Hi
I've just bought an early 2litre XM, model unknown. Is there anything I should be looking for (quirks/failures) on these cars?
Dom
Early XM - Anything to watch out for?
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ItDontGo
- Posts: 253
- Joined: 20 May 2004, 04:58
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tomsheppard
- Posts: 1802
- Joined: 19 Dec 2002, 14:46
- x 1
Early cars have rotten earthing. If you buy a pack of 100 crimp ring terminals and a proper crimping tool then you'll have a reliable XM, electrically speaking and you will have solved the big problem that makes them cheap. The trick is to bolt the earths down well, so don't be afraid of drilling the odd hole for new earthing posts.
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NiSk
- Posts: 1422
- Joined: 24 Jan 2002, 20:11
- x 1
A lot of the early XM's had (some of) the bad earthing rectified - if you look in the engine compartment at a point on the inner wing just back from the headlights, you may see a white plastic connector with lots of earthing wires going to it - if so, avoid the car like the plague!
other typical "XM" faults:
Top suspension strut (front) mounting rusts away and can end up shooting the strut up into the bonnet (!) - poke hard around the sphere attachment point with a small screwdriver - if you can't stick it through the metal, its OK.
Rear suspension arm bushes wear (just like a BX!) and you get excessive negative camber (tops of the wheels closer than the bottoms) - raise the car to max height and check it from a distance.
Attachment of rear hydraulic cylinder - the forward end is held in place by a steel pin (BX AGAIN!) same problem - pin rusts fast and starts galvanic corrosion of aluminium cylinder - so they leak
They are pretty rust free, but check behind the plastic front inner wing, the back edge tends to collect all sorts of road muck (towards door hinge panel) behind it and if there's any salt in it, it will quickly rot away the hinge panel and front of door sill.
Have heard of rear transverse suspension beams rusting, but never come across one myself.
Otherwise, same types of problems as all other Cits (neglected LHM! & spheres) If its a Hydactive it can have to 8 spheres (some are very craftilly hidden!).
Oh yes, petrol engined - fuel filter - probably never changed because most people never find it - it's hidden up above the rear silencer (yes it has to come out!) and then the heat sheild (also has to come out) a really mucky place to get to -which is why people dont!
//NiSk
other typical "XM" faults:
Top suspension strut (front) mounting rusts away and can end up shooting the strut up into the bonnet (!) - poke hard around the sphere attachment point with a small screwdriver - if you can't stick it through the metal, its OK.
Rear suspension arm bushes wear (just like a BX!) and you get excessive negative camber (tops of the wheels closer than the bottoms) - raise the car to max height and check it from a distance.
Attachment of rear hydraulic cylinder - the forward end is held in place by a steel pin (BX AGAIN!) same problem - pin rusts fast and starts galvanic corrosion of aluminium cylinder - so they leak
They are pretty rust free, but check behind the plastic front inner wing, the back edge tends to collect all sorts of road muck (towards door hinge panel) behind it and if there's any salt in it, it will quickly rot away the hinge panel and front of door sill.
Have heard of rear transverse suspension beams rusting, but never come across one myself.
Otherwise, same types of problems as all other Cits (neglected LHM! & spheres) If its a Hydactive it can have to 8 spheres (some are very craftilly hidden!).
Oh yes, petrol engined - fuel filter - probably never changed because most people never find it - it's hidden up above the rear silencer (yes it has to come out!) and then the heat sheild (also has to come out) a really mucky place to get to -which is why people dont!
//NiSk
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UFO
- Posts: 108
- Joined: 06 Apr 2003, 19:11
Just worked out today that you do not need to remove the rear silencer and heat shield to change the fuel filter on an XM (a job that has needed doing on mine for well over 12 months!)
What you need is "computer arms" which Alan S will atest (sp?) I have. That is, long and thin not like most mechanics would have...
Anyway, I removed the spare tyre tray (amazingly only one bolt near the rear muffler), then removed the bolts for the rear centre sphere heat shield and pushed it as far out of the way as possible, then dropped the rubber support for the 2nd last (transverse) muffler (V6 engine, not sure about other models).
I then had space to manouver my arms up and around the 2nd muffler and undo the rubber clip holding the filter, shield and the filter rubber support block. Then with a stubby screwdriver I could remove the two hose clamps and hoses. It pays to have a drip tray ready as the contents of the filter like to then leak all over you. Retreat from under the vehicle for a few minutes unless you get off on petrol fumes. I was careful removing the hoses and hung the outgoing pipe in a hole on the chassis/frame nearby and was sure not to lose the other shorter incoming hose from the tank.
A bit of imaginative twisting and swearing and the rubber block and filter came out from its hidey hole. A few seconds later the new filter was in, and I applied the Haynes theory. That is after reconnecting the end of the rubber strap back to its hole in the top of the chassis rail. Remember too that the small vertical heat shield must go back up against the rubber block before you reconnect the rubber strap (an overgrown elastic band).
All the bits went back in place and the car started fine.
I pulled the old filter apart to have a look, and we could safely say it was well past its use by date!
By the way, it pays to wear some eye protection while doing this job.
What you need is "computer arms" which Alan S will atest (sp?) I have. That is, long and thin not like most mechanics would have...
Anyway, I removed the spare tyre tray (amazingly only one bolt near the rear muffler), then removed the bolts for the rear centre sphere heat shield and pushed it as far out of the way as possible, then dropped the rubber support for the 2nd last (transverse) muffler (V6 engine, not sure about other models).
I then had space to manouver my arms up and around the 2nd muffler and undo the rubber clip holding the filter, shield and the filter rubber support block. Then with a stubby screwdriver I could remove the two hose clamps and hoses. It pays to have a drip tray ready as the contents of the filter like to then leak all over you. Retreat from under the vehicle for a few minutes unless you get off on petrol fumes. I was careful removing the hoses and hung the outgoing pipe in a hole on the chassis/frame nearby and was sure not to lose the other shorter incoming hose from the tank.
A bit of imaginative twisting and swearing and the rubber block and filter came out from its hidey hole. A few seconds later the new filter was in, and I applied the Haynes theory. That is after reconnecting the end of the rubber strap back to its hole in the top of the chassis rail. Remember too that the small vertical heat shield must go back up against the rubber block before you reconnect the rubber strap (an overgrown elastic band).
All the bits went back in place and the car started fine.
I pulled the old filter apart to have a look, and we could safely say it was well past its use by date!
By the way, it pays to wear some eye protection while doing this job.
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NiSk
- Posts: 1422
- Joined: 24 Jan 2002, 20:11
- x 1
Well Craig, if it wasn't for the fact that we are about as far away from each other as is humanly possible on this planet, I could definately use your arms in the engine room of my newly aquired XM 2.5TD - I guarantee that if you dropped a pin ANYWHERE in the engine compartment, it would never come out the bottom! Now I understand why V6 owners groan when thay have to "pop the hood"!
//NiSk
//NiSk
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rg
- Posts: 280
- Joined: 23 Nov 2002, 02:02
NiSk,
I _never_ leave anything in the engine bay of my 2.5 when working these days.
I have become a "car surgeon", taking everything out from the work area, and placing it clear of the depths of the engine bay. And I've bought a magnetic retreival tool. And a "mirror on a stick".
What we need is "trained rodents" with magnetic jaws to retreive lost bits.
The UK CCC XM columnist reported a failure of his gear linkeage due to a "lost" screwdriver.
rg
I _never_ leave anything in the engine bay of my 2.5 when working these days.
I have become a "car surgeon", taking everything out from the work area, and placing it clear of the depths of the engine bay. And I've bought a magnetic retreival tool. And a "mirror on a stick".
What we need is "trained rodents" with magnetic jaws to retreive lost bits.
The UK CCC XM columnist reported a failure of his gear linkeage due to a "lost" screwdriver.
rg
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NiSk
- Posts: 1422
- Joined: 24 Jan 2002, 20:11
- x 1
Yes, some mischevious previous owner has fitted a whole bunch of extra spotlights, complete with relays and fuses between the battery tray/air filter and the front panel, add to that the standard (German) fit Eberspächer diesel heater stuffed into the front wing space alongside the ABS block and all its' extra water hoses, relays and fuses; and its damned near impossible to even change either the main or dip beam lamp bulbs. I changed the main beam and lost most of the skin on both my hands! It seems abit extreem to have to remove the air filter box AND battery & tray just to change a bulb!
//NiSk
//NiSk
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rg
- Posts: 280
- Joined: 23 Nov 2002, 02:02
DomF9,
Try posting at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/XM-L
This is the very active and helpful XM forum.
NiSk - I don't want a/c on mine....just removable inner and outer wings, similar to the Triumph Herald c 1962.
rg
Try posting at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/XM-L
This is the very active and helpful XM forum.
NiSk - I don't want a/c on mine....just removable inner and outer wings, similar to the Triumph Herald c 1962.
rg
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arry_b
- Posts: 519
- Joined: 10 Dec 2002, 15:55