Pre-purchase Inspection

[Brian M]

I am hoping to re-enter the Citroen fold by successfully bidding for a 1994 XM (3L petrol automatic saloon).
(Very possibly a Forum Member's car -reg L533 WEW)
I plan to bring the car to Ireland - despite the excessive import charges.
The XM is for sale through a carandclassic online auction which commences next Wednesday 22nd October.
I'm now trying to buy a pre-purchase inspection undertaken by a firm or knowledgeable individual (preferably with trade plates as the XM is roadworthy but is "on" SORN).
The car is in Liverpool. It looks very presentable and has an August MOT, but a report on the XM's known weak points will be beneficial to me.
I don't need a specialist report on the hydraulic system -beyond what might be examined in a metal sprung car (ride quality, mechanical noises and fluid leaks, handling).
Can a Forum Member recommend anyone to me?
Neither of the two, small, independent Citroen garages in Liverpool undertakes this work (on an XM).

[Dieselman]

I don't know any specialist in Liverpool area that can verify the condition of an Xm. The ones from the North West have passed away, so there is very little coverage there now.
They are pretty specialised, but the greatest concern is rust, usually first noticed at the front jacking points and rear edge of the front wheel-house. The 12v PRV engine is generally robust and the 4HP-18 gearbox is fairly long lived if serviced.
The front strut tops would warrant examination, but generally the rest of an Xm is pretty robust and simple, though awkward to work on.

I have never seen that particular car, but am aware it came in from Jersey and has had the body up to the windows re-painted. I guess that was cosmetic issues, as XM body panels are galvanised.

Paris Auto's in Stockport might be able to perform such a service.

Paris Autos

Unit 18,
Adswood Road,
Adswood,
Stockport,
Cheshire,
SK3 8LF
UNITED KINGDOM

Tel: 0161 477 6030


That car is forum member, jemgee's car, advertised for sale on this forum viewtopic.php?f=11&t=11113&p=131950#p131950

[Brian M]

XM Engine Bay 1.jpg

XM Offside Strut.jpg

"The front strut tops would warrant examination"

I don't know the protocols for questions on this site, but I will rely upon the mediator to take them off the board or even immediately refuse them if they are inappropriate:-
Do the attached pics point to the well-reported 'front strut top' weakness?
I see no evidence of actual failure and I understand the car has an August 2025 MOT.
So, I assume a preventative repair is feasible?

[Dieselman]

A perfectly valid query, ask anything you want within the bounds of being a reasonable discussion you would have with someone face to face.

Those strut tops do have some corrosion, but rust always appears far worse in images than in reality. What has happened is water has migrated under the flaking rubber coating and caused surface rust.
You really need to see the underside with the wheels hanging to fully assess any rubber degradation, but the MOT tester had a clear view and has made no comment, which should give a reasonable indication of the condition.
The rubber can either split, tear, or come away from the metal base-plate.

When the rubber splits, or comes away from the base, the suspension sphere often moves very close to the scuttle lip, sometimes touching it when the suspension is set to high. That image shows a clear gap at normal height.

See information on strut tops. viewtopic.php?f=13&t=8105

One really wants to avoid sudden failure as that damages the scuttle plate and wrecks the bonnet.

There are now a few suppliers either remanufacturing, or supplying new strut tops, so not the issue it used to be.

It is an easy job to replace them.

I would check them, then if still serviceable would remove, peel off the flaking upper rubber, wire brush, paint, then refit.

Ensuring the spheres are well gassed stops the rubber tearing, which mainly happens due to shock load.

[Brian M]

"There are now a few suppliers either remanufacturing, or supplying new strut tops, so not the issue it used to be"

Very useful to learn this. I have read the relevant Topic and also downloaded the comprehensive paper "Citroen XM Strut top info.pdf".
Plenty of good reading there and the diagrams are specially helpful - thank you.