday.

If anybody has advice they can offer it would be appreciated. I have printed out two of the posts re the clip, but not (yet) looked for info on the cable replacement.

James

[Hell Razor5543]

Hello again,

It looks like the clutch cable currently fitted to Gracie is manual adjustment. Where it goes onto the clutch wheel, there is a long, threaded sleeve stem, and the sleeve that passes along the bulkhead is clean and regular (without the adjustment bellows). However, that is a problem.

I think (but do NOT know) that she originally had an auto-adjusting cable. GSF looked the part up by using her reg, and was not given the option of a manual adjustment (their search went via Citroen parts database). I also saw (whilst in the footwell) that the return spring is different in that it is a pulling spring, not mounted around the bolt or sleeve.

Does anybody know if the clutch end nipple is standard? I (normally) would assume so, but we all know how Citroen do things!

James

[CitroJim]

James, I think now you can see why we call the Haynes manual the BoL!

As far as I know there's no need to remove an part of the dash to replace the clutch cable except perhaps the very bottom part with the felt trim above the pedals. If you can get the pedal out and see the clip then that's enough access. It's no mean job even then.

The clutch cable enters the bulkhead going upwards and to be honest I can't see how removing the dash could possibly help in any sort of access there. Now if they'd have said remove the engine I could see some more sense in that

The major difference between the auto and manual one is the manual adjuster one has a threaded end and two nuts to effect adjustment against a plate over the end of the clutch cable termination nearest the rad. I can't for the life of me recall if this is the fixed one or the movable arm attached to the clutch release shaft. What the plate and nuts do is effectively adjust the length of the cable inner.

However, the auto clutch cable terminates in a plain plate and half way along it's length is a ratchet box that achieves the same effect as the adjusting nuts but supposedly automatically.

To swap the clutch cable you'll need to give it a good pull downward from the bulkhead after disconnecting it from the clip. Then feed the new one back up but you'll likely find you can't push it the whole way up - that'll have to wait until everything is back together and the force of operating the clutch for the first time should seat the cable back in the bulkhead correctly.

You'lll find the job will be easier with an assistant...

[Hell Razor5543]

Whew!! that's a relief! I was wondering if this was going to be a tricky job. Now I know it is time consuming (with contortionist requirements), but not much more difficult than swapping the clip.

As I am going to have to remove the pedal it would make sense to replace the clutch clip. The one in situ is the newer type (if the colour is anything to go by) and the spring clip is mounted properly (at the top of the clutch clip). I stopped when I saw the clutch clip was intact, as I did not know if I needed to remove that BL00DY pedal! I also saw that the bolt is the easy way round (thank goodness for that).

How do you undo the bulkhead clip? I assume the pedal has to come out first, based on CitroJim's post.

I would assume the new cable is going to be at its' full length. How easy is it to get it to the right length for the clutch that's in Gracie at this time? and does it need to?

Oh well, it looks like next Saturday is going to be busy.