Citroen XM Forum

Its a 1994 L reg Xm Prestige 2.0TCT Automatic in black with around about 100K ...

Ive mentioned this car on here before as we used to do the odd few bits and pieces with the car for its owner. It has only had any maintenance when really needed, so things have been left to mount up unless it stopped use of the car. It was used almost daily, as an only car, doing around 1500-2000 miles a year. I had considered getting hold of the car at some point to bring it back to its former glory and its owner was thinking about swapping to a C5. Sadly its owner passed away recently, fearing that the XM might go to scrap or to someone who would break it, I bought it last week. Finally, my own XM!

My first task was giving it a cleaning, I doubt it had been washed for many years and the interior was full of stuff, very dusty and full of gritt etc. It looked like it had been used as a van, the spare wheel was on the back seat, though luckily it has not damaged the leather at all. The interior now looks much better, it wants a better clean of the leather and some feed, but its come up very well so far. The outside I have just given a quick wash, it needs a good claying and machine polish to bring th epaintwork back to life and out of its many deep swirls and scratches.

I did take it to the CCC meeting at Wetherby last weekend, if you were there it was the most tatty looking black one

So it does have its issues, pretty much a list as long as my arm. However it has its benefits, Its MOT'd until November, it is taxed (needs retaxing for Friday though) and it is LPG converted with a spare wheel well mounted tank, so no boot space has been taken. The interior is in very good condition and not much wear, the leather looks great and all the buttons and electrics work, even the sunroor is perfect. The body is very rust free, slight bit just showing on the NSR wing bottom but nothing at all major. I have had a good look at the underside and that is very strong with only some surface rust, no real rot to speak of.

So the list as I got the car goes as follows, I have already done some bits:
- Turbo does not work - Does now - wastegate was stuck open, freed off the lever and its working a treat
- Very sluggish to pull away from a stand still, Much better now
- Speedo does not work - top cable has snapped
- Spheres are very firm - have now replaced all four corners with new Genuine Citroen spheres, just got the 3 remaing, its riding so much better already.
- AC does not work
- Cruise does not work - Now works
- Door locks spinning - now fixed
- Wants new rear brake discs
- Two worn tyres - now replaced by new ones
- No idea of when it was last serviced - I have now serviced it - LPG kit has been serviced regularily with invoices to prove
- Passenger door mirror was taped on - now screwed on but im sourcing a good replacement
- Various bumps and dents around the car, most noticeable is the quite large dent in the NSR wing corner, bumpers are scuffed and the back one slighly cracked. The reversing light cover/lens has a hole in it. Nose cone looks to have been painted with a rattle can. The paintwork on the rest of the car is dull, scratched and swirled - im confident that with a machine polish it will come up very nice though. Ill get the dents and odd bits of paint work done at some point too. - Some body work improvements done, but will have a bodyshop visit at some point.

Ive done various bits of tidying, fiddling and such since getting it. Everything I do seems to make a good improvement to the car and for only having it a few days Ive done a fair bit so far. I plan on getting it as right as can be and keeping it that way.

Here are a couple of pictures as it is now, you can be assured that as its condition improves there will be many more pictures



Ive done about 300 miles in it so far, apart from the above list it goes and drives nicely. So much better for the new spheres, im just looking forward to it having some more performance

That car definitely has potential ,keep going.

New Citroen spheres must have cost a fair bit, do you find genuine Citroen ones that much better than generic ones, such as IFHS ones?

When you go to replace the reversing lights section, if you can, change the corner lamps as well so you get a nice consistent colour match between them all. Depends how fussy you are!

We have often found that the Citroen ones keep their pressure better and have never had a problem with genuine ones. When we have fitted cheaper ones to cars in the past a couple have not lasted long, some expiring in an interesting way. One exploded and another (actually fitted to this Prestige about 6 years ago) ruptured straight after fitting. Of course Citroen ones means the damper rate is just how it should be and the spheres generally seem to give a better ride. It was interesting to compare one car which had a new genuine Citroen sphere on the NS and a new cheaper branded sphere on the OS, the OS was firmer to press.

Luckily we had some new genuine Citroen spheres in stock, in fact the rears are now the triple diaphragm ones and so should last a very long time. I have one which will go as the accululator sphere, it has no damper and is at 70 bar. I just need to find two for the centre soft spheres now. No doubt somewhere in the garage Ill find those.

Given the cost of getting new genuine Citroen ones it probably is not worth it, im not even sure if they are all available now. I would most likely have gone for spheres from AEP or similar. Ideally if you have or can get hold of genuine spheres then regassing every couple of years, they will possibly last a lifetime.

I had thought of that Robert, I'll see what I can find

You should be OK with the tinted rear section as long as it's from a series 1 car. S1 are dark bronze tint, s2 are black tint.

I have a spare s1.5 TCT reversing lights plastic section with matching tail units Chris.
No idea what they're worth but all in good shape! The coloured matching body colour
pieces all unclip off the whole unit so you just need all silvered/white or brown tint to
match.

Chris.. stop rubbing my nose in this!! ..

im still pissed at what happend to mine that ended IDENTICAL to this one when i was finished and it was IDENTICAL hence wanting this one..

let me know if your having parts off me or andrew...

So what was the reason your car got scrapped by the new buyer then Paul!?
Why did they not speak to you for advice about what the car needed...

something learned there for the next time I guess!

Hi Will,

Dieselman wrote:You should be OK with the tinted rear section as long as it's from a series 1 car. S1 are dark bronze tint, s2 are black tint.

I'm going to have to disagree with the /\ , as my S2 2.5 TD's (Silver Exclusive and Magenta VSX) both have the Rose/Bronze tinted rear panel/lamp assemblies identical to Chris's S1.5 (Below) but with the S2 later 'XM' font style logo on the off-side



Also just a to prove that S1/1.5 can also have the Grey/Black Tinted rear panel (Identified by the same 'XM' font style next to the 'Citroen logo' on the near-side) , here's a BRAND -NEW one available on E-Bay , I therefore rest my case !



XMX

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I had an M reg tct auto.. i put leather in and electric arm rest.. new exhaust, a 80k engine, full service cam belt etc, replacment almost new strut tops and all spheres, lpg injection, sold it to an ex club xm.co.uk member then 6 months or so later he had to sell.. offered it to me for about 500 i couldnt afford it..vno listened to me socwithin two weeks scrap..then came BACK on the fourm and told us all he had done that!!! if i knew that was gonna happen I would of found scrap money for it but nope.... Not happy.. a proper solid one that was... So i KNOW how you feel Andrew...