How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Xantia. - I just needed to hit it harder.

[Supernaut]

Who wants an engine oil and LHM cocktail?

 

 

The black trim is growing on me, the rain... not so much.

 

[320touring]

Lacquer peel would likely run summert on that;)

[Supernaut]

Oh yeah, with the new LHM after running the flush fluid through it, the ride is even smoother.

 

It's just getting ridiculous now.

[Supernaut]

 

Wind deflectors now fitted. Now I leave the car alone (apart from maybe going to the jet wash for a once over at some point in the near* future).

[Supernaut]

AUDIO SUCCESS!

 

The right rear speaker was sounding a bit flatulent. I took it out to discover it was properly gubbed.

Luckily, Brothernaut handed me a pair of JBL 5" speakers that fitted perfectly. He said he wasn't using them and had them sitting about a while (judging by the amount of dust on them, I'd agree with that). When I removed the left rear speaker, the magnet fell off the back of it, so that definitely needed done too.

 

Then I moved onto the front, because I had some speakers from the front of a Peugeot 306 estate sitting about, which were in much better condition than the ones in the Xantia, and were the exact same model of speaker, with the same plug on the back too. Easy swap, and the front left was discovered to be one mounting screw short. I have plenty of spares though, so that was sorted and got rid of the buzzing from that corner.

 

I then managed to bodge my aerial connector on the back of the stereo by squeezing it back into shape with pliers. I now have radio too! I celebrated by listening to some Classic FM on my now silky smooth, non-flatulent sound system. Lovely.

[Supernaut]

I could do with a replacement heater blower motor to put the icing on the cake, really.

The one in there, even though I greased the bearings as best I could (they don't look serviceable, really) is squeaking a little bit again. Just now and then.

 

Today, I learned something:

 

Hurr. Who'd have thunk it?

[Supernaut]

I'm not sure how to put this.

 

This car is sort of for sale, I guess. I'll listen to offers for it. I've no idea how much it's worth though, as every time I've tried to sell it, it's been met by a huge cold front.

 

Basically, it's a mechanically solid and low-mileage Xantia, but cosmetically it's utter shit. Anybody want it?

 

It's really nice to drive, but it doesn't set the road on fire. I feel like I want something utterly stupid again.

[rantingYoof]

Obviously you invited slappage earlier in this thread if you ever considered selling it, but as I'd rather an excuse to browse Autotrader, prepare for a BOMBARDMENT...

[Supernaut]

Well, if I still have this in September I'll be doing a mega-cheap roffle.

 

I plan to buy my brother's Civic Aerodeck off him once he's finished with it, and he says he'll probably sell it in September. It's absolutely mint, and I have no need for two cars.

[Supernaut]

After over a year of trouble-free motoring, I fired it up earlier this evening to be greeted by this:

 

 

Hmmm...

 

 

I then decided to open the bonnet.

 

 

Oh, shit!

 

 

On closer inspection, there seems to be a pinhole in the thermostat housing. I think it's been leaking very very slowly for the past couple of weeks. When the engine is up to temperature, a fine spray comes out of the left edge of that indented circle. I've currently got a big bottle of water in the boot, and it seems happy enough once topped up. Obviously not a long-term solution though. Liquid metal time?

[Supernaut]

Is the thermostat housing part of the head?

I don't think so. It looks removable. I know where you're going with this. Do it properly and replace the housing.

 

I'm thinking short-term to get it going again, liquid metal, if it would help, while in the meantime trying to source a thermostat housing.

 

 

 

The fine spray of coolant has made a lovely mess though. It's hit the top hose and then completely covered the engine bay side of the radiator in brown sticky goo as well. Beautiful.

[SiC]

Why not just buy another one rather trying to bodge up a bit of your cooling system?

It's a bit excessive buying a whole new car because the thermostat is leaking.

[Supernaut]

Hmm, thermostat housing just seems to be the top part. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thermostat-Housing-Citroen-Xantia-Xsara-Evasion-Peugeot-206-306-406-806-2-0-HDi-/301374403699?hash=item462b507473:g:9i4AAOSwF1dUUqEZ

 

 

The bit that's leaking is below that.

[SiC]

It looks a bit like a core plug.

[Supernaut]

It looks a bit like a core plug.

Aaaaah!

 

So, how does one replace a core plug? Never done one before.

[Supernaut]

Ordered!

 

Might end up borrowing my brother's Civic to go to Glasgow at the weekend. I've already asked and he's ok with it, as I'm a named driver on it. Woo!

[Supernaut]

Core plug due on Friday or Saturday morning.

 

I need to be in Glasgow on Saturday evening. Train ticket? Naaaah.

 

I've been told on the French Car Forum to put a meaty self-tapping screw into the old core plug then use a claw hammer to pull it out. Then clean up the mating surface and tap the new one in with a block of wood and a hammer. Easy!

 

 

As mentioned before, I can fall back on brothernaut's Civic, but where's the fun (and waft-factor) in that?

[somewhatfoolish]

Other than smearing the new plug with goo of choice that's the way to do it.

[Supernaut]

Lacquer Peel has just left my house, with his intercooler and air filter.

 

He gave me a hand with the job on the Xantia. We got so close, yet so far....

 

 

Firstly, we drained the coolant:

 

 

Fucking grim!

 

Then we removed the old core plug by drilling a pilot hole, driving in a self-tapper and pulling with a claw hammer. Woo!

 

Well, a couple of pilot holes. The first was a bit too loose, so I used a smaller drill bit for the second one.

 

 

We then found out that the core plug I bought is 25mm, the core plug I need is 30mm. Shit. It seems a fairly common part so surely a local motor factors will have one in stock. Once I source one, bash it in and fill with coolant!

 

 

Now, LP did suggest I run it with just water for a few days to flush the cooling system. Would I be ok to do this from Aberdeen to Glasgow and back at the weekend? Then I could drain it on Sunday and fill it with proper coolant.

[Supernaut]

What the fuck has happened to motor factors?

 

Nobody in Aberdeen keeps core plugs in stock! Nobody! I'd have thought it's a fairly universal part, but nope. They have to order them in, apparently. Autosave said they do keep them in stock, but according to the spiel I got on the phone, they order them in a big box of various sizes and try to use up the whole box before ordering more, and the only ones left in the bottom of the box are 32mm and they didn't want to get in a whole box. WTF?!

[somewhatfoolish]

Some stupid people run their motors on water all the time; there are two reasons for anti-freeze/coolant, the most obvious being the clue in the name and the other is to inhibit corrosion caused by there being dissimilar metals in close proximity with water. It's the middle of a fairly mediocre scottish summer* but I think the risk of freezing is low even in sub-tropical Aberdeenshire and the amount of corrosion that will happen in a few days can safely be ignored. A dob of soap powder or a dishwasher tab in the water might help shift stubborn lumps of shite in the cooling galleries.

[dave21478]

The internet happened.

 

Even Halfords used to keep core plugs and manifold studs and stuff like that. Then people realised they could buy it online for pennies and Halfords decided that the space would be better served by selling pink fluffy steering wheel covers and camping stoves.

 

It all sucks massive, dry, cracked, suppurating elephant scrotum....sure, its nice to be able to buy shit online for cheap, but thats fuck all use when you need something straight away, and while online savings for a stereo or something are probably worthwhile and you can wait for delivery, saving 6.3 pence on a core plug but having to wait 4 days suddenly seems like a farce.

[Supernaut]

Fuck knows when I'll actually get the car going again.

 

I've just written a complaint to Autosave about their business model re: stocking different sizes of core plugs. What a load of bollocks.

 

 

 

 

The internet happened.

 

Even Halfords used to keep core plugs and manifold studs and stuff like that. Then people realised they could buy it online for pennies and Halfords decided that the space would be better served by selling pink fluffy steering wheel covers and camping stoves.

 

It all sucks massive, dry, cracked, suppurating elephant scrotum....sure, its nice to be able to buy shit online for cheap, but thats fuck all use when you need something straight away, and while online savings for a stereo or something are probably worthwhile and you can wait for delivery, saving 6.3 pence on a core plug but having to wait 4 days suddenly seems like a farce.

Yes, but CORE PLUGS. They're tiny! Dingbro have a whole warehouse of various other fasteners and sump plugs and washers etc. Yet they tell me they don't have 30mm core plugs?! Pull the other one, it's got bells on it.

 

ECP just answered with a flat no when I asked about core plugs (even though apparently they do them according to their website), and I had the exact same experience with Reid for Speed. Their website explicitly states Core Plugs in the list of parts they have, guy who answered the phone just said, without even a moment's hesitation "No, we don't go near those"

 

You know what? These local motor factors deserve to go out of business because of the internet if they can't even give the time of day to a small (but vital) component like that. Twats.

 

Reid for Speed's online enquiry form just returns a gibberish error when you try to submit it. How I wish I was a web developer instead. I could get loads of business from these luddites.

[Dave_Q]

Running just water and a dishwasher tablet is approved for flushing.

 

It MUST be a Powerball one though.

[Supernaut]

Running just water and a dishwasher tablet is approved for flushing.

 

It MUST be a Powerball one though.

I just have cheapy Tesco ones without a powerball.

 

 

I've just dropped my dad an email asking for ideas on where to get a core plug in person. My parents stay near Turriff and there are some much more 'industrial-spec' motor factors out there due to it being a proper teuchtar farming town.

[SiC]

Depending on the ECP branch, I have found that if you go in with a part to be replaced and ask nicely, they can go through the back and rummage through till they find one that is a similar size.

[Supernaut]

Depending on the ECP branch, I have found that if you go in with a part to be replaced and ask nicely, they can go through the back and rummage through till they find one that is a similar size.

Well, ECP is on my way home from work. I didn't take the old core plug with me though. Hmm.

 

I may try, it also helps that I know some of the staff in there, as they're folk I used to work with at Halfords a few years back. When ECP opened a branch here, they poached most of the local Halfords branch's staff. They even tried to poach me, but I'd long since left at that point and already had a job better than the van driving job they were offering.

[Supernaut]

I have ordered a 30mm core plug from ebay.

 

It apparently is being sent 1st class and will arrive tomorrow. Here's hoping! It was only £2.08

[Lacquer Peel]

Flush it!

What difference does the Powerball make?

[Pillock]

Yeah, bit that place that only orders a mixed box when they're totally out is taking the piss. I mean, I do it with the kid's crisps ("no, I'm not buying any more until you eat those cheese and onion ones that went out of date last month") but jeez, they're pennies and also you just can't use one the wrong size.

 

Should have bought all the wrong ones, then a right one, and returned the wrong 'uns.