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XM 2.5 TD VSX Estate

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2020 7:59 am
by Eddy Dar
Hi,

I ve got a chance of buying the above car. Its sat for nearly 4-6 years and owner says the starter is stuck and will not start. I was gonna see about put a bar on teh crank pulley bolt to see if it turns at all or even remove the starter and either put 12v on it. If the engine is seized its not worth much I guess...which is a shame.

Any advice as to what to expect engine wise, body work (rot) suspension wise ?

Re: XM 2.5 TD VSX Estate

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2020 11:53 pm
by Julianw
My two penneth...

It'd better be very cheap, or better still free, cos it's going to soak up some money recommissioning it.

Unless it was very diligently protected underneath and in the cavities before being laid up, or has been dry stored, you can expect substantial rot in the sills and possibly the subframes. Iirc the boot floor may also have suffered badly. If there's a sunroof, look out for water ingress that has ended up on the cabin floor causing more rot. Front inner wings on a non 2.5 seem to be a weak point too, I don't know if this affects those in a 2.5 - but look either behind the wheel arch liners or under the gubbins fixed on top of the inner wings to check. If the bumper ends aren't well attached, that's a fair sign that there's at least some rot that has taken hold.
Expect a fair few electrical problems, just from poor connections, relays and earths.
As for the engine, I'm not familiar with the 2.5, but someone who is will be along shortly! But I'd be taking the starter off to test it, and not go mad with a breaker bar on the crank.

Re: XM 2.5 TD VSX Estate

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 6:27 am
by Dieselman
I doubt the engine will be seized as long as the bonnet has been left closed.
Even left in the open diesel engines don't readily seize.
The storage location will affect the condition significantly...dry stored is best, through to long grass being worst.
The first place to show signs if rot are the sills at the jacking points and the back of the front wheelhouse.

If your intention is for a quick commissioning and to use as a daily car, you need to check it thoroughly before accepting it.
If you are looking at it as a project, expect to spend some time and effort on it.

Re: XM 2.5 TD VSX Estate

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:22 am
by xmexclusive
Starter is hard to get at on a 2.5, lot to remove if you want to take it off.
If you are looking for an easy fix daily car avoid if this one has aircon fitted.
Some expensive and difficult to obtain bits associated with that version.
Was a regular maintenance and repair problem with these XM's.
Most 2.5 XM's are high mileage.
Cars tended to be well looked after and often garaged in first ownership.
Estates were typically left out from new and not so regularly treated for road salt.
The car version was stretched at the back to form the estate body shell.
So they have all the rust problems listed above for the cars plus extra hidden ones behind the rear wheels.
Expect the maze of hidden thin high pressure hydraulic pipes over the rear axle to spring a leak or two.
They have been rusting quietly for many years.
Usually happens just when you think things are all sorted
My experience is that at this age there will almost certainly be structural rust problems.
I am of the view that the 2.5 estate is a superb car in use and worth the effort to keep going.
But then I am very biased and have a good supply of spares.

John