Le bus oignon - Xantia of many Autoshiters - GYPSY CURSE

[vulgalour]

That's properly hot-rodding on you at the moment, much worse than usual.

[ruffgeezer]

It needs the wheels on the deck to do the heights properly.

[Andrew353w]

I had both height correctors checked by my Citroën specialist a few years ago. He removed and cleaned them both out, resulting in a much more level looking car! The cost wasn't much really, but it is a job best done by someone who understands Citroëns! 

 

I don't know where you are but if you're north London/Hertfordshire based I'm happy to personally recommend a few decent Citroën guys....

[Skizzer]

Looks much better to me.

 

Bonny cars, Xantias.  I did several hundred miles in a week in a borrowed one once and loved it.

[Andrew353w]

With advance apologies if you've already thought of these, but the following thoughts spring to mind re: your suspension:

1/ When was the LHM fluid last changed?

2/ Did you flush the system with LHM flushing fluid?

3/ When were the spheres last checked for pressure?

 

I have my fluid changed regularly and have the filters cleaned at the same time. The guy looks at the colour of the stuff coming out & decides if the system needs a flush or not. Roughly every other change he puts in some magic Citroen flushing LHM & I drive for a thousand miles or so & then he puts the proper LHM fluid back in. Apparently this stuff's a bit like flushing oil for an engine. The spheres are put on a pressure tester that measures how "bouncy" they are and if they need replacing. Sound like you've found a good "old school" Citroën garage to advise you. Listen to what they say: words of wisdom are worth a lot!

 

I know exactly what you mean when you commented about how much of an improvement you've already noticed. There's a huge speed hump at the entrance to the staff car park where I work and I can tell you I DON'T know it's there at 40mph! Everyone else creeps over it! That's Citroën driving!

[vulgalour]

Filters and reservoir were done when the LHM was changed a year ago and both really needed it, especially since the filters weren't actually fitted properly.  Chompy did the filters again about a week ago and they really needed it, having caught some larger chunks than I'd've liked to see in them along with the usual smaller deposits.

[vulgalour]

Are you sure you didn't accidentally buy a VOXHALL?

[Lacquer Peel]

Did it run ok prior to failure to proceed? It still sounds like fuel starvation and/or air the the fuel line to me.

Or maybe the stop solenoid is sticky.

[Lacquer Peel]

The stutter sounds a lot like fuel starvation.

 

Have you replaced the fuel filter as a matter of course and checked the fuel tank strainer?

 

I was surprised at the crap that was in my Volvo's fuel tank after I removed the tank strainer for "better fuel flow"* and it wedged itself in the narrow fuel lines.

 

*

[Lacquer Peel]

I've blocked a new fuel filter in half an hour running on really shit fuel.

 

I don't think you need to drop the tank, you can siphon fuel out of the hole for the fuel sender/pickup under the rear seats.

[Lacquer Peel]

You can, it's a slow process but you need a couple of lengths of fuel pipe and the primer bulb from the engine bay.

[sloth]

also, check the filter head for leaks. lets air in and then no-go.

[Lacquer Peel]

They have a plastic fuel filter housing that can be problematic.

[vulgalour]

You need to look at the pictures to see if they're worth posting.  Don't take the gauze off the in-tank filter, that's not going to help anything, you want to keep filtration, not remove it or just move it further along the system.  Adding a filter in the fuel pipe somewhere is a good idea, it should help with filtration without strangling fuel supply.

 

Another thing that might help get the rubbish out of the tank is to keep the fuel quantity low so the pump is more likely to suck up the rubbish and work it through the filters.

[vulgalour]

Low Fuel Light Roulette.

 

Gentlemen, place your bets!

[Dave_Q]

Surely if the tank is full of rubbish you need to get it out as a first step.

 

I would suggest pumping it out through the sender hole, refilling with pez/kerosene/solvent of choice and repeating until cleanish.

 

Could you use a wet'n'dry vac to suck most of it out or is that madness? Would be quicker than using the hand priming bulb!

[Lacquer Peel]

I'd keep the in tank strainer, removing the one in my Volvo caused problems, mainly because the standard fuel line from the tank to the filter is convoluted and narrow.

 

The swarf is interesting, I wonder if someone tapped the weak thread holding the plastic fuel filter housing to the alloy thermostat housing and didn't clean up.

[Dave_Q]

I had an Omega TD a while ago and that had little flakes of something metallic in the tank that made it look a bit like goldschlager.

 

Maybe from the inside of the filler neck or something?

[Lacquer Peel]

Glad you've got it running well.

Is the BMW fuel filter an in-line one? It's okay as a temporary stopgap but I don't think it'll offer enough filtration.

 

What you really want to do is fit a Bosch-type filter head (various 80s and 90s diesels, I have a couple borrowed from 90s Vauxhall diesels) in the engine bay and use £2 Britpart spin-on filters.

There is a modification for fitting a VW oil cooler as a fuel heater to the Bosch-type filter head too, it works really well.

 

http://www.biotuning.co.uk/ShopFilters.htm

 

You can buy the adapter on its own and use scrapyard parts, but £54 is okay for a new heated fuel filter setup.

[twosmoke300]

Those bmw filters are a proper diesel filter . About 8 inches long and good enough for a bmw diesel so will be fine .

Usually metal flakes in the tank is a sign of the injector pump giving up the ghost . Not always tho

[Lacquer Peel]

Why do they have a main fuel filter in the engine bay as well?

 

I've read about metal flakes being contamination from filling station fuel pumps. I've never seen any metal contamination in years of running diesel engines on illicit fuel.

[twosmoke300]

The beemers just have the one inline filter underneath as far as I know . It's certainly not a crappy halfords plastic thing

[Lacquer Peel]

Aye you're right enough, might be worth keeping one in stock. Good find chompy.

[binhoker668]

You truly are a 'shiting hero! Am just glad that SO FAR my Xantia hasnae displayed any of the expected problems, as for me it would simply involve paying much monies - which I don't have - to pricey Citröen mechanics... All fingers and toes crossed for both of us matey!

[vulgalour]

PICTURES!

 

Old fuel filter removed.

 

New fuel filter installed.

 

Overall engine bay view

 

Fan removed from the housing behind the dashboard.

 

The fan out of the car.

 

The melted connector.

 

[vulgalour]

Exhaust improvements had been made previously too.  A de-cat took place when the old one was found to be all clogged up and useless.

 

 

 

Then a new can was put on the back from a motorbike.  Sounded quite nice fitted, not at all rorty or stupid, just pleasant.

 

Looked subtle too.

 

 

This exhaust has since been done away with and a straight-through system made from Camaro pipes which still looks subtle but certainly doesn't sound it.  The noise doesn't match the car, but definitely matches the POWER CLOUDS that come out of the exhaust.

 

[vulgalour]

!!!!!POWER CLOUDS!!!!!

[Matt]

This thread is now useless without a video of it running with a straight pipe.

[ruffgeezer]

I've had some of the Missus' home made chilli tonight, so I too am having

 

POWER CLOUDS!

[KruJoe]

Today, at Castle K_Joe:

 

 

C_Snake brought the Xant for preventative fettling.

E_Cabbage doing the honours.

Apprentice MEKANIK KITTEH not impressed.