Potentially cheap 3 ltr auto

[marc61]

Hi

Just wanted to say I'm the new owner, now working through the problems and aiming to get it an MOT within next week or so. First time I've ventured to a petrol XM, after one 2.1 and five 2.5 diesels, so here goes...

It seems to be a good car, effectively one owner bought from Citroen dealer when 6 months old, fsh, new auto box 6000 miles ago, but parked up since December. Don't think I've ever bought a car with a full history file, absolutely amazed by how much the dealers charge.

So far I've cleaned the relays, adjusted the handbrake, discovered the regulator has been mounted the wrong way round, both centre spheres were full of fluid, the rears were almost flat and there is absolutely no leak from the hydraulic pump as informed by the seller! You'd think the one thing a Citroen dealer could do is keep the suspension in top order, but there you go. Now at least Ive got the suspension back in good shape and the hydractive is working too.

Hope to get it on the road soon and see if I like this V6 24V thing!

Cheers

Marc

[jorgy]

Veyr good Marc, looks like it'll make a good car! If u also LPG it... heaven!

How there's no leak?!?! Could it be intermittent maybe? Alhtough I do wish there's no leak indeed!

G

[CitroJim]

Welcome Marc from a fellow S2 ES9 V6 owner although you'll note that mine is something of a project at the moment if you look at my thread in members cars

Like you I'm looking forward to having it on the road but that's a while away yet..

On the subject of pump leaks, you'll see that I alo run V6 Xantias and these share the same engine, geabox and hydraulics by and large. Leaks from the hydraulic pump on these engines can be potentially destructive to the alternator and and if you see any LHM at all on the alternator then it's time to get it sorted. The usual problems are hardened O rings under the Hexagonal piston plugs and microsplits in the suction pipe stub. Sadly access to the pump in the XM is not easy and it'll ne a case of dropping the nosecone off (easier then it looks) so that the rads can tilt back enough to give the required access.

Also, flat sphers, especially the accumulator (how mounted wrongly exactly?) can cause the pump to leak due to pressure spikes. Your act of replacing the flat spheres may just have sorted it..

Do keep an eye on the pump though and the alternator. New ones are eyewateringly expensive and not easy to swap although dropping the nosecone and moving the rads out of the way makes it quite easy by XM standards!!!!

Hope you really enjoy the car as soon as it's on the road...

[marc61]

Chaps

Have discovered small leak at regulator. Took it off, fitted spare, then found the 12mm fitting on the 6mm pipe wouldn't do up. Took it all off again, tried a spare fitting by hand and no problem, compared the fittings and the one on the car has a finer thread! How on earth it was holding pressure on the old regulator I do not know.

Am I right to think it's the pump end that has a fitting with a fine thread and the regulator end is standard, as per all regulators since the DS? Have tried to undo the 19mm nut where the pipe enters the pump but it's very tight indeed, like the Dealer used brute force to stop a leak here. Guess I'll just have to saw off the pipe at the regulator end, put correct fitting on and silver solder an olive on if I can find one.

The regulator was fitted with the sphere pointing down and bleed screw facing engine, opposite to the 2.5. Is this correct fitment, looks odd to me?

Cheers

Marc

[CitroJim]

There'sd three types of regulator Marc, FDV, coarse thread and fine thread, coarse and fine relating to the 12mm union. The fine thread ones, with the metal cone seal (as apposed to the 6.35mm rubber seal) are fitted to late Xantias and XMs and came in about 1997, just before the changeover from S1 to S2 Xantia. On the fine thread regulator the cone seal is often lost or not known about as they stay in situ rather well.

The pump end is a standard late "brake flare" type fitting, again 12mm

These should only be niped up until they don't leak - no brute force. The 19 mm hex can be tight and under here will be found an O ring that does harden and leak. This applies to both hexagons and the blank one almost touching the alternator is just as prone to the top to leaking.

Pressure regulators are terrible for leaking in the V6, again the O ring in the top goes hard. I believe both the punmp O rings and regulator O rings suffer from heat exhaustion as they do run very hot in the ES9.

The bleed screw facing inward and thus almost inaccessible is quite correct. In general though you rarely need to touch it. I haven't in years now and do all routine sphere changing and etc. (apart from the accumulator) without touching it.

[marc61]

Pleased to report it got through it's MOT yesterday, no advisories. So thats one late V6 24 valve back on the road again!

Fixed the hydraulic leak by replacing rubber seal in the top of the regulator, fitted a new battery, and replaced all spheres apart from the anti sink. Other than that everything seems to work as it should, all thanks to the original owner pouring money into the coffers of his Citroen dealer.

It's the first automatic I've ever had and I can tell its going to take time for me to get used it. Shame they didn't sell them with a manual gearbox. Must say however the ride is very smooth and the suspension is the best I've had in any XM that I've owned - really pleased about that!

Have now clocked up a couple of hundred miles since MOT and all seems ok, apart from sometimes the car seems to have a slight shake approaching 2000rpm. Im guessing that might be an engine mounting and am off to investigate.

Cheers

Marc

[marc61]

Just for interest - 4 years later.....It sailed through its MOT today, no advisories. Now I'm not someone who gets through MOTs without advisories, so this is quite an event!

It's quite amazing how good these V6 engines are, they just go on and on and on . If anyone is thinking of making the effort to get one back on the road, I'd say just go for it.

All I did last weekend was adjust the handbrake and change a drop link and its sailed through the MOT. Even the secondhand 2.5 exhaust that I fitted to it 4 years ago is holding up! Starting to think this might be a proper Citroen!

Cheers

Marc

[MTXM]

Well done Marc that is good news!! With regards, Matthew T.