SOLD: 2.1TD MANUAL Estate, 58K miles Erm Bought!

[jorgy]

however the screen is going white around the edges so it needs a replacement at some point, but its not urgent.

I noticed mine is going the same, is this because of the amount of rainfall? Does it mean water is finding its way through the screen sealing?

cheers
George

[jorgy]

Hi all

Re. the suspension switch:

I read in my owner's book that Fuse 34, 30A, supplies: 1/the Hydractive suspension and 2/the Central door locking.

Therefore I'd think the seller was honest to say that the purpose of the switch was to control the alarm, which is why u r getting the different locking behavior with this switch ON or OFF. Perhaps he didn't realise that it also hardenned the suspension. Or maybe he did, and then went looking for e-crofting kits, etc solutions....Maybe the switch had not been installed by himself, but by some mechanic in some garage who was instructed to "cancel the alarm" and didn't even know what the Hydractive is...

In the beginning, reading also about the e-crofting kit, I thought the switch had been installed by a person who tried to do fault-finding for his hard suspension. At a time I didn't even know if the cause of my hard suspension was electronic or hydraulic, I almost installed such a switch, but I'd have installed it on Fuse 19 which serves only the Hydractive ECU.

I did much testing on the motorway to feel the difference between soft-hard, and had become an expert in opening up the under-steering fuse box and removing Fuse 19 while driving...

I never installed that switch as I eventually solved the problem, but it'd be very very handy for similar purposes.

cheers
George

[Peter.N.]

I don't believe it. I went away for three days and missed it! Same thing happened last year with a silver one when I was in Scotland. It was a bit out of my usual price range but I might have been tempted.

Peter

[ekaftan]

So, with the switch in the up position, everything seems to work fine, its in soft most of the time but it does seem to go into sports when it needs to, and the sports mode works fine, with the orange light lighting. So switch up and its like a normal Xm should be, however put the switch down and things go odd.... With the switch in the down position its locked into sports all of the time. The orange light does not light but the little dash warning thing does say sports suspension when i select sports. This is what iver gathered from a short test drive this moring, ive not been out in it again yet.

Now here is the bit i dont understand, with the switch up the alarm works and the indicators flash when locking/unlocking. With the switch in the down position the alarm doesnt work and the indicators dont flash when locking or unlocking by the remote. So it effects the alarm and the suspension

What the switch is doing it cutting power to the suspension ECU somehow... Maybe the alarm gets power from the same place.

[Peter.N.]

Congratulations Chris, I didn't realise that you had bought until now, didn't get in until early this morning so didn't read all the post. Welcome to the 2.1 owners club! I'm so pleased that it was bought by someone that appreciates it, I'm not sorry I didn't see it now.

I'm pleased you like the performance, I think those engines are very under rated, their ability to pull down to nearly tickover speed makes them very flexible and economical and given reasonable maintenance they will last pretty well forever. If you can bear to drive like me at under 2000rpm, within the speed limit and with no hard acceleration, you can easily get 50 mpg+.

Your speedo reading sounds quite normal for one of these or most cars for that matter, my green one over read by 10% or more at 30 mph. It probably has the original cambelt so advisible to change it. I use whatever tyres my local man has at a good price and usually get about 30k from the fronts.

You can check the suspension function by bouncing each corner with the engine off and the doors closed and noting the ammount of movement, when you open a door you should have at least twice as much, shut the door again and keep bouncing for about 30 seconds and you should suddenly feel it go hard as the solonoids 'clonk'

The 2.1 estates didn't have the fuel computer until after January '96 when the EPIC pump was fitted, the best pump is the Bosch without a keypad, which I believe is what you have.

Enjoy

Peter

[citroenmad]

Hi all

Re. the suspension switch:
I read in my owner's book that Fuse 34, 30A, supplies: 1/the Hydractive suspension and 2/the Central door locking.

Therefore I'd think the seller was honest to say that the purpose of the switch was to control the alarm, which is why u r getting the different locking behavior with this switch ON or OFF. Perhaps he didn't realise that it also hardenned the suspension. Or maybe he did, and then went looking for e-crofting kits, etc solutions....Maybe the switch had not been installed by himself, but by some mechanic in some garage who was instructed to "cancel the alarm" and didn't even know what the Hydractive is...

In the beginning, reading also about the e-crofting kit, I thought the switch had been installed by a person who tried to do fault-finding for his hard suspension. At a time I didn't even know if the cause of my hard suspension was electronic or hydraulic, I almost installed such a switch, but I'd have installed it on Fuse 19 which serves only the Hydractive ECU.

I did much testing on the motorway to feel the difference between soft-hard, and had become an expert in opening up the under-steering fuse box and removing Fuse 19 while driving...

I never installed that switch as I eventually solved the problem, but it'd be very very handy for similar purposes.

cheers
George

Hi George, thank you for that information

George and ekaftan, I acutally think you are spot on and thats what the switch was there for, the alarm rather than the suspenion, but the suspension has been cought up in the switch too.

As with the switch in the soft position, or as i would think the off position, evenything seems to be acting as it should, the alarm works, the indicator flashers work when unloking and locking, the orange sport light lights when the sport button is pressed. Also with the odd switch in the off or soft position when you open a door the click sounds and then is buzzes slightly as its in soft, then with the door close after 30 seconds it cuts out, leave the door opens and it remains on for a while longer. Flicking the odd switch ino sport with the door open stops the buzzing and goes straight into hard mode.

So it would seem that soft on the switch is the normal cars mode, the switch interferes when its flicked the other way and takes the power away from the ECU and disables the alarm. Though i will confirm this this weekend.

So it seems this is to disable the alarm, and not anything to do with the suspenion, it just so happens to take all of the power away from the suspension ECU. In which case ill leave the switch be, might be handy at some point, maybe if i want to drive like my hair is on fire (clarckson technical term!) On the plus side, it has the advantages of the Hydractive two with this little switch in one position and then with it in sports mode on the added switch its Hydractive one.

Is this a first, an Xm with H1 and H2 suspension

Ive got to say, i do use the sports mode on the Xms quite a bit, as i like how they feel and handle with it turned on, some nice twisty roads and flowing bends with the car in sports is a joy

Chris.

[citroenmad]

Congratulations Chris, I didn't realise that you had bought until now, didn't get in until early this morning so didn't read all the post. Welcome to the 2.1 owners club! I'm so pleased that it was bought by someone that appreciates it, I'm not sorry I didn't see it now.

I'm pleased you like the performance, I think those engines are very under rated, their ability to pull down to nearly tickover speed makes them very flexible and economical and given reasonable maintenance they will last pretty well forever. If you can bear to drive like me at under 2000rpm, within the speed limit and with no hard acceleration, you can easily get 50 mpg+.

Your speedo reading sounds quite normal for one of these or most cars for that matter, my green one over read by 10% or more at 30 mph. It probably has the original cambelt so advisible to change it. I use whatever tyres my local man has at a good price and usually get about 30k from the fronts.

You can check the suspension function by bouncing each corner with the engine off and the doors closed and noting the ammount of movement, when you open a door you should have at least twice as much, shut the door again and keep bouncing for about 30 seconds and you should suddenly feel it go hard as the solonoids 'clonk'

The 2.1 estates didn't have the fuel computer until after January '96 when the EPIC pump was fitted, the best pump is the Bosch without a keypad, which I believe is what you have.

Enjoy

Peter

I peter, i can see why you like this combination of Xm, nice engine and very good economy, mixed with huge reliability.

Id says its easily as good to drive as a HDi engine, (In my opinion Xms driver better than C5s, but engine wise) sounds a little more noisey but thats to be expected. Really am impressed with the engine, even at higher motorway speeds coming home it hardly used much fuel, almost half what the 2.0 seemed to.

Yes it doesnt have the keypad, so i think its the Bosch pump. Its quite a late 95 car, registered in the middle of November.

Very pleased, just what we wanted from an Xm really, nice to finally have an estate too.

Chris

[Dieselman]

Really am impressed with the engine, even at higher motorway speeds coming home it hardly used much fuel, almost half what the 2.0 seemed to.

Sounds about right. I had a 2.0i manual and averaged low 20's mpg then a 2.1td auto and averaged about 33mpg. On one trip to Wales and back I think it gave about 55mpg. I was stunned as I wasn't hanging about.

[citroenmad]

Our 2.0 auto does around 30-35MPG, possibly a bit better than the S1 8v in that case? Id have thought the 2.1 manual would be doing around 45-50mpg, which is pretty much the same as the 2.0HDi C5s. Although ill have to check its actual MPG. There does seem to be a big difference between what people get with 2.1 autos and 2.1 manuals.

Well i had a drive out in it this evening, couldnt resist really!

Its sports setting is very certainly working as it should, in the usual H2 ways. So thats a relief as i had been wondering weather the suspension ECU was knackered. But no, ive come to the conclusion the switch was only ever to do with the alarm and not the suspension. However, why the alarm ever needs to be deactivated i dont know, the alarm functions fine, this far anyway, it hasnt woken me up in the night yet The white one used to!

So thats very good new.

Im really impressed with how it drives, had i not have been worried about the cambelt it would have been difficult for me to stop driving it

Its the first time ive driven a diesel Xm, ive always been used to the petrols, so its nice to experience one at last. Im surprised how quiet it is on the move, very very refined.

One thing i have noticed is that it has less initial body roll than the hatchbacks before the sport cuts in, maybe do with the the stronger anti roll bars on the estates? But it feels very crisp to drive, the sport mode as always is a joy, really presses along nicely. The ride height at the front is ever so slightly high though, so ill set that down a little bit.

It rides very nicely, as it said in the listing it had new spheres earlier this year - they are the newer three dimple multi layered diaphram ones - so it does ride well. However not all were replaced and ive got a feeling the anti sink sphere is low as after 24 hours its sitting lower than it should be. So will get that off and pressure test it. It probably needs an LHM flush and new fluid so need to get on with that too.

Chris.

[Dean]

Our 2.0 auto does around 30-35MPG, possibly a bit better than the S1 8v in that case?

Depends what 8v engine you compare it with, it seems during the production run and with varying management systems the 8v produced between 110bhp and 130bhp, i had an early (G plate i think) 2.0i auto and it felt very slow, economy also suffered and the most i got out of it over here was 20mpg, mine is the latest 130bhp unit and i can get 23mpg, my record on the mainland is 39.4mpg (oil dependant) so i think the latest 8v is pretty close to the 16v, i would like a go in a 16v though for comparison, usually 16v's lack low down torque and 8's feel a little more solid at lower revs but without comparing its hard to know how citroen performed with their version.
Thinking about it though the xud's are truely amazing engines, im no diesel fan but i think they would still be a top contender among todays 4cyl dervs if not the best where reliability is concerned, and who can argue with 50mpg from an executive estate car????

D