Elmas Xantia V6 and Musical Stuff

[CitroJim]

Okie dokie mate.....chickens are popping them out now

Excellent! I can already taste them

Looks like rain, bring your water proofs. Car up on the ramps so easy to work on it.

I'll have the gear as I'll be prepared for a wet parkrun... I may turn up at your place looking a trifle moist

[Stickyfinger]

I have a big old towel, used it on the old dog for a good wet but muddy rub down .........but you can do it yourself

[elma]

I won't be able to make Saturday unfortunately.

Good news on the steering wheel though. I went for quite a long drive last night, what Mike said started to make sense when I had the steering wheel in my hands. My wheel travels equally from side to side but starts offset and so ends up in different positions. It is on the splines straight and just needs moving over on the tracking. So thats problem number one sorted out nice and easily.

The LHM pump I must confess I haven't looked at properly. I'll assess where the leak is today and seek some advice here as to how it will be fixed. I've never had the need to repair one before so it's new territory. My VIN is: VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff] if anyone could post a picture of my pump that would be a massive help. Potentially I can fix it with my electrician tools and a 1/4"drive socket set, let's investigate.

The car showed me a couple of problems I wasn't aware of. My indicator relay is nuts, it clicks randomly, sometimes rapidly but the lights work as normal and don't seem to flash when the relay goes mad. It's clearly possessed and will be removed for an overhaul, if possible, today. If it's non serviceable then that'll be my next wanted ad. I also think maybe the front wishbone bushes are gone. Everything seemed fine when I had the wheels off but theres clearly a little kick in the steering that I think is more than tracking. Wheels off again I guess, I need to get a pry bar in there. Light aim seems good, much better view of the road at night and no one flashing so I've not gone overly high.

[elma]

I have the relay apart now. It smells, mildly, like it has overheated but seems in good order, is the crazy clicking possibly an indicator stalk problem?

[CitroJim]

I have a big old towel, used it on the old dog for a good wet but muddy rub down .........but you can do it yourself

I'll bring my own I think

James, the clicking indicator relay is a well known and common fault..

It's caused by mucky contacts on the indicator stalk. The stalk can be disassembled to clean them easily enough...

Often a blast of compressed air will resolve the issue on a temporary basis...

Sounds like your 'P' bushes may not be 100% fit... Do give the front bushes a good lever too and don't forget the swivels... If any need swapping you are welcome to come and use my facilities...

Sorry you can't make it on Saturday I was looking forward to an FCF mini-meet!

[Hell Razor5543]

Almost certainly the stalk is at fault. Over time the contacts get tarnished and the grease gets dirty. Unless there is a contacts issue with a light bulb (which can have similar symptoms) I would clean up the stalk. I wrote a guide on how, but (at the moment) the pictures are not working (although I have got the links working again);

https://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/ ... 22&t=49528

[white exec]

Over time the contacts grease in the stalk gets contaminated with metal particles (as the moving contact wears), and becomes conductive. This results in indicator relay chatter.
One way to confirm is to very gently and slightly move the indicator stalk while the relay is buzzing/chattering; if the chattering varies, it's the contact issue.

[elma]

Whipped out the stalk and cleaned up inside, it was very dirty. Hopefully thats good bye to that problem, very handy guide James thanks for that. I found the 2 screws for the cowling in the glovebox so thats firmly attached now. I wonder if it was loose from trying to fix this issue, the retaining screws for the stalk are not easy to get to. The stalks both seem loose now the cowlings tight, that will need the steering wheel off to fix as I can't see well enough or reach the bolts I think need tightening up. Just a small extra for when I do the rev counter bulb.

LHM leak would appear to be coming from the rear of the pump at the top. All I can see is that the rearmost top mounting bolt is very wet as is the alternator below it. I will need help here, nothing I can reach in situ or do with the tools I have here. Alasdair and Jim are either of you around next weekend? (the 24th/25th)

[elma]

Oh the tape players broken too, it takes a tape very slowly, checks it out then spits it out equally slowly. Fixable? Or am I looking for another 4030? It was working last week.

[CitroJim]

LHM leak would appear to be coming from the rear of the pump at the top. All I can see is that the rearmost top mounting bolt is very wet as is the alternator below it. I will need help here, nothing I can reach in situ or do with the tools I have here. Alasdair and Jim are either of you around next weekend? (the 24th/25th)

I would think that LHM leak will be caused by a split under the clip on the little rubber stub pipe that links the main suction pipe from the LHM reservoir to the pump inlet spigot. Over time the rubber goes very hard and fails to seal correctly to the pump spigot even if a new clip is used and even if no split is present....

Those stub pipes are no available as replacement parts and fining a length of suitable LHM-proof pipe can now be tricky.... Fuel pipe intended for unleaded petrol is good but is often too large an outside diameter to fit nicely but a search may reveal something OK...

James, I'm around all day on the 24th (Friday) by appointment and available on the 25th and 26th afternoons only... I will not be able to accommodate though... and no later than 7PM in the evenings as that's my bedtime...

Against those constraints you are very welcome - as always...

[Stickyfinger]

Yep....I am here next weekend. Oh, I have access to a large press as well.

[elma]

Has that the potential to be repaired with the pump on the car? Where am I looking on the pump for this pipe? If I can fix it here with the tools I have then I'll sort it out.

I forgot to mention I have almost no radio reception as well. I'm thinking possibly the aerial connection under the passenger carpet has come loose. I'll be checking that, the aerial base and the connection to the stereo today if I get a chance.

On a related side note I'm convinced the car is stuck in hard. Howard seemed to have kept on top of spheres so I don't think they are at fault. It has an e crofting diode kit fitted and makes the right clicks when it's turned off and I listen to the solenoids. Does this mean the most likely cause is low pressure because of my leak? It's clearly affecting the car as no matter how much citrobics I do the suspension jumps up and down as air passes through the system.

[mickeymoon]

I have a big old towel, used it on the old dog for a good wet but muddy rub down .........but you can do it yourself

I'll bring my own I think

James, the clicking indicator relay is a well known and common fault..

It's caused by mucky contacts on the indicator stalk. The stalk can be disassembled to clean them easily enough...

Often a blast of compressed air will resolve the issue on a temporary basis...

Sounds like your 'P' bushes may not be 100% fit... Do give the front bushes a good lever too and don't forget the swivels... If any need swapping you are welcome to come and use my facilities...

Sorry you can't make it on Saturday I was looking forward to an FCF mini-meet!

I might wander down if I can source another 3 wheels to swap for the alloys!

[CitroJim]

Has that the potential to be repaired with the pump on the car? Where am I looking on the pump for this pipe? If I can fix it here with the tools I have then I'll sort it out.

Yes, no need to remove the pump for that job James.. Nor if it's the O ring around the delivery pipe hexagon gone but for all else it's a pump out job...

Easy way to check if it's stuck in hard is to bounce the car at each corner with the engine running then switch off, close all doors and then bounce until you hear the electrovalves click off - you should feel a big difference when they do...

[CitroJim]

I might wander down if I can source another 3 wheels to swap for the alloys!

That'll be good