MOT preparation....give it a clean

[Ciaran]

For our Govt run MOT test centres in Northern Ireland, we have to pressure wash the underside of the car, wheel arches, and lower engine bay. The interior also has to be reasonably clean!

The rationale being that a cleaner car is easier to inspect etc etc. They can refuse to test a car if it is not deemed to be clean enough. It has its benefits, all winter salt and grime is washed off the car. The downside being washing off any underseal if it is weak. I also use it as a good time to re-wax oil the CX when it is clean underneath.

So, put your car up on the ramps, crouch down beside it and pressure wash the underside of the car.

P.S. Andrew, how hard was the Steering rack to change on the Xantia? The pinion valve is leaking on our Xantia now as well, it has lasted well, she has 198k on the clock. I would like to avoid it being scrapped in the future due to the leaky rack.

I never pressure wash mine, just a garden hose to get the shite off, pressure washing just tends to strip the underseal. As long as its not filthy with muck falling in their eyes etc they seem Ok with it, though I did once have one fail for dirt on a brake pipe. I find with the level of ignorance of the government testers about XMs, and any unusual vehicle really, that dirt is usually the least of your worries. Hence your BX a few weeks ago with its 'burst' pipe, my S1 with its 'split' brake flexi hose (oh no wait it was a parking brake cable)...

[andmcit]

Cx rear subframe swap? Are you sure about that!!!? I realise you can unstitch the rivets on the longerons
but it's not like a BX, Xm or Gs.

Andrew

[robert_e_smart]

Aye, they're swoppable.

Undo the rivits from the centre longerons sections, undo the rubber mountings where the body is bolted in to it, undo all hydraulic pipes, and the subframe should just slide back out with a bit of gentle persuasion. After the exhaust, rear wheels and fuel tank has been removed of course.

The CX columnist for the CCC has swopped one with a guy who has a Reflex.

http://www.cxclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic ... t=subframe

Luckily on mine the longeron centre sections have been replaced, so the rear subframe is bolted to it. It is too far gone to weld Ithink, but it would have to come out anyway if it was repairable, the top of it is rotten too. So I'll use the opportunity to re-pipe the rear, change the rear spheres, trailing arm bearings and weld up the boot floor.

RE: MOTs, it all depends on the testers view of the car, I was lucky that the guy that tested my Athena was very interested in it, the guy who tested my Series 1 XM had nothing but compliments for it, thankfully both testers were all older gents who recognised the rareity of what they were testing. At another station, some spotty prick failed the Series 2 XM for the headlight alignment being out. £17.50 for the retest.

[Dean]

At another station, some spotty prick failed the Series 2 XM for the headlight alignment being out. £17.50 for the retest.

Yep ive had that before, done the headlamp aim with the engine off, of course with a sinker this isnt wise

D