XM in Califorina????

[citroenfa]

What is there is an Al plate popped riveted to the scuttle as pictured in the attachment. Has the exact same number as previously uploaded

Steve

[Dieselman]

The steel plate underneath doesn't...that's why the Aluminium plate is there...


That strut top is an early one, they changed September '91. RP5439

[Dieselman]

Got it!

Your VIN should be VF7Y3AG0003AG3506.

RP 5091.

[White Exec]

Well done, Sherlock!

This is the all the info that Citroen has on that VIN number, as it left the factory:

CXA XM_V6 RP5091.JPG

CXA - the importers - could have got up to anything, but getting the VIN number wrong isn't easy

[xmexclusive]

The AG version of the XM was produced from May 1989 until the end of June 1993.
Its replacement in July 1993 was the CM version, the change because of the major revamp of the PRV engine.
The two letter designation usually identifies a body shell and engine combination.
So an AG V6 has a car shell and 2975cc PRV engine.
Gearbox type did not alter the letter code unless it also changed the car French CV rating.
So auto and manual V6's were both given AG code in the Vin's.
This AG code is included twice in the VIN number.
The 4 numbers after the second AG is the number of chassis/engine combination produced of that type.
The 4 numbers after the first AG define variant type of vehicle so most XM's are standard and marked with 4 zero's.
Throughout the XM production I think there were very few variant vehicles produced.
The most significant ones that I can think of were the four or five batches of Multiplex cars produced from 1993 to 1997.
These varied in size from 50 to 200 vehicles in a batch.
Each new variant was given the next number in the sequence so nearly all variants were 0001.
So the VIN difference with Steves V6 is just over being variant 0003 or 0001.
There can be no doubt that the US batch of 52 XM's were a variant produced in the early 90's.
What could justify Citroen France coding that batch 0003 and Citroen USA coding it 0001.
How about two XM V6 variants produced with security implications.
If so there would be very restricted technical information even within the company.
My money is on Citroen France allocating AG0001 to the Presidential version of the XM and AG0002 for the Ambassadors version.
So for them the US batch was AG0003.
When Citroen USA check the records AG0001 shows available and used.
It makes a nice story even if fiction and gives a Presidential version of XM.

John

[White Exec]

Gosh. John, you've excelled yourself there. I've learned a lot from that.

[citroenfa]

Hi john,

Thanks for all of the info on the VIN of our car . In practical terms not all that meaningful as the car is 'legally' registered in California, for me, that is what all that matters However the car has had a somewhat hard life and has had more than a few folks hands in it that should not have happened. Being the third owners (may be more - but that is another story) I am trying to get the bloody thing well sorted out at this point.

From a hydraulic point the car is just fine. Had to replace, just recently, the filter assembly in the main tank as another one of the Nylon nipple hose connections failed. Got a nice one from Dave Burnham in NY (he has all the bits and pieces of the two cars that were crashed tested to satisfy our DOT for the importation of the cars). Car has new (as of two years ago) spheres (reworked and pressurized)

Mechanical - getting better . In recent years the car was maintained by a good friend and professional mechanic, who is a CX owner (and guru) at the shop he works at in Ventura, CA - about 60 miles west of where I am located. Hein did a lot to reverse bungled work done earlier to the car prior the owners who I acquired the car from. The current engine was a replacement due to car being driven minus sufficient coolant. Hein determined it was less expensive to get a good used engine from Europe (Andre Pol in this case) than to try and rebuild the unit in the car. Same basic engine - V6, 12 valve. According to Hein the upgraded front suspension units were installed some time ago.

Within a few weeks of acquiring the car I did have to have the alternator and starter motor rebuild. This did cause Hein some grief as he had those same two parts rebuilt less than 8 months prior by a rebuilder near his work. I checked around with a couple of shops I trust as well as two independent parts suppliers and they all gave me the same name . Had the components gone through by them and still working just fine almost 2 years later. Replaced the front and rear brake pads (rotors, OTOH, were in near perfect condition) at the same time as I replaced the starter motor.

Not long after the replacement engine was installed the transmission went south. Work was done by a well respected transmission house near where the former owners live. The only 'problem' if you will was that the RHS bolt (massive) that holds the steering rack in position was not sufficiently torqued down. Found out the 'hard' way on a drive to San Francisco about a 1 1/2 years ago when the steering got just a bit 'squirrelly' - got a replacement bolt from a local parts supplies and all was/is well.

Electrical - OK all, please don't laugh . Car was fine when acquired - though the ABS circuit was problematic - working sometimes and then not. As time has gone on more than a few things have stopped working. Came to a head a few weeks ago when the car would not start - got the dreaded red/green lights on the security pad. With info from John / Hein / Andre, took every connection I could get my hands on in the engine compartment and cleaned. Not sure which one did the trick, but afterwards things were back to normal, somewhat. Then the starter motor would not connect. As I could not hear any indication that the solenoid was activating I pulled that plug and cleaned contacts with a small wire brush and cleaner. Problem solved. At this point am lacking interior fan/AC system and controls. Use to work. John has been helping with electrical diagrams. Additionally the tach is off by about 2500 rpm or so. When starting the engine tac jumps briefly to 2000 to 2500, then drops to zero. Will not activate until engine around 2500 or so than then just comes off of the stop point.

Will get it sorted out, eventually. Just not use to a car with more damnable computers and connections in it than all my other cars combined

Take care,

Steve

[Dieselman]

[quote="xmexclusive"
So the VIN difference with Steves V6 is just over being variant 0003 or 0001.
There can be no doubt that the US batch of 52 XM's were a variant produced in the early 90's.
What could justify Citroen France coding that batch 0003 and Citroen USA coding it 0001.
How about two XM V6 variants produced with security implications.
If so there would be very restricted technical information even within the company.
My money is on Citroen France allocating AG0001 to the Presidential version of the XM and AG0002 for the Ambassadors version.
So for them the US batch was AG0003.
When Citroen USA check the records AG0001 shows available and used.
It makes a nice story even if fiction and gives a Presidential version of XM.

John[/quote]
There never were any US versions of XM, all were EU imports that were then made to meet US approval.

The numbers increase as a result of the previous batch numbers being used up. As you say, all AG are v6.

[ghost2]

Hi everyone... hope it's okay to post here on the topic of XMs in California. I'm considering purchasing a Spanish 1992 XM that the owner imported into California but couldn't get CARB approved. Apparently I'd have to get it tested by an outside lab like CEE which is near me in Los Angeles. The question I have is: does anyone know what modifications CXA did to the cars to meet 1992 emissions? From the CXA importation plaque picture, it looks like it had PCV, EVP, FR, CAT, SPK, CCO, MIL, O2, and Fuel Injection. I know what all those abbreviations are except FR and CCO. CEE ballparked the mods at $6500-$7500 but less if it already had the right equipment. Any tips?

[White Exec]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum.
Could you post the car's VIN number, which will help us look up the car's original spec?
Thanks.