I'm a guy from Denmark, and through the years i've owned and driven all kinds of cars; American, British, German, French, Japanese... though, never a "big Citroën"...until recently.
I became the owner of this beauty: 1993 Citroën XM 2.0i (Monopoint). Standing out in the bland crowd of tired Hyundais, Opels, Suzukis on a dealer's lot of trade-in cars, "she" got my attention. Man, an XM is HUGE.
So, i drove a test ride, found that the front wheel bearings are shot, the right front strut mount is soon to be replaced (as in SOON), and some other small defects. Told the dealer about the defects, and offered him a fraction of the price he wanted. He accepted without hesitation... looks like i helped him out! Price was a steal, thanks to the mostly mythical beliefs people has about these cars and their hydraulic systems. Well, not me. I find it exciting. Well, here's some technical info:
It's an "Affaire" model, which, as i understand it, means "bare-boned fleet model", compared to the other XM-models avaliable at the time.
Still, it offers power windows up front, adjustable steering column, and a digital clock, central locking system and outdoor thermometer (last three functions doesn't work...yet).
Cloth cabin, 1-spoke steering wheel, no ABS, no Hydractive, 1 (one!) dull cabin light (to create that intime atmosphere) - just plain-Jane excellence.
It's been well maintained, only 180000 km on the odo, and runs well, although it has some quirks when cold / warming up:
Under acceleration, and in particular, when i'm shifting up in gears, the engine lamp (yellow symbol) lit up, and there's no speeder response, until it goes to idle. When in idle, the engine lamp turns off, and it can accelerate normally.
This occurs several times, until it's been driven for approx. 30 minutes.
When the fault is there, there's no juddering or "coughing", the engine just "dies" until the RPM reaches idle speed (approx. 8-900 RPM).
I believe, that it's some kind of "limp mode" function - engine temperature is normal, there's no smoke, no excessive fuel consumption or the like.
Maybe someone in here can cast a light on, what "Mon Bleu Affaire" tries to tell me?
Well, i look forward to many an hour on this forum - and hope to be able to help others, as my knowledge will increase when owning and maintaining my first hydraulic Citroën.
Here she is: (hubcaps not original)
