Citroen XM road trip - electrical fault fixes itself

[messerschmitt owner]

Today was the day I was collecting the XM. I'd arranged to collect it at 5pm and set off at 4-30 (mainly because I had to collect Mini M.O. from school and head over to Cheltenham.

 

Spent part of the afternoon collecting the tool kit (picking up the Halfords 150 piece tool box), air compressor, spare battery, litre of LHM and two petrol cans.

 

Stopped at the petrol station, filled up the two cans, popped some fuel into SWMBO'd Punto cabrio so she wouldn't complain too much.

 

Got to the house at 5pm and the garage door was already open. Then I drove the Punto into the garage and popped the bonnet on the XM. Put the jump leads on and it started almost immediately.

 

Drove the XM out of the garage and pumped the tyres up - three were low but not flat, the other was OK.

 

Quickly checked indicators and windows worked, adjusted the electric mirrors to suit and did the same with the driver's seat. It was sunny so I also opened the sunroof. Car was quite dusty but you could tell it would clean OK.

 

Drove home, took the back roads and got home at six, having spent twenty mins chatting to the former owner as the tyres blew up. Topped up the LHM, added a little water and popped the new car on the drive.

 

Then I cooked dinner, was the least I could do as SWMBO'd is letting me keep the XM. Went out after dinner and washed the car - doesn't half come up well - you could see the clouds in the reflection on the bonnet!

 

Took some photos, uploading them to flickr later and will update this thread with before and after photos.

 

Found the security code for the radio - it works now!

 

So, all in, a successful day. Battery looks savable and is on charge as we speak. MoT tomorrow - it'll fail on washers, which need cleaned through, rear spheres and there is a blow in the back of the exhaust. Next report is what it fails on tomorrow!

 

Top tip:- don't put foot to floor until the road is clear as an XM turbo moves like shit off a shovel!

[HMC]

Good work! looking forward to the after pics as the originals made me wonder how well the paint would shape up

[DSdriver]

Fingers crossed for the MOT. Presumably as you know it will fail anyway this is a "see if its worth it before spending any money" type MOT.

[messerschmitt owner]

Fingers crossed for the MOT. Presumably as you know it will fail anyway this is a "see if its worth it before spending any money" type MOT.

I think, unless it fails big time with emissions or similar, it will fail with a couple of hundred pounds worth of work. I'd say it's worth persevering with!

 

Prepare to be impressed with the paint under that dust!

[skattrd]

Not the usual road trip story, but good work fella.

 

Didn't you say it had some warning lights on? airbag or abs? These are MOT failures as well.

[messerschmitt owner]

Not the usual road trip story, but good work fella.

 

Didn't you say it had some warning lights on? airbag or abs? These are MOT failures as well.

the engine auto diagnosis light is on - that's not a failure - the light failures only cover abs and airbag.

[boobydoo]

Get them photos posted, fruitie-pie!

[skattrd]

Ok, I thought you'd said some warning light was on. Hopefully it's nothing major with the engine light.... Oh and we need pics

[messerschmitt owner]

So, pictures!

 

It looked like this when I got home!

 

IMG_0832 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

it was a little bit dirty!

 

IMG_0830 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

is that my other XM behind it?

 

IMG_0836 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

dirty, or just rather mucky?

 

IMG_0839 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

I went in and made dinner and came out and washed it!

 

It's a little cleaner now!

 

Let's look at the rear hatch first!

 

Now, remember, I'm not one of those anal detailing freaks - this was just a wash with car shampoo and water

 

IMG_0856 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

imagine this polished ...

 

IMG_0862 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

 

parking spaces need to be huge ...

IMG_0840 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

these are 4.5 year old werther originals!

 

IMG_0842 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

washed

 

IMG_0855 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

IMG_0850 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

a nice place to be

 

IMG_0853 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

 

isn't Mauritius blue lovely?

 

IMG_0851 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

[skattrd]

That does look rather sexeh ... they are damned huge aren't they.

I guess someone used to polish a bit for it to come up that nice so quick.

[KruJoe]

Oof, that's come up well!

Nice to see glimpses of your other tat, too. Most of them are on my 'list'.

[messerschmitt owner]

Oof, that's come up well!

Nice to see glimpses of your other tat, too. Most of them are on my 'list'.

it has, hasn't it - supposedly they rust on the sills at the back but it is perfect there.

 

Oh, and the chrome effect plastic trim is still chrome for the most part - next report will be the MoT fail sheet. It'll be a few items, but nowt major from what I can see - rear spheres and back zorst are likely to be the most expensive, although the garage says it needs to be a major blow to fail nowadays and I may just get an advisory.

[DSdriver]

isn't Mauritius blue lovely?

Yep, same colour as my sailing boat... you could buy that as well and be colour coordinated... or I could buy the XM from you when you are bored with it, I've never owned a Citroen newer than a CX.

[Morgan84]

Very impressive motor indeed

 

With a car which looks as nice as that,even if you sink a grand into it,its cheap luxury motoring,which should last a few good years if well rust proofed,and that nasty little cambelt is changed as required.

 

Many happy motoring miles to you

[messerschmitt owner]

isn't Mauritius blue lovely?

Yep, same colour as my sailing boat... you could buy that as well and be colour coordinated... or I could buy the XM from you when you are bored with it, I've never owned a Citroen newer than a CX.

lol - I may have to resist the temptation to drive it if the fuel consumption proves too much - it's sitting at 11.6mpg at the moment but I blame clearing the cobwebs for that.

 

 

I'm going to sink a few hundred into it just now and sort the cam belt as soon as I can afford it - at the moment I can't really afford a new toy, but when one turns up you can't say no.

 

I haven't even paid for it yet - it's on approval.

[RobT]

Corrr, that looks a cracker, good luck with the MoT tomorrow. How did you justify this one to the missus? 'Practical' is the one I'd use!

[dollywobbler]

Blimey. What a transformation! I have to say though, that front shot with the fabulous dusty bonnet is a potential calendar shot I reckon. I'd almost have been sad to wash it all away!

 

I'm definitely going to have to own an XM at some point. I'm hoping it'll be like the CX but a bit less OTT.

[Spiny Norman]

 

 

How are you managing to take photos with a cassette tape?

 

Car looks ace, btw.

[Cavcraft]

/\

 

Looks ace that, Campbell, top work!

[messerschmitt owner]

 

 

How are you managing to take photos with a cassette tape?

 

Car looks ace, btw.

it was a present - a retro phone cover!

 

I just hope the MoT goes OK.

 

Oh, the remote central locking, what do you think are the odds of it working?

 

Practical was how I got it past SWMBO - and the fact I had a brand new XM estate towbar in the garage ...

[Lord Sterling]

Wow! The XM looks amazing Campbell. It must have been pretty well looked after and polished last time it was used. Was it covered up in the garage you took it out from as sometimes dust likes to find its way onto cars stored for long periods in garages, I should know, I have 2 collecting dust now!

[jonathan_dyane]

I miss my lovely XM

[messerschmitt owner]

it wasn't covered at all - it's been rolled out occasionally over the past four years but otherwise just left to gather dust and wait for me to arrive.

 

It's the second one I have pulled out of a garage after half a decade - both in Gloucester or Cheltenham. Their owners tend to love them ...

[messerschmitt owner]

Dropped off at the garage. Comments included 'I didn't think it was possible to find a car uglier than an xm hatchback' and 'hope it is as good as it looks'.

[messerschmitt owner]

Garage has called.

 

Fail!

 

So here's what it failed on:

Exhaust - two major leaks, which are also throwing out emissions to unacceptable levels.

Windscreen wiper blades (not a surprise after four years in the garage).

Windscreen washers blocked.

 

 

Advisory on

Two rear tyres at about 2.5mm

Rear suspension spheres - which are bouncy enough to want to change soon.

 

So it's getting a new exhaust and cat tomorrow and the other things attended to. Total cost inc mot is £280.

[RobT]

That's not too bad, nice one. So it'll be ready to be pressed into house moving service then?! That was my excuse last time I bought a big estate.

[messerschmitt owner]

I'll be slinging the towbar on it once it's back. It's a fun job to do I reckon. Actually the towbar is four bolts plus a tow hitch and some wiring.

 

Spare tyre looked new too. I think I'll stick my s1 wheel trims on it as well.

 

I'm chuffed.

[dollywobbler]

I'd be chuffed too. Seems a good gamble. Always a bit scary driving a new motor to an MOT.

[messerschmitt owner]

I'd be chuffed too. Seems a good gamble. Always a bit scary driving a new motor to an MOT.

Ian

It wasn't a real gamble. I reckoned on 200 scrap and five or six hundred pounds worth of bits if broken. Better go pay for it now.

 

I'll valet it when it comes back. Then tax it at end of the month. It'll be a nice change from the diesel one.

 

Anyone want to buy a bx?

If you fancy it ian you can test drive an xm.

[dollywobbler]

I'm all BX'd up at the moment! Two is enough really.