) of your XM collection, or perhaps searching for those elusive headlight washer covers? This is the place to do it.
This car has had, within the last year:
HYDRAULICS and SUSPENSION
- 6 new spheres (4 corners, 2 centres)
LHM replaced (including a few thousand miles with Hydraurincage in to clean the system). Filters cleaned and brakes bled.
New hydraulic pipes to power steering ram
Front suspension: huge overhaul (replaced both wheel bearings, short drive shaft, arm bushes, link rods, track rod ends, ball joints (inc. Dust guards), steering gaiters replaced.).
Rear suspension work: not as much (replaced strut gaiter and one wheel bearing)
Rides smoothly and correctly now
- Power steering assist ram bushes replaced (previous floppy arrangement cracked the pipes)
Complicated shape coolant pipe replaced (forget which one)
New rear exhaust box and mounting to body (occasionally vibrates on body so needs a tweak)
New wiper blades, however, windscreen washer system doesn't work and will need to be sorted for next MOT. I was going to fix it when the wings were replaced. Worked when I got the car but with low pressure, now not working.
It has 24V alloys and tyres with decent amount of tread on. Cheap tyres but handle really well (I have cornered this XM very hard now and again and it clings on for dear life and is quite impressive)
ABS inoperative. It is missing a front sensor. You never know, with one installed it might burst back to life. Dash bulb removed so it will pass another MOT like this. Capable of delivering scary amounts of tyre smoke should you attempt an emergency stop. Does stop straight and well though!
SERVICING
- Replacement cam belt, idlers, tensioner (Gates) and water pump
Replacement alternator and hydraulic pump belts
Replacement Total Engine Oil
Replacement Total Gearbox Oil
Replacement Total Coolant
Replacement Lucas diesel pump turbo boost pressure compensator unit
A thorough going over by my local mechanic who I rate very highly. As an aircraft engineer, on the tools, I have very little time for most car mechanics but this guy is fantastic. He has done most of the work on the car and I can put you in touch if you'd like a chat about what he's done.
- Colour: Delage Red
Tow bar fitted.
Original RF key-plip works. Passenger side is the only one that works with the mechanical key. Therefore you won't get locked out but the rest will need cleaned and lubed to bring back to life.
Front wings rusty but replacements provided which have a little corrosion starting at the bottom. My plan was to decorrode, paint and fit them (see below)
Rear wings have flat paint, as does the rear spoiler.
Has been welded on the sills by previous owner but seems solid
Usual silver metal strips on the side trim looking very poor. I was planning on replacing this next month with the £50-odd stainless items from the guy from the Citroen club
- Correct Clarion radio fitted. Decoded and with replacement amplifier chips. Driver's front speaker is quiet but this is wiring or speaker not the radio, which was fine on the bench.
Leather interior is good apart from a 3" rip on the rear seat at the top. You can't really see it apart from looking through the boot.
Sunroof dropped while playing with the switch a few months ago. To be sure, sealed up with speed tape so no leaks. Replacement motor provided. The original probably has stripped teeth. So lube the cables and replace the motor assy and you should be fine.
13th window present
Rear L/H electric window mechanism requires replacement channel guide. New replacement provided in sale.
Air-con inoperative. May just need gassing, may be more. Switch is a bit sticky (replacement provided)
Dashboard lights replaced but heater controls dim
Glovebox catch broken BUT, replacement working one and strut included with the sale. Very rare, I believe.
R/H display replaced with a new one so it now can tell the time. Temperature display flashes so requires replacement external temperature sensor or the wiring to checked to this sensor.
The turbo is dead. Something happened to the body and it split in half. The car still drives fine, apart from the rather obvious lack of boost. In fact I did 2000 miles in it thinking I had a boost leak! A refurbished replacement can be had for £270. I would replace it but after having such a huge amount of time and money on this car and it has now had this failure, I don't want to spend another penny on it. I am sick to death of it although you'll probably be lucky and buy it fit the turbo and fit the few bits I was going to do and have a perfectly reliable XM.
You could drive the car home in this state, I have been. The air intake is going to be fed straight to the filter to bypass the turbo. This is obviously entirely at your own risk! The car will still do motorway speeds no problem, it just doesn't gain speed as well as it used to. Previously it wis quite fast with the Lucas pump making it quite impressive.
The bloody thing has nearly 80 litres of diesel in it so that'll get you 700 miles from Cambridge, included in the price.
If you want to drive it home, I will leave the tax on for a few days so you can get it back.
YOU WANT A DECENT XM?
Buy this one, replace the turbo, replace the wings (provided), sun roof motor (provided), rear window guide plastic (provided) and glovebox mechanism (provided) and you'll be pretty close.
I had planned to have the wings painted next month along with the whole bottom half of the car painted by the painters at work (business jet painters so they'd do a good job). However, when the turbo went I changed my mind. They quoted £500 for this work. If you want this done before buying the car, then this can still be arranged at this bargain price. The whole bottom half will be new paint, with just the roof left original. There are a few scratches in the roof but they should polish out hopefully.
I am absolutely gutted that it has come to this with this XM but I am not ploughing another penny into it. I have spent an absolute fortune and a lot of time on it but no more. I'm getting married in July and can't justify it.
It must go as a whole car, I have no interest in taking bits off it to send out. I really hope I have saved it from the brink (it drove like shit when I got it) and I hope I have it on its way to a second chance; I do feel bad about not doing this last job. I think with the turbo replaced coupled with the extensive recommissioning I have done over the last year you should have a really good XM.
Mileage 153000
MOT July 2016
I'm sure you will have read on here about the run away I suffered due to the boost compensator diaphragm splitting. I can't and won't hide that but I really don't think anything bad happened to the engine as a result. It accelerated and revved high for probably 5 seconds maximum before I sprinted from the engine bay to stall the engine. It has ran for a few thousand miles with the replacement boost compensator with no ill effefct apart from the dead turbo which happened after. I hope this doesn't put anyone off, I really don't think the engine was damaged in any way.
£650
Location: Cambridge
