New member

[andmcit]

ive never heard of an 18 giving up...............

D

Really, how long have you got!? I've got two dead one's here in the barn if you really want one:
both SEi's - one a v6 the other a mint H plate 2.0. I haven't the heart to cull them and have a pair
of spare auto boxes; just I don't fancy faffing about putting them in. I know another V6 died not
long after the car had just had a new fluid transfusion and was barely showing 90odd k miles =
there may be something here! I might add, these haven't all been summarily abused...

In fact, I've lost count of the number of cars that have been on ebay or on the various forums
with knackered autos and many have even gone phutt a long way short of the 'turn into a pumpkin'
120k mileage.

My take of these is working one's on this forum are in a minority. But then again, I AM jaded!!

Andrew

[davetherave]

Well im really hankering after one now, it just seems that all the ones on ebay are estates though!

It will be interesting to see how a 2.5 does respond to vegetable oil, but i guess i would get which ever came up witht the right spec.
Perhaps if i installed a glow heater like the xantia, then a heat exchanger from the cooling system that might take the pressure off the pump?

The xantia is great as it doesnt give too much grief at 100% all the time!

[Dean]

Andrew you have got almost every xm made the law of averages dictates you must have failed ones, , saying that i would like a dead hp18 box just to strip down and see what the problem is.

D

[andmcit]

law of averages dictates you must have failed ones,

Yes that's right, just the automatic ones! I have ONE manual gearbox car where 3rd has gone AWOL but the car was
likely abused in its early life as it was a road test and demonstrator CX GTi Turbo s1 t1 from CitUK. I can still drive
it though; something you can't do with a dead auto. If a clutch goes, fair enough, you renew an item that is designed
to wear in the same way brake discs and pads do. It really is a shame the clutches in an autobox aren't so easily bought
and renewed.

I will take my hat off to the auto adaptive box hp20 on the 24v PSA v6 though. Superb and it's rejigged my attitude to
all autos. They don't have to be irritating banded changes dictated by the speedo or the 30 or 40 speed limit you have
the misfortune to be stuck in - this is the real reason I now detest the hp18. If it goes phutt it goes phutt, but you need
to suffer the damned changes 24/7. Think I prefer trips to the dentist...

Andrew

[Dieselman]

A lot of 2.1TDs are automatics, there are manuals but they seem quite rare, as i think at some point in production the 2.1 was automatic only and the 2.5 was the manual choice.

The reason there are so many 2.1 Auto's is that Citroen made the price the same for both boxes so having an auto was a free upgrade.
The manual boxes are rather agricutural. That's why my 2.1td was auto after a 2.0 petrol manual.

[Peter.N.]

.
The manual boxes are rather agricutural. That's why my 2.1td was auto after a 2.0 petrol manual.

True, but they don't go wrong.

Peter

[Mirza30]

Hi! Im Mirza.....own XM 2.0i 16v.

[citroenmad]

At one point the XM came standard with an auto box and a manual was an option, or atleast my brochure leads me to believe, towards the end of production.

Automatic boxs might be more problematic, however you do see them with lots of miles and still with the original box. Ive spoken to people in the CCC who have had their xm for years and years without any box problems. I guess it depends on how they are looked after and how much hard work the car does, towing etc, oh and probably a bit of luck too.

There is more chance of a driver ruining a manual cars box as they actually have to change gears and operate the clutch, an auto you just stick it in D and away you go. With an auto box i guess its down to the box for how long it works for. I can imagine a rebuild of the xms box would be quite costly.

In my opinion the Xm manuals dont have the best gearchange in the world, the clutch travel is long too. Both are nice to drive but i do perfer the automatic Xms i think, id never thought id say that mind.

Not sure how a 2.5 will take to veg oil, not sure if ive heard of anyone running one on it actually. Might be wrong. Has your Xantia given you any more problems than normal due to running on veg oil? Do you have to do any more maintenece? What are the benefits cost wise?

Welcome Mirza, naturally, the best engine to have Not that im by any means biased

Chris.

[andmcit]

So you're saying driver's with no mechanical sympathies better stick with auto's Chris?!

I'd hazard a guess that the three rods from the bulkhead to the gearbox on the manuals
you've driven are well past their best if you find they're really vague - sure there's probably
a lot more lever movement if you drive a Porsche or TVR every other day with it's light switch
movement? It's all relative. Try driving a 2CV for years!

I believe John xmexclusive is running on some form of non diesel brew on the 2.5's with
some success?

Andrew

[citroenmad]

Yes maybe
I dont know, maybe its just a nice change to get into the auto xm and not have to cheange gears and constantly use the clutch in traffic etc. So much easier, especially around town. Mind i would say i have a huge amount of mechanical sympathy, so i never abuse clutches, use them as a brake at junctions or anything like that.

Oh no, i dont find the manuals box vague, its actually the opposite, or atleast our manual is. Its a very positive change.

Hey i like them both, if im being honest id probably feel much happier buying a manual Xm knowing im less likely to have problems, so long as the clutch feels ok and isnt worn then there should be no need to even think twice about a manual gearbox. Autos i would worry more about, espesially as i have heard of them failing.

Our auto gets its gearbox oil changed often and i also stick in a tube of Forte Automatic transmission treatment for good measure. Actually that stuff works wonders on a manual car too.

Chris.