SM owner saying hello

[CitroJim]

Charles, keep an eye out for my XM later this morning. I'll be cruising down to the posh (Buckinghamshire) end of Slough...

I'll second the exhaust. Had that happen on my old TCT. Drove me nuts until a new cat fixed it..

[Charles M]

Jim

I spent most of the day heading into the posher parts of Oxfordshire, on a hunt around some horrible antique centres. So I missed you and any other XM for that matter.

The car performed nicely, apart from a Valeo windscreen wiper detaching itself from the arm and proving impossible to remount. At least there was only a little rain at that point!

[Dieselman]

Get Bosch wipers from GSF...cheap as chips and work well. XM can't use flat wipers due to the curvature of the glass.

[Charles M]

Got one, fitted and it too popped out. I think the hook on the wiper arm is just a little too wide, so will get the old pliers out and see if I can avoid doing something dumb.

[normantilbury]

I have used flat wipers on my car since i bought it they work a treat and last longer that standard wipers.

Norman

[xmexclusive]

Only a few early XM's had narrow wiper rod slots.
Most are wide (around 12mm at a guess).
Not all blades come with compatible holder clips.
Where supplied the new clips may fit but they often do not latch in the notch.
Altering the slot size will not make the blades latch in place.
I often end up having to reuse the old clips to stop blade drop out.

John

[Dieselman]

Another day out with the car, hunting down antique centres around here. Dieselman will get this, it is a car whose performance reminds me very much of a multivalve 300d 124 Merc - it's all about momentum, using the right foot hard when you need but 10 seconds before I would use the right foot in the 320cdi.

Your fuel pump should have a damper attached...remove it, then check the throttle cable pulls the accelerator arm fully to the stop, if not adjust it by moving the clip along the ferrule.
It is very common for the damper to be restricting movement.

[Charles M]

I think I'll bring the beastie along to one of the days at Little Horwood (the SM the other - it's close enough to home for me to pop back) and those more knowledgeable than me (if willing!) can check it is performing to spec. I think the suspension jars a bit more than I expected on holes and ridges than I recall others doing.

I genuinely have so little ability with a spanner as to be frightening, and my Mercedes specialist once made me promise never to touch a car again!

[Charles M]

I suspect the rattling is engine speed related, not road speed.
Track rod ends don't rattle on lock as they are under tension, CV joints make a regular clonking, not a rattle.

On the 2.1, the exhaust is pretty tight to the subframe and knocking is not unknown.

After a good run up to the Fens (a seemingly eternal plain under an eternal sky) the car feels much more together - knocking a bit less and decidedly much less so with the hydractive engaged. Using my right foot hard and not backing off (which always unsettles in an auto attached to engine with noticeable performance differences on or off boost) and she keeps a very straight and level line round corners. It is a very accomplished package, put in a V6 and gosh what a car the XM is.

I have agreed to trade mine in for a newly arrived black on black S reg V6. The interior is gorgeous - and the performance is creamy. I think the decider was an overtaking manoeuvre on the A14 in the 2.1td. I couldn't pass a slowcoach until the road was clear upfront, and a sodding biker decided to overtake me and the car in front, then as I overtook the slowcoach, the biker slowed preventing me from pulling in, so I had to overtake him as well. I got in, but it took too long, the auto just not delivering a lower gear when it was absolutely necessary.

Hopefully to be picked up next week!

[Dieselman]

I must admit to liking the later V6 engine in an XM...it's what the car was designed for.

The knocking on yours will be the anti-roll bar links. A very common issue as there is no rubber in the design..