Le XUD, she go BANG but the Green Lady's coming home now!)

[Old-Guy]

Typing this on a French AZERTY keyboard which is driving me nuts so I'll keep it short:

Pulling out of a rest area on the Toll Autoroute A83, a big end went without warning (no warning lights lit, then or now). Oil has stqyed just below max since we left home some 800 miles earlier, temp steady at 78, running on all 4 but one clattering like h3ll, just over 14,000 (genuine) on the odometer. [EDIT] that should have been 114,000

Even with AA cover, getting her bqck to the UK will be expensive. So:

• Why?
  Blocked oilway?
  Is a big-end regrind and new shells likely to be a good long-term solution?
  Anyone got a really sound XUD (non-electronic Bosch) and gearbox for a transplant?

Full story when we eventually get home.

Guy

[citroenxm]

Yes i have guy.. possibly two.. i know theres one AND it has laminated head gasket on it AND it was road tested for about six months before i took it out...

[h2ocooler]

I had one blow on me in france on the A28, started with a tap tap tap, then knocked, then BANG, one big end left the crankcase. Cost me £600 for the tow back to Calais and another £700 for an engine.

[Mandrake]

I don't have any answers for you but wanted to offer my commiserations. A major failure like that a long way from home is a bit of a nightmare scenario. Hope you get it and yourselves home safely and find out what went wrong...

[Xantidote]

My commiserations as well - hope you get back home in UK without too much grief or expense

[addo]

Why not use one of the French wreckers? Heaps advertise on LBC.

[spider]

DHY code ? (not wanting to stir up old debate though)

[sandybx]

Dear Old Guy,
What terrible news Guy This is an absolute tragedy, and with such a low mileage car aswell
If the engine has only just knocked one of the big end bearings out ( which by reading your thread, that is what has happened ) as opposed to having put a con-rod through the engine block. I think at a worse case senario it may have damaged one of the con-rods and having to have the crankshaft reground with new big end bearings and new main bearings.
Depending on who repairs your engine ( they may have to remove the crankshaft to have reground ) This unfortunatly may also require removal of the gearbox, clutch and the flywheel etc.
Depending on who repairs your engine Guy, they should be able to remove the crankshaft and renew one con-rod without having to remove the cylinder head.
Also reading your thread Guy, you won,t need to replace the gearbox.
But good luck in getting back home safely
Vince,

[Xaccers]

I've got a XUD going spare, complete with gearbox. I think it's without the ancillary bracket and ancillaries so you'll need the hydraulic pump, alternator and AC from your current engine, and you'll also need the starter motor if memory serves, but other than that it had roughly 144K on the clock when I pulled it out of a LX and ran very smoothly.

[Old-Guy]

Finally arrived home Tuesday lunchtime, several hundred pounds poorer. After two decent nights' sleep and waking without a splitting head-ache for the first time in 4 days (minor sunstroke? from standing in the sun on the side the A83 Autoroute for 3½ hours), the brain's firing on four cylinders again.

Firstly, my thanks for all your sympathetic and helpful posts.

I've spent most of yesterday on the phone and t'internet; the reality seems to be that if we want the Xantia repatriated, we would have to pay the difference between the insurance valuation (£660) and the transporter charge (about £1,120), i.e. around £450. Add to that the cost of a transplant (or an engine rebuild) plus a banger to run around in for several weeks for repatriation (10-14 days) and repair and we're looking at around £700-£900 plus days of work to put back on the road a 17 year-old car. Putting sentiment aside she would then have to be replaced at some stage with another relatively low mileage Xantia. So thanks for the offers Paul and Xac but this option doesn't really make financial sense.

While checking market values, I've just come across this '98 2.1 VSX advertised by a Citroen enthusiast. Only 104,000 genuine miles, FSH, black leather etc., asking price £720, said to be really up together just a couple of minor jobs (A/C sensor fan; front lower suspension bush), but that's to be expected on a 17 year-old Xantia. I'm very tempted despite being over 100 miles away and it not being taxed; in fact so tempted, that I've arranged to go and view on Saturday.

So, some expert advice please:

Specific to a 2.1 VSX (rather than a 1.9sx of the same age), what should I look out for?

VSX means which flavour of active suspension?

What are the fundamental differences between the 1.9 and 2.1 engines of this (1996) vintage?

And the less obvious Pros & Cons of the 2.1?

Does the area around bottom of the driver's side 'A' pillar and the bottom hinge look odd?
I no longer have a Xantia to go and look at for comparison; please.

I will tell the whole sorry story of why it took 2 extra days to get home when the dust has settled.

Once again many thanks

[Xaccers]

VSX is hydractive, so you've got electrovalves and 2 extra spheres. We know about them so there shouldn't be any surprises. If the suspension is always firm then diodes need to be added to the electrovavle wires at the ECU end, you can get an ecrofting box from ebay to snap fit them on, or solder diodes yourself, there's plenty of info about the job in the forum.
When it's all working, the soft ride is softer than the SX.

I did not get on with my 2.1TD, it was too sluggish compared with the 1.9, and consiquently I was getting under 30mpg from it, while when it was in Jim's serene care he was getting 50mpg or possibly more. (Where is Dex now?)
It has a lucas epic pump so not veg suitable, however with the increased mpg that's less of a loss, and if you are a derv only driver then you should be saving money with the 2.1 (just drive it like an old guy).

The hinge area looks a tad strange with that lighting, it could be they re-welded it at somepoint.

[Old-Guy]

DHY code ? (not wanting to stir up old debate though)

Why not?

Anyway to satisfy your curiosity, the engine code was D8B engine number CUJ16004291 and the car was built in Jan 1996 (too early?).

But I have to say that a big-end bolt failure exactly fits the symptoms: no loss of oil or pressure, engine not overheated or ever revved hard, big end went suddenly without any warning - the engine was accelerating gently at under 3,000, next instant, a loud metallic clack-clack-clack from the bottom end but all 4 cylinders still firing smoothly. On restarting (twice) fired up immediately, ticking over smoothly on all 4.

[taffy]

So sorry to hear this mate....

[citroenxm]

Guy..

2.1 engine is a modern design.. orignally in the 1991 Xm with mechanical pumps.. but anyway.. hydraulic clutch.. 12 valves rather then 8 .. 110bhp .. rocker followers which are designed to break rather then the cam shaft and can be done with head in situ.. cam shaft carrier ... coolant thermo stat on return curcuit and is on the back of the engine above the lower engine mount.. these are the most obvious changes.. still do a thorough head gasket check they arent immune to failiure..

[Old-Guy]

When it's all working, the soft ride is softer than the SX.

For us, that's one of the attractions of Hydractive. Travelling down through France with two up plus quite a lot of luggage and a full tank (of cheap Gazoil) confirmed my view that the Sx's (GSF Amtex) spheres were getting a bit tired after 5½ years and some 46,000 miles. My problem is that now having only one Xantia in the family, I've nothing to compare ours with, and any gradual deterioration is highly subjective.

On the ride front the two hire cars were an interesting revelation:
An LHD Meriva D from Cholet to Roscoff in about 5 hours with two short stops, left me, the driver, absolutely shattered and with the back of my thighs still aching the following morning. "Christened" the Nanny-car for all the irritating 'safety' features but a completely un-intuitive SatNav - ended up digging our own Garmin out of the mountain of luggage in the back.
A RHD C-Max (with just over 4K on the clock) from Plymouth to home with an overnight stop on the way. Much nicer to drive, liked the cruise-control/speed-limiter but spoilt by the hard ride. Even looked at some on Autotrader; affordable but went off the idea - the VSX is much more appealing and the £2½-£3K difference in price would pay for lot of Xantia parts!

I did not get on with my 2.1TD, it was too sluggish compared with the 1.9, and consiquently I was getting under 30mpg from it, while when it was in Jim's serene care he was getting 50mpg or possibly more. (Where is Dex now?)
It has a lucas epic pump so not veg suitable, however with the increased mpg that's less of a loss, and if you are a derv only driver then you should be saving money with the 2.1 (just drive it like an old guy).

I did try a veg mix in the 1.9 one summer when Sainsbury's were selling rape oil for about ? the price of DERV, but when that source dried up it didn't make financial sense let alone all the mess and hassle.
This old guy has a symathetic right foot - that's why I'm soo pissed off that the XUD blew up. Many years ago, when I did 25-30,000 miles a year, I traded in a 2L Efi MG Maestro for a new F-plate Montego D estate. The 'MG' was much more fun to drive, but the Montego did 45+ (instead of around 30)mpg and journey times on regular long runs were not noticeably longer. I tend to drive fast, but I like to think safely and sensibly.

The hinge area looks a tad strange with that lighting, it could be they re-welded it at somepoint.

Even my wife noticed, I wondered about re-welding too.