Citroen XM Forum

Hi all.

Last night some as****e of a b*****d broke off my rear window wiper arm, must have been some force as whoever did it broke the casting right at the nut. The Police are onto it but I won't hold my breath!
Anyone who has one for a Mk2 XM Estate laying around I would be glad to hear from them.

Bob.

Hi Bob

Will try to look one out and put it in the post.

Regards

John

Thanks John.
I thought I could rely on you! If you do find one let me know full costs right away please. I was going to write to you anyway about the front sub frame on the Mk2 estate. The MOT tester chiselled a fair lump out of mine, about 2 X 4" , from the drivers side level with front wheel, it looks like an original welded on, plate about 16" long at a bend on the frame. I'm going to cut out a larger square hole than the rusted part to remove all the rusted stuff and butt weld in another plate. It looks about 3mm thick and my query is, what will be inside the frame I should watch for?

Bob

The usual cause of that plate on the subframe rusting through is keeping the car fitted with the original fibre undertray.
The tray has some open cell foam sealing sealing strips on the top.
The foam keeps the steel continually wet with a dose of added salt each winter.
The subframe is only painted steel not treated like the body panels.
Optimum rust conditions so a regular problem with 2.5's at the age they are now.
The rust seldom attacks anything other than that one plate.
Once the undertray is gone do not put it back and the area then air dries quickly so no longer a rust trap.
Technically the subframe is a suspension member so cannot be weld repaired once failed and a replacement should be fitted.
If a car subframe with old weld repairs is presented for MOT then the examiner is looking for factory standard welding with cover plates continuously seam welded on all edges. Not an easy standard to achieve with overhand welding. Dead easy with a spare subframe upside down on a workshop stand.

John

xmexclusive wrote:The usual cause of that plate on the subframe rusting through is keeping the car fitted with the original fibre undertray.
The tray has some open cell foam sealing sealing strips on the top.
The foam keeps the steel continually wet with a dose of added salt each winter.

I will be refitting my anti noise capsule/aerodynamic undertray once the mechanical bits are finished, but will fit spacers to hold if off the subframe for the reason you have mentioned. Mercedes suffer in the same fashion but adding rustprofing and fitting spacers has saved my subframe from rot.