Citroen XM - was JohnK's steed

[richardmorris]

Could be the door membranes letting water into the car and not out of the drains in the doors. Come to that, check the drains in the doors. My cx let water into the footwell this way.

 

As for the coolant etc. how is the thermostat?

[dollywobbler]

If the thermostat was seized, I'd expect the gauge to show it was running too hot. It seems to behave and quickly get up to temperature the rest of the time. Perhaps damp just got in somewhere it shouldn't have.

 

The water leak is definitely via the roof. There are holes in the top of each door frame, where apparently you can bolt a roof rack. These are now suspects. As it happens, I think the driver's door does leak via the bottom, but that doesn't explain the soaked headlining.

[dollywobbler]

I haven't updated this thread after the last lot of work really. 

 

This is what a rusty strut top looks like when removed. Now refitted as the replacement was the wrong size. I am now nervous. You can see the rubber lifting up off the rusty metal. It is at least still solid. For now.

 

A small belt sander is great for attacking bubbly bits. No rot here, but the paint was bubbling badly. I got some paint on these bits yesterday but zinc primered them during this workshop session.

 

Masked up ready for the repaired sills to be stonechipped and painted.

 

Note lack of rust on rear arches. This is today - full of moisture!

 

I think these holes are now to blame. They're for attaching a roof rack. What a stupid idea! Bring back gutters I say.

[Noel Tidybeard]

 

 

 

grub screws FTW

[beko1987]

Can you not drop the headlining out for a few days and see if you spot it?

 

My temp gauge was erratic when I first bought it so changed the stat. Old stat looked OK but it did settle it down. The beep of a warning used to scare the shit out of me, happened a lot when I punctured a coolant hose and lost water rapidly... Luckily there's a fair margin in the expansion tank from Max to warning light ping. The o ring broke on my cap though from repeated opening. A hozelock rubber ring fitted well...

[dollywobbler]

I've just headed out again for a drive. Got a few miles down the road, the warning light flashed briefly on and the headlamps dimmed. They flicked back to normal, then a bit dim again and stayed that way. So, it's looking increasingly like French electrics. Hope it restarts when I head home...

[chaseracer]

Relays OK?

[dollywobbler]

Gawd knows. I know nothing about the relays at all. Seems a logical thing to consider though. I need a new multimeter though. My old one is both broken and, now it seems, lost.

 

Chatting to the XM geeks, they still reckon my strut tops aren't too bad at all, so I may yet opt to give them a clean up, rust convert and paint should the weather actually allow me to do so. Or I could try tidying my garage so the XM will fit in there. It is big...

[chaseracer]

It's not unknown - and remember I've had two of these Gallic spaceships - for the mere act of removing and reattaching a relay to solve electrical issues by cleaning up the contacts.  A squirt of contact cleaner (or even WD40) between those two points would help too.

 

And so we reach the limit of my electrical knowledge/capability... 

[dollywobbler]

Actual sunshine meant I had a play with this today. Dropped the interior light out and it was soaking up above the headlining! Removed all of the aluminium tape - I don't think it was doing a very good job as it was wet beneath the tape. Pulled the sunroof motor out, dropped the front of the headlining and had a good drying session. There was water on the base of the aerial, so that's looking like a culprit. Just in addition to what's coming through the sunroof though.

 

Frostbite stopped play for now. The sunroof isn't working properly with the motor (but will manually crank) and lots of stuff needs refitting. A job for tomorrow. Wondering if I can do a better job of sealing the sunroof seal to the glass until I can crack on with the much bigger job of pulling out the sunroof panel, and discovering just how rotten the frame is.

[Andrew353w]

A few miles later, the low coolant light flashed on. It went out again. Then came back on and stayed on. Having eyeballed the level only a few days ago, I decided to ignore it. Got home, rag over the expansion bottle and I opened it. Just a quick hiss as you'd expect. Level very slightly below maximum. But, the rad fans were running yet the top pipe was cool. Gauge was reading just above normal - ie not when you'd expect the fans to run. Heater was functioning correctly. I must admit, I'm somewhat baffled. Is it just one of those days that XM owners expect to have?

 

I don't know if this helps, but when I first bought it my Xantia's fans came on & stayed on for ages after I'd switched the engine off. When I was having the radius arms replaced by a Citroen specialist garage I mentioned this & he told me a trick to deal with it. Apparently there are several sensors in the engine, which power up the 2 fans, depending on how hot the engine is running. The relays controlling the fans are in front of the radioator, just behind the plastic grille. He removed them & cleaned the terminals of one and replaced the other one-job done! I'm not sure if XMs are the same, but they might be.

[dollywobbler]

Yeah, a session of contact cleaning is in order. Turns out the one thing I was struggling to remember that I needed while visiting Halfords was a tin of electrical contact cleaner. Might be time to try and find some emery paper too.

[Station]

Isn't the fan something to do with the fuse or the engine fuse box?

[Inspector Morose]

Bollocks! Relays! Sorry Ian, I clean forgot.

[dollywobbler]

Oops! Maybe you could drop one in the post?

 

Station - the fans just randomly came on today (without the overheat light) and wiggling the relays stops it. I might replace the lot of them when I get a chance.

[Inspector Morose]

Will do but I've a feeling they're the wrong type as mine only have four pins unlike your five. I'll look them up somewhere in tinterweb to be sure.

 

PM your full address, it's got something to do with foundries, right?

[dollywobbler]

Ah, I'll bung it over soon. They are indeed five pin ones. That assortment of BX spares has some four-pin ones in it. You'll be building up a nice collection.

 

Anyway, I'll bung this pic up again. Old friends.

[Inspector Morose]

One day, one day....

 

I've a feeling the one for the (now redundant) dim dip is a five pin. I'll have a look when I unload tomorrow.

[chaseracer]

Ian, I have a box of XM relays and your address on the Merc's V5C.  Any chance of a pic?  I might have the one you need.

[Inspector Morose]

It's a standard 30A relay, if all else fails they are £3.29 from Maplins. Code is N00AW. There should be three apparently. Same type of relay is used for headlights I think. Both seem to be known for rusty contacts causing your recent symptoms on headlights and fans. Whoever thought of putting the relays behind the headlight. What a soft idea (goes off to move the newly installed headlight relay on the BX).

[dollywobbler]

Aye. I do have pics but not online yet and laptop shut down for the day. I'll see if I can get something sorted tomorrow. You're probably closer than my nearest Maplins!

[dollywobbler]

XM is booked in for MOT on Monday, at a garage I've not used for tests before. I'm hoping the parking brake will be ok as it's a bit weak. 

 

I've also been trying to dry it out again. Not sure why as the forecast for the next few days is rain, rain and perhaps some rain. Wondering if I should resort to a car cover...

[beko1987]

Wondering if I should resort to a car cover...

chopped down so it just covers the roof and gutters and gaffa taped into place?

[dollywobbler]

Well, the only one I've got is 2CV-sized, so something like that!

[richardmorris]

I've just had a thought about the water ingress. Have you checked the drain gutters at the bottom corners of the front screen? I think you need to remove the trim next to the wing mirrors. I know the roof is the main source, but it may have several little additional leaks.

[dollywobbler]

I think that's a distinct possibility. I reckon water is getting THROUGH the driver's door. That I mind less, as it isn't a leak prone to dripping water on me as I drive or (more importantly) Mrs DW. Strange that she's quite content to sit in a 2CV, where water can get blown through the window, but the leaky XM is the one in the bad books.

[andy18s]

Do these come with the plastic shield behind the door card?

If so, is it still there?

[dollywobbler]

No idea. It's on the long list of things to check when it isn't bloody pissing it down. Sodding weather. You'll be able to tell when I've got this car watertight, as there will then be the longest drought in history.

[Station]

Sealing sunroof effectively with cling film. It worked on my 2 mr2s which had in car water feature listed as standard equipment from the factory.

 

http://www.mr2oc.co.uk/know-your-2-knowledge-base/mr2-mk2.html?catid=10&kbartid=206

 

I'm also not impressed by my XM 'magic carpet' ride. I think 'magic mushroom' ride is more fitting. My lowered Astra felt nicer. It doesn't bother me tbh as it is nice in other areas.

[dollywobbler]

I like it. Thanks. As for the ride, mine is generally very good. Can feel floaty at times, but can also feel jiggly at times. Due to the frot strut design, it can bang over potholes like a BX. Or 2CV. CXs don't do this.