Citroen XM 2.1 TD Now for SALE! £900

[philibusmo]

There were cries of anguish heard from a particularly beige corner of the internet known as ‘Autoshite’ last night as it transpired that another of their members has bought “yet another fucking Citroen XMâ€Â.
 
This XM was purchase last weekend from Skattrd of the very same forum for the sum of £800 and is in hatchback 2.1 turbot disease flavour. Thanks to its Bosch pump it is also friendly with vegetables.
 
The new owner, a one Mr PhilibusMo of The South now has a drive that looks like the worst executive car park of ever as this exclusive photo shows:
 

 
As for this XM, it is in a fine blue hue and wears its 167,000 miles remarkably well. The are no major dents and no rust to be seen, the nose cone however is a little scuffed and one of the fog lamps is wonky, this will be address in due course.
 




 
The interior is sumptuous and extremely comfortable. The only piece of equipment that doesn’t work is the cruise control but the parts to fix this came with the car. The dot matrix display which shows such information as ‘right front door open’ and ‘normal suspension’ has a good few lines not working which will be taken off and repaired before too long.
 
The only possible major fault is the height adjustor as it does not seem to want to move, no matter what is done with it. This has been evidenced as working for the previous owner so it is unknown why it does not function now.
More adventures to follow.

[Sloth in a bowl]

There is something so effortlessly cool about the look of French barges that is a complete odds with the effort required to keep them in good order. Well done on being brave enough to buy an XM.

[phil_lihp]

Nice one, this forum cannot have enough XMs, especially in that colour.  

[Lacquer Peel]

I have had height adjuster issues with Xantias before, they seem to get better with some 'exercise'.

Looks lovely, I have MEGA WANT for an XM just now.

 

Edit: do you mean the height adjuster switch?

[Lankytim]

Just like mine!

[philibusmo]

I have had height adjuster issues with Xantias before, they seem to get better with some 'exercise'.

Looks lovely, I have MEGA WANT for an XM just now.

 

Edit: do you mean the height adjuster switch?

 

I do mean the height adjuster switch. I think I'm doing it right by pulling it slightly up and trying to move it. It will move forward, almost to the mid-point between normal and high suspension, but won't quite get there, and it will hardly move backwards at all. Am I doing something stupidly wrong or is something borked?

[skattrd]

Phil, for the height adjuster, try lifting the surround a little bit, I think the roller thing that is around the lever may have come off a bit. it did that to me previously which stopped the lever being moved properly.

[philibusmo]

I'll give that a try tomorrow. I have a day of pulling apart the interior to fix the dot matrix display and cigarette lighter and fit new speakers, so that can also be added to the list.

[beko1987]

The roller always ducks up on mine, pull the surround out and sort it.

 

I sorted my rear height corrector out with half a can of plusgas over a month period. And lots of citrobatics

 

Oh, and Yey, another XM

[philibusmo]

As promised, today I looked at few non-working parts of the interior.

This dial works initially when the ignition is turned on, but then shortly after stops working. It's not bothering me overly, and I'm not even sure what its measuring, but does anyone have any ideas why this would happen?

I also set to work on the dot matrix display on the left hand side of the steering wheel. Many of the lines on it had ceased to function, making it somewhat difficult to work out what it was saying. One of the bulbs behind was also blown, making the right hand side almost illegible.

Here it is sat in my hand after being removed from the dash. I found the Peugeot, Talbot, Citroen logos on it most pleasing.

4

But the dash did look like this:

I then split the display and all the three folded circuit boards from the case work and cleaned up all the connections with electronic contact cleaner.

The obvious culprit was the flexible contact between the circuit boards and the display itself, which should have been stuck together but unpeeled with very little provocation with the contact surfaces looking decidedly worse for wear.

I cleaned all the gunk from these with nail varnish remover as the contact cleaner was not shifting it and then filled drew on all the damaged contacts on the flexible ribbon with a sharp 6B pencil to add to the conductive surfaces with a little extra graphite. With this done and plugged in, it was a little better, but still not perfect with 5 or 6 lines still missing.

So I pulled it apart again and took a look at the black rubber band arrangement that is supposed to hold the contacts securely in place (just visible on the top of the white casework in the bottom left of the picture showing all the parts of the display)  and I found the band to not be as springy and supple as it was in 1996. It had also become a little squashed over the years so was not pushing as hard as it should. The solution was to cut the tails from two tie wraps and slot them in behind the band in two places so that when all screwed back together it would exert more force to push the contacts together. This did the trick perfectly and I also changed the dud bulb.

SUCCESS:

I did have a look at sorting the cigarette lighter but the one that came with the car is a sligtly different size to the original and would not fit, so instead I sorted the suspension lever. As predicted this was all due to the trim around it being caught up underneath so that was put right in no more than a few minutes.

Car goes up:

Car goes down:

Next job: sorting the cigarette lighter and sound system, two things that would have been done today if I had the parts. I will also have a look at the recent history and see if any service bits need doing, anyone able to enlighten me on what it has had recently?

[skattrd]

Nice work on the dot-matrix display. The dial on the far right I think is oil level, it shows the level when you turn the ignition on for so many seconds, and then it doesn't read after that. It should say what it is in the the manual. Sorry about the cig lighter mate, I thought they were all the same.

Servicing, as the last owner I was quite lazy. I just bought the car and drove it. I would say it's probably due, or not far off, an oil & filter change. Fiat4Alfa did most of the recent work to the car, new rear spheres, gearbox fluid change etc. http://autoshite.com/topic/13456-citro%C3%ABn-xm-derv-badermatic-in-a-blue-bought/

[Lankytim]

Brill work with the DOT MATRIX DISPLAY, mine are exactly the same so im going to have a go at fixing it myself after seeing this. Saab 9-5's have exactly the same issue caused by the same problem.

[Partridge]

I need to join the XM club soon.

 

Maybe we should rename this ohnonotanotherfuckingxm.com?

[R9UKE]

Yep, that oil level thing was big with 90s Frenchies. It only reads for the first few seconds then drops to zero for the rest of the journey. In my Safrane it then changes to an oil pressure gauge which solves the problem of people thinking they have a faulty gauge which does nothing most of the time!

 

Dot matrix looks great, such a satisfying moment when you piece everything back together and the fix has gone THAT well. Great job

[beko1987]

I have bookmarked that as I have the same issue! Don't suppose you could describe how to get the dash off in more detail? My gear indicator bulb is gone too, so I need to go further than you!

 

My rear ciggie lighter doesn't work either, but I light my fags in the drivers seat so it hasn't bothered me.

 

The oil gauge is highly Shit, I did an oil change abd the levels fine on the dipstick, but the gauge doesn't rise at all. It used to, but now doesn't.

[philibusmo]

I have bookmarked that as I have the same issue! Don't suppose you could describe how to get the dash off in more detail? My gear indicator bulb is gone too, so I need to go further than you!

 

My rear ciggie lighter doesn't work either, but I light my fags in the drivers seat so it hasn't bothered me.

 

The oil gauge is highly Shit, I did an oil change abd the levels fine on the dipstick, but the gauge doesn't rise at all. It used to, but now doesn't.

It's my front cigarette lighter which doesn't work, the rear is fine which is a bit annoying but after a bit of investigation it seems that the generic one that Halfords sell is the right size so I may pop down there with my trade card soon.

 

To take apart the dash you will need a set of torx screw driver bits. I have this set which did the job perfectly.

 

There are 5 or 6 screws in lower edge of the trim panel which goes around the steering wheel and has the 2 displays, warning lights, bank of switches and heater controls in it. Take these out and then pop out the blank on the end of the bank of switches (mine has an alarm LED in it) these is another torx screw behind there.

 

Now lower and pull out the steering wheel as far as possible, there will be two blanks visible behind the steering cowling, get a small flat blade screwdriver in and ping them out and you'll find another torx bit behind each. These are a bit fiddly to get to but was possible with the set I linked to.

 

You will now be able to pull this trim panel away slightly (there is a tough spring clip on the right so be careful) but it will be very difficult to get the display out, so to ease access the trim panel around the dash clocks and containing the heater vents needs to come out. One torx screw is visible behind the partially removed lower panel, then there are another two just above the dials. The final screw is behind the small piece of trim that is between the two central vents, this can be popped out with a small screw driver and with this removed the whole upper trim panel can be taken out, easing access to the display.

 

The display is simply clipped into the trim panel. You may want to unplug all the switches and displays so you can pull the lot out a little further. Don't worry about labeling them as they are all colour coded. There are tabs clipping the display in on the top edge and bottom edge. Push down the ones on the top edge and the display should snap out, these are difficult to see as they are behind the top edge of the trim panel but you can just see where they start so get a small screw driver in there and push them down, it will feel obvious when you have found them.

 

The unit should now pop out easily.

 

When taking it apart the outer casework is just snapped together, the circuit boards are held together with slightly smaller torx screws.

 

If when the circuit boards are apart the flexible connections don't easily come apart then leave them be and just muck about with the rubber band, turning it around and adding a couple of shims made from tie wrap tails. If the connector has come apart then make sure the 6B pencil you use is very sharp as you will need to effectively draw on the new connectors where they have disintegrated on the flexible part and these are very small. Clean all the old glue and anything else of the circuit board with nail varnish remover and a couple of cotton buds.

 

If you take out the glass for the display then make sure it all goes back in the same way round or you will end up with black writing on a green background.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[beko1987]

Brilliant how to, thanks very much! Sounds like a Dyson DC25, Daunting, end up with fucking hundreds of screws but sounds do-able!

 

I have a set rather like the one you linked to, and a 10mm set for Dysons, so should be ok.

 

I feel I know what my next job will be now! Shame I cant afford a new headunit so I can run the mic cable whilst the dash is out, hey ho!

[RedSparrow]

Well done on the display. That's just the sort of thing I would dismiss as knackered and buy a new unit.

[beko1987]

Good luck trying to find a new one, let alone a second hand one with all of it's lines! It's the sort of thing where if the above doesnt work, JFDWI!

[flat4alfa]

I would say it's probably due, or not far off, an oil & filter change. Fiat4Alfa did most of the recent work to the car, new rear spheres, gearbox fluid change etc. http://autoshite.com/topic/13456-citro%C3%ABn-xm-derv-badermatic-in-a-blue-bought/

 

FIAT4alfa?  Who's dat den?   It's flat as in flat-4, boxer, like.

 

It had fresh oil and filter and LHM at same time, all around June time.  Had new front discs and pads then too.  Spent a bit on that old barge (Citroen fella I know did the lot), which was daft as I had no real use for it in the end and needed the money. And the Missus hated driving it.

 

It was me that clouted the bumper on a wall, but the Citroen club member I sold it on to had plans to change the unit as a whole so it was just lashed back home.  Did the welding get done by the Citroen 'specialist' that he p/x'd it to in September?

 

The DOT matrix didn't bother me enough to warrant taking the dash to bits - I feared I would just introduce extra problems.  With a touch of laziness.

 

I sold it with 162k on.  Should all be there in my old thread.

[Shep Shepherd]

What a cracking car

[brickwall]

I always ignored these cars until I came to these boards and now I'm really beginning to like them. Hmm...

[philibusmo]

In that case it's done just over 5000 miles since its last oil change I'll get the oil and filter and get that done in the not too distant future in that case.

 

I'm not sure about the welding, all appears to be well at a glance and the sills seem solid. I'll have a thorough look over it when I change the oil as I'm not adverse to a spot of welding.

 

Whats the drill with getting under these? I guess set the suspension to high and then jack up a little and pop it on axle stands. Either that or up on ramps.

[chaseracer]

Phil, I have four doors and a tailgate in that colour - all VGC - if you're interested.

[beko1987]

Exactly that, up on high or it'll swallow the Jack on the way down. I normally sit axle stands under the subframe mounts. Or put it on ramps if I'm not doing anything suspensiony.

 

Had the spheres checked recently on it? Does your sport light come on briefly with engine startup?

[philibusmo]

Thanks, I think I'll start on the ramps and see how  I get on from there. The rear spheres were recently changed so should be ok not sure about the front ones though.

 

As far as I know the sport light flick on when the engine is started but I will check tomorrow. Should it do?

 

And thanks for the offer Chaseracer, my tailgate and doors all seem to be in good order, so I will pass for the moment.

[dollywobbler]

When jacking, bear in mind that when you lower it, the car may sink right down onto the bump stops, trapping the jack. Running the engine should lift it again, but they do sometimes get confused and take a while to work out what's happened.

 

Also, on BXs at least, avoid jacking on the sill. They are reinforced in two places but easily ruined. The rear of the front subframe, on the mounting is generally considered safe.

[HillmanImp]

I am very impressed with the work on that display. I have never ever known anyone to even try fixing something like that before. Its something you just live with or replace. Good work.

[PhilA]

I agree on the good work with the dash. Those connections are so fragile and easily broken, they're quite often all broken just by heat and age.

Nice they went together again and worked properly. Gives a nice sense of achievement, that does. Especially on something so visible.

 

Phil

[philibusmo]

Possible bad news.

 

On the drive home on Friday, on right hand bend and when accelerating or going up hill, the red light of STOP would illuminate and 'brake pressure low' would appear (in full) on the dot matrix display.

 

 

Thats the problem right there. The reservoir is almost empty with the car on its highest setting. I have filled it up and it took about 1 liter of LHM, but I do need to find where it has all gone. It is due a good service before winter really sets in, possibly next weekend, so it can be a job for then.