Bottom Rad Hose - 1999 Citroe XM 2.0i Auto Turbo VSX - Help!

[daggers1980]

Hello all,

First time posting on the forum. I have recently acquired a Citroen XM and it has been a pleasure to drive. However, there is a small seep from the radiator hose which I am hoping to address soon. However, I have not been able to source a new or used bottom hose, and hose specialists do not want to make one-off parts.

I wondered if anyone had any XM bottom hoses they would consider selling (the hoses I need have bayonet connections). Other than that, any advice on alternative solutions (e.g making up a hose etc) would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

John

[CitroJim]

Hi John,

Welcome to the forum

I know the engine and indeed the 2.0 TCT XM pretty well as I used to own one. My Activa (for the time being) has the same engine..

Bayonet hoses, especially the bottom one can be right horrors. They corrode and the chances of getting the joint apart without damaging the rad and the bayonet on the end of the hose are almost nil.

In fact what I've done is the past is to remove the rad complete with the bottom hose attached and then carefully work on it in the workshop... I've saved the hose but not the rad...

Early XMs had conventional rads and hoses and I'd be inclined to retrofit an early rad and either try to get hold of a non-bayonet set of hoses or get some custom silicone ones made up..

Not a very positive response but i hope it helps a little..

[daggers1980]

Hi Jim,

Are the bayonet fittings on Xantia hoses the same as the XM ones?

The XM went through its MOT last week and the mechanic also checked the bottom hose and did remove it, which suggests that for now at least, the bayonet connection is fine.

It would be a crying shame for the car to end up off the road over a hose!

I will look into finding an old radiator too.

[CitroJim]

If the bayonet came apart OK then it's likely to be just the O ring that's gone. It's not a normal O ring but a fully double grooved sort of thing..

Yes, Xantia Bayonets will be the same and one could possibly donate a new O ring...

Indeed it would be a shame to retire it because of this.. As I say, an old-school rad is a good way of seeing it good again if a replacement O ring doesn't sort it...

[daggers1980]

I did consider the possibility of an O-ring needing replacement. Found some on ebay that are supposedly for the XM so will try them and let you know.

If Xantia bayonet endings are the same, I will look into getting some sections of hose etc and making one up.
I will search for old-school rads too. Why they couldn't just leave the design alone I'll never know...

[CitroJim]

Why they couldn't just leave the design alone I'll never know...

We who have experienced them all ask that

The reason, it is believed, was for very quick assembly in the factory.

It was not something that lasted. They were only in vogue for a few years and then they disappeared...

[daggers1980]

Well at least the Xantia and XM bayonet fittings are the same. Will at least allow for the possibility of creating some Heath Robinson-style contraption to fit.

[wurlycorner]

Hi, I had the same scenario of trying to track down a replacement bottom hose for my Activa last year and put a similar post up at the time. NFP from Citroen and I contacted various specialists, but none were interested.

In the end I found a new old stock hose on ebay for a different engine (think it was a 1.9TD off the top of my head) which 'looked' the samein the pictures, had similar dimensions when I looked up the specs on t'interweb and was relatively cheap, so I took a punt on it, even though the part number was different and supposedly not compatible by cross-referencing. When I got it, it turned out to be the same, just with a slightly larger diameter where it attached to the engine (not so much difference that the slack couldn't be taken up by a jubilee clip). I think that's right - if you check back through my posts you should find the thread to verify if needed...

I think the bottom hose deteriorates not from seepage past the o-ring, but because it picks up all the salt/water from the road.
On the basis this may well be last hose I'm ever able to buy for the car (!) I'm planning on wrapping the connection in amalgamating tape to protect it from said crap.

[daggers1980]

I did read about your problems getting the hose. It looks like aside from shoring up the current one, I will have to make one up, which will likely be easier said than done.

[daggers1980]

Is the Activa's engine similar to the XM?

[Deanxm]

The Activa engine is the same as the XM but did not come with an auto gearbox or the same rad position.

D