Xantia back bumper fixing points

[sparksie]

Hi all

Had the Xantia parked over the pit for a few minutes today, while I was shuffling cars.
I decided to have a peep, with a view to possibly fitting a towbar, at some point.
I wasn't impressed with what I saw. There's some nasty looking rust under the back of the boot, completely hidden by the back bumper.
A quick blast with the air gun didn't reveal any fixing points for the bumper, which must be held on by magic.
I'll have a proper look in a few days, when I can use the pit for longer, but in the meantime, any info that might ease the job would be very welcome.
I don't want to spend an hour getting the boot carpet out, only to find there are no fixings under there, for example.
As always, thanks for any info

sparksie

[sparksie]

Ha. I should have known better, I suppose...
Out of the blue, I got a call from my ex-partner in our first garage, way back in 1988. I hadn't heard from him for a few months, so my ownership of a Citroen was a top news item in our conversation.
I told him about the bumper mystery, once he'd finished spluttering. His response? "Have you looked under the front seats, or behind the rear view mirror? It is French, after all. They're not going to be anywhere sensible!"
My turn to splutter...

sparksie

[citroenxm]

Hatch or estate?

Hatch fixing points are at each side in the wheel arch.. a 12mm Bolt each side where the end of the bumper sits below the rearwing panel. You reach in the wheel arch to the back..

There's two fixings along the top.. open the boot and Iirc remove the rear lamps and there's a 12mm bolt on the off side or the right of the spare wheel cradle.. and a t 20 torx screw half way along the bottom..

[Old-Guy]

You don't need to touch the bumper to fit a towbar (Citroen or aftermarket) to a Xantia estate.

For the record, Estate rear bumpers are held on by only 3 fasteners each side:

• 1. T15 self-tapper inside each wheel arch (up through the bumper into a nylon bush in the body,
  2. 13mm hex head bolt inside the rear quarter (behind the boot side cubbyholes). Remove the lids, (empty the cubbyholes), undo the plastic nuts and fold down the back panels of the cubbyholes to get inside the rear quarter as for replacing bulbs. Theheads can then be felt low down inside the rear quarter, well forward of the storage bin.
  3. T30 head self-tapper visible inside the tailgate shut where the bumper curves up around the corner of the tail-gate.:

Illustrated instructions for fitting estate towbar

[citroenxm]

Yes you do guy because the tow bar bolts to the rear bumper mounting plate that runs along behind the bumper and part of the chassis... otherwise it will flop down.. so the bumper does need to come off..

Good instruction illustrations but bear in mind while estate bumper fixings are in thé car the hatch ones are accessed from in the wheel arch..

Or are estate side fixings accessed from the wheel arch too?

[Old-Guy]

Having removed and refitted a genuine Citroen estate towbar both without disturbing the bumper and with the bumper off (after being rear-ended and needing to take the bumper and towbar off for panel-beating and bumper replacement) I can say that the genuine Citroen bumper doesn't share any fasteners with the bumper, BUT it is much easier with the bumper off.

Having re-read my own guide , I've edited my previous post to make it easier to understand - and yes, one fastener (an M10 bolt that takes most of the strain) is located inside the rear quarter.

[sparksie]

Hi Guys and thanks for the replies.
This is a hatch and my primary interest in removing the bumper is to deal with the stealthy tinworm lurking behind it.
Since posting the query, again as a surprise, I was given a box of bits for Citroens. The only Xantia items were a towbar and an electric window switch.
The towbar may as well get fitted, whenever I get around to removing the bumper and the switch goes in the spares stash. The rest has been palmed off on an enthusiast who was very excited about a two cylinder distributor! Strange character...
Looks like a job for the weekend, as there's not likely to be time before that.

sparksie

[sparksie]

Hi Guys and thanks for the replies.

This ones a hatch and my main interest in removing the bumper is to deal with the stealthy tinworm lurking behind it.
Since posting the query, however, I have acquired a Xantia towbar, along with some other Citroen bits.
Most of these I've passed on to a Citroen enthusiast, but I'm keeping the towbar and an electric window switch that looks the same as mine.
I'll fit the towbar whenever I get around to the bumper, so probably over the weekend. Unlikely to have time before that.
What bizarre chain of events leads to becoming a Citroen enthusiast?
Funny character, though. I don't think the Citroen fetish is his only eccentricity...

sparksie

[sparksie]

What the????
First attempt vanished, so I tried again.
Second attempt posted successfully, along with the first.
Are the Gremlins at work, following the dowtime?

sparksie

[Xantidote]

Citroen electricery ?

[sparksie]

Hi all.

I finally got enough time to have a proper play with this today.
Fixing points that have to be released, before the bumper will come off:-
4 self tappers, no2 pozi, in each mud flap
2 self tappers in the boot slam panel, just inboard of the tail lights. Torx head
1 self tapper in the top of each wheel arch. Small Torx
1 self tapper in the bottom centre, in a support bracket which has to be removed if you're fitting a tow-bar. Small Torx
1 M5 bolt concealed behind the plastic wheelarch liner on each side. 10mm spanner.
The near-side one has a removable hatch in the liner, allowing relatively easy access.
Alas, the off-side one has no such luxury and you'll need skinny arms and good dexterity to reach this.
On mine, this one was coated in undershield which had not helped preserve the thread at all. I struggled with this, winding it in and out repeatedly, so as not to shear it off, but got there in the end.
There are also a number (sorry, didn't count them) of plastic poppers holding the liners on to the bumper.
Finally, with all of this undone, there's a knack to getting it to relinquish its hold on the front edge, beside the wheel arches.
I was shocked to discover there's no structural bumper. just the plastic decorative one. No wonder I couldn't find the usual bumper mountings!
You don't need them when there's no bumper to mount!
As mentioned earlier, I found some serious rot in here, in a triangular section that appears to have been designed specifically to trap any crud that gets in past the arch liners. Definite surgery required here before the bumper can go back on, so my Xantia's off the road until I can get at it with the welder.
Oddly, the near side is still sufficiently intact for me to be able to see what it should be like. The off side has totally dissolved and will have to be recreated as a mirror image of the near side one. Given the concealed location and the fact that I won't be entering any concourse competions, I intend to make this a little different from the original, leaving space for crud to drain away. I think I might also try and replicate the removable hatch in the liner, to make refitting the M5 bolt on the off side a little less problematic. My left forearm looks like I've been playing with razor blades and broken glass. I don't think I'll be able to get the bolt back in, using the method I used for its removal!
I don't think this bumper has ever been off before, since all the fasteners were present and none had damaged heads.
I'll replace the ones in the wheelarches with stainless and probably the two M5s as well, which should leave it easier for whoever has to go in there next...
Please God, don't let it be me!!!
Time to hit the shower...
Night all