Bloomin cars!!
Xantia unwell after we got back from hols in mid aug. Poor performance, hesitation and far too much grey smoke. Proved to be intercooler/turbo pipework split. Temp repair and service done then part on back order fitted on Thursday. Over £300 for that lot.
Today its dumped a load of hydraulic fluid on the drive. Fortunately I spotted the 'snail trail' marking its route in last night . Starting the engine to investigate increased the drip drip to a copious flow, pipe burst I'd guess. Been flatbacked to garage and I'm waiting full diagnosis.
Slightly worrying that the recovery driver assured me it would have got he 6 miles to the garage OK 'if I'd set the suspension to high'. Pointed out I was more worried about the brakes (STOP light and brake warning on dash alight by now) to be told 'you'd be alright mate there on a diferent system'.
I think they are on a C5 but Xant was last of the DS/CX/BX series where brakes, suspension and steering are all on the HP LHM circuit.
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Oh dear, B, where was the leak from? front or back? The main pressure lines on that era Xantia seem to be well protected against corrosion and don't usually give problems. It's usually the rubber return hoses that split and they are usually quite simple to repair. I can't see how setting the suspension on high will do much to help. It may be a leak from the pump outlet which isn't too bad.
You've had a few niggles lately, heater fan, washer pump, and now an artery leaking.
I hope the repairs aren't too expensive.
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Hope it's an easy fix Brompton.
Worth keeping going, still a cracking car imo.
Do you have a good Citroen indy on tap?, i do hope so in case the C2 develops any sickness.
As for supension on high, that was the official way to transport them and it works too....once set in high they must lock out somehow cos after several hours on the moving truck they'd still be rock solid, if you left them at normal/intermediate height they'd often have sunk to the bottom before you'd got very far.
What high does to the brake situation i have no idea, the brakes still work normally so what's the difference.
Just shows how quickly you forget, i know the BX handbrake worked on the fronts, but for life of me i can't remember about Xantia and C5 mk1, needed to know with hydraulic sliding decks so you didn't break an automatic gearbox in lock..;)
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Thanks for replies MJM/GB
Northampton's Citroen indy is Tony Brooks just off St Peter's Way. Look after both my cars and I've never had much to complain about. Rates not that far from main dealer but Tony and his staff know their stuff with the older Cits. Gerald White used to my alternative but they were eventually dragged down when LDV went mams up.
Flow seemed to be form n/s front. The LHM tank and pump are both on that side of engine bay so probably split plumbing somewhere. Looks like I'll have to wait til Monday to find out. Fortumately we only need one car fro a bit as Mrs B is teaching in the village until Xmas.
The fault on the heater motor cured itself. I'd got used to having it going full pelt and and thought it had packed up completely at first!!. Must be a loose contact/dry solder as suggested by those who helpfully contributed to the original thread. Probably go again eventually.
I've had the car since new and I suspect I'll run it into the ground. Repairs this year have been around £700 - had an ABS rotor/sensor fail as well. But not much more than servicing quite a bit before that. Much cheaper than depreciation on something newer.
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It'll be the front anti sink valve, which lives under the LHM tank, and is known for the o-ring in the end of the block failing. I'm pretty sure a repair is possible, but I suspect a garage will go for a new one.
Mine has just clicked over 120k. New ABS ring pending, but otherwise it just keeps going - 73k in 4 years with little over regular mainenance - not bad for a £3k car that's still worth nearly a quarter of that!
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Thanks Rich.
Nothing more from garage. Spoke to the boss at lunchtime and clear that day's booked work meant it would be lucky even to get on a ramp today. Wil report back on Monday.
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I had another thought that it might be the PAS feed pipe - hope it's not:
a) the pipe is right pig to fit - it goes from the pump on front OS of the engine, via the NS of the engine bay, and all the way back across to the rack pinion
b) it used (see c) to be really expensive
c) it's no longer available from Citroen for this engine / gearbox combo (shared with the 2.1TD as well)
So, if it is the PAS pipe, there will be fair amount of labour involved, and they will need to get someone like Pirtek to make up a new pipe - the pipe is composite metal and rubber, and the rubber is required to soak up the pressure pulses from the PAS pump.
Fingers crossed it is the A/S valve!
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>> So, if it is the PAS pipe, there will be fair amount of labour involved,
>> and they will need to get someone like Pirtek to make up a new pipe
>>
Pirtek's number is worth having available, many hundreds of yards of hydraulic piping on the trucks i drove, much of it threaded under, inside and through the frame of the vehicle.
Pirtek's lads are brilliant at Houdini style getting inside and under and attaching new bits of pipe in the most inaccessible places, their mobile vans carry a huge assortment of pipes and fittings, usually there within the hour.
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Got it back tonight, invoice as follows:
Remove LHM tank and trace leak in transfer valve block. Remove, replace seals, rebuild refill bleed and test. Labour £118, another £12.50 for LHM and VAT on top. Ouch.
It had better behave for a bit from now on - Tony has a nice loking Picasso on the forecourt!!
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Tue 6 Sep 11 at 21:48
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Ouch? OUCH? for all that work? you got away lightly,
Anyway, its time you turned this pile of pipes in for scrap, you are just asking for trouble.
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Not too bad then, Bromptonaut. At least you have a garage prepared to strip and repair something instead of just fitting new. I suppose that’s about 3 hours labour.
>> Anyway, its time you turned this pile of pipes in for scrap, you are just asking for trouble. <<
My Xantia is a year older than Bromptonaut’s. Running a “wet” Citroen of that age is a bit of a gamble but there is a lot of expertise available to keep them going. I can’t see anything more modern with the same ride comfort that it has except for a C5 but that, in my opinion, doesn’t look as good as the Xantia and is a cross between true Citroen hydraulics and traditional arrangements. There doesn’t seem to be much modern stuff available that doesn’t look like imposing slabs of blinged up steel and plastic complete with fairy lights for decoration.
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There doesn’t seem to be much modern stuff available that doesn’t look like imposing slabs of
>> blinged up steel and plastic complete with fairy lights for decoration.
Couldn't agree more, camp lights...
That's a very reasonable result Brompton, if you ran a steel sprung car the dampers would be on their last legs long before now, factor in broken springs due to Briatins broken roads, and i reckon you're quids in.
So far the Benz has covered approx 80k miles from new, it's had a full set of springs all round over time, and a full set of dampers, and 2 new track control arms (don't even ask how much MB want for those) as well as ARB bushes.
Wish my suspension maintenance was the same as yours.
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At last MOT our Picasso (2003, 85k miles) needed new track rod end, lower arm (ball joint was away, but not available separately), new spring, and when dismantled a new damper as well. Inc MOT there wasn't much change out of £400.
At the last MOT, the Xantia (2001, 114k) needed...nothing*! Whoo hoo! Best car I have owned by a hydraulically sprung mile!
*Although I did have a track rod replaced as the inner joint was pretty slack, but not bad enough to earn a red ticket.
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I suspect you're teasing Zeddo but..
My rationale with it is same as MJM plus I've had mine from new so I know the full history. It's not worth much and replacing it, say with the 05 Picasso on the dealers front, would be around £3k.
In spite of its fearsome reputation the hydropneumatic system is pretty trouble free. Since 89 I've had two BXs and a Xantia, about 300k miles between them. Probably a couple of other leaks though none as dramatic as this one. Height correctors stick occasionally but can usually be freed off, if not then replacement isn't too dramatic. The spheres are consumables with a life of 5-7yrs, cheaper and easier to replace than springs/shocks.
Otherwise, its still on its original clutch at 135k. The release bearing has chattered when cold since about 85k but action still light and precise. No corrosion apart from on the drivers door - reskinned after a car park hit and run in 2002. Probably third exhaust and (front) discs, fifth set pads. Rear discs do nowt and are originals.
Does 40++ to the gallon, is as fast as I need it to be and admirably fills the role of station hack/backup to the family Berlingo. Miss B loves driving it too and handling something that size means she's far more confident than her peers in the Saxo/Corsa/Ka jobbies.
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>> I suspect you're teasing Zeddo but..
I am and I am not. 50-50
Look at it in the cold light of day, and tick all the issues you have been having lately.....
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I really don't want spend £k on a replacement right now.
Barring the fall of the coalition or major rebellion in the Lords my job as Operations Manager in a Quango ends sometime next year. Not before March but almost certainly no later than May/June. Redeployment is difficult unless I can find a particular niche post so I'm probably redundant, or rather early retired, by next summer.
Depending on Mrs B's peregrinations as a supply teacher, mostly sick/maternity cover these days, we might be able to get by with just the Berlingo.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 7 Sep 11 at 21:26
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Was thinking about your clutch earlier, B.... These use a hydrualic pull clutch where the release bearing is only clipped into the pressure plate by a non too substantial looking spring ring. If / when the spring fails the bearing comes away, and this usually ejects the slave piston. Unfortunatelty this is a sealed unit, whichcosts £££ and is a pain to replace - although it can be repaired / re-bled with a bit of care . So, I'd keep an ear on that clutch, and if it starts to get worse then get it changed before the release bearing lets go and a £400 or so bill starts to look more like £1k....!
In response to Z, non service expense on mine in 4 years:
Track rod ends (£25 / 1 h)
Fuel filter housing (£65 / 1h)
Blower feed repair (£0 / 2h)
Rear screen supply repair (£0 / 1 h)
Rear wiper freed off (£0 / 2h)
Alternator (£110 / 2h)
Handbrake cables (£40 / 1h)
Track rod (£70) - I paid the garage to do this one
ABS ring (£15 / 1h) - still to do this...!
So that's £325 + 10h labour - or a total of about £830 if I'd taken it to the garage. Much less than the depreciation on something newer, or even the cost of dealer services on a new one. It's not getting near weighing in any time soon - unless it starts to blot its copy book....
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Thanks Richard.
IIRC the quote to replace was nearer £700 than £400 but food for thought nonetheless.
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Passed MoT today so looks like its good for another year.
Only issue (non MoT) was an intermittent hydraulic pressure warning light. Insecure electrical connection. Legacy of righting the trouble in my OP to which the garage have held up their hand.
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Good news, another one lives for a bit longer. I bet it was the connection to the LHM level sensor on the top of the tank.
You could double its value now and fill it with DERV :)
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Citroen Xantia - Hdi 110 - 2000 Aaaaagh - MJM
