Everyday XM?

[jonathan_dyane]

I've had more than my share of things leaking lately:

Perished breather pipe
Loose turbo oil feed
Oil pressure switch
Hydraulic Pump
Regulator

and now to top it up my diesel pump has started leaking badly.

This is the worst run I've had since I bought the car. Am I foolish running a 275000 mile XM as my main car doing the best part of 15000 miles a year? Should I get a more sensible everyday car and retire the XM or just fix the injector pump and persevere?

Discuss...

[dollywobbler]

Age and use does lead to more and more stuff wearing out, or failing as rubber seals harden etc. I've had an astonishingly good run with my XM over the past 13,000 miles. Do I think that would last forever? No. I've previously owned a BX with 305,000 miles on it, and blimey did it feel it! Current owner of that has done a heck of a lot of work to effectively overhaul it back to a more youthful state. I think there has to come a point where you either go in for a big overhaul, or sell and buy something else. Aside from my 2CV, I always go for the latter option.

[Dieselman]

One could view it that all this stuff has lasted 275,000 miles, so fix it and it will go for that again.

It's still going to be cheaper than depreciation on a newer car.

As long as the rest of the car is OK and the body isn't slouging off the subframes, I would be tempted to fix it and keep going.

I bought some parts of an XM with 450,000 miles on it and it was remarkably good and have driven another with 550,000 kilometres on, which was covered in battle scars, but drove exceptionally well.

[Dean]

Sense would dictate you buy a very small Petrol or mid size derv ( i dont think running a small derv these days is worth it) and keep the XM to wheel out on a sunny sunday which is fine, if your a Tart, or you man up, glue it back together and push on through the hard times, its bound to stop breaking once you replace everything..................

From what ive gathered by following your exploits, or woes, the vehicle in question may be suffering from what i believe is known in professional circles as a 'newness deficit'.
While its true to say the newness may have worn off there is no reason why you cant use a car thats 20 odd years old and has been to the moon and back as a daily, it may be painfull for a long while though but it would seem you have the stomach for a challenge and your doing very well so far.

I sense you are loosing hope, maybe because your looking at it all wrong? the use of my XM falls squarely in thr Tart catagory but i still like to set out on every journey with the understanding that i will not arrive, i fully expect to get roughly half way to my destination before coasting to the side of the road in a cloud of vapour and fluid, this has never happened but that means im always really happy when i do arrive and only 4 or 5 minor systems fail en route, if i didnt arrive though then i think i would take comfort in knowing it was not only expected but also way overdue, maybe youe feeling disheartened not because the car isnt the great paragon of reliability that maybe it could be but because you expect it to be.........


D

[Dieselman]

the use of my XM falls squarely in thr Tart catagory but i still like to set out on every journey with the understanding that i will not arrive, i fully expect to get roughly half way to my destination before coasting to the side of the road in a cloud of vapour and fluid, this has never happened but that means im always really happy when i do arrive and only 4 or 5 minor systems fail en route,
D

You should have bought a diesel. I use mine daily and would be mortified if it didn't reach it's destination. I do have breakdown cover, but only UK, which didn't stop me doing 665 miles in one day on a jaunt to France.

Diesels rock.

[Dieselman]

Back to Jonathan.

Have a good look where the diesel pump is leaking from, if it's the nose bearing it needs a new seal, if it's the delivery valve just clean it up, unscrew the pipe then valve, apply some fuel resistant sealant and refit.

A diesel specialist will charge a fortune as they will strip the complete pump and recalibrate it, but you can deal with a leak yourself without a labour charge.

[Dean]

If the car is to used daily (and funds allow) would it not be wise to just have the pump rebuilt by a specialist? its one more area that will be trouble free for the foreseable future rather than stripping it out to replace a seal or two and putting it back to find another one goes later on? does the re-callibration help with a vehicle that has covered over 250k?

D

[Dieselman]

does the re-callibration help with a vehicle that has covered over 250k?

D

Maybe, but probably not. Diesel pumps normally outlast the engine by some margin.

I would ascertain where the pump is leaking from before commiting to any work. Seals are cheap and easy to fit. I once sorted a leaking delivery valve on the side of the road on a car that had been pissing diesel out, enough to write off two starter motors. it took about 30 minutes and 2p worth of sealant. Not a Citroen and not my car, but the same principle applies.
My last Merc needed an O ring on the stop solenoid and the delivery valve seals replacing as tey were begining to weep. Like any piece of machinery, the pump needs maintenance.

[jonathan_dyane]

I guess the old girl does deserve another chance although the cursory glance little time permitted earlier didn't reveal where the leak was emanating from only that it seems to be dripping from the underside of the pump so likely not the drive shaft seal which is good...

[russ92xmsed]

I kind of agree with you Dean. I went for the eye watering route. The main seal at the back?...can't remember now, had 'pancaked' and was leaking on my Bosch pump. It was stripped, completely resealed and timed up brilliantly. The specialist said, I could be chasing failing seals around the pump for ages, or get the lot done in one go. So it was done in one hit.
Car was so different after. And now I don't have to worry about it. Mine had done 135k. So 275k is excellent.